oops hello sorry I've been working on my Anakin cosplay and forgot to update hehehehe so I'm posting both chapters 8 and 9 at once. Enjoy!

The trial was about a week away when Obi-Wan met the Loyalists at Padmé's apartment to consolidate what both parties knew. Padmé had asked him in private — meaning, away from Anakin — if he would help their cause and he'd readily agreed, taking her queries to the Jedi Council and seeing what sort of an alliance they could form in private. Now he was back, and for some reason Padmé couldn't help but think of how glad she was this meeting was overlapping with Anakin going to therapy. Their talk had definitely been a strong first step at improving their relationship, but he still had a lot going on and for now, Padmé wanted to keep both worlds separate. It was easier that way.

She sat opposite Obi-Wan on the yellow couches in her living space, observing silently as he answered various questions by her peers, patiently and with that same sage-like wisdom that seemed to emanate from all Jedi.

Except, well. Padmé's husband. Anakin was wise in his own way, but he was definitely no sage.

Thank the gods for that, honestly. Sages weren't her type.

"What is Palpatine's security situation currently?" Fang Zar was asking Obi-Wan then.

"He's being securely held deep within the temple," Obi-Wan said. "We're watching him at all times of the day through security monitors, but we aren't allowed any contact with him, nor any audio from within his cell as per the court's orders." He made a skeptical face. "To protect the Chancellor's privacy, of course."

"And how will security be handled during the trial?"

"That is a concern of ours as well," Obi-Wan replied. "I cannot reveal everything, you understand, but I assure you we are taking measures to prevent escape or rescue plans."

"You think realistically he would try?" Bana asked.

Obi-Wan glanced at Padmé and said, "As I know Senator Amidala has mentioned, Palpatine has immensely strong Force powers. We are in no way allowed to interfere with his abilities, and so this plus his many allies and potential co-conspirators makes it a very dangerous situation. We will have Jedi and clones stationed at all exits, and the majority of the Jedi Council will be in attendance during the trial. That's all I'm allowed to say."

"And in the event that he fails to be convicted," Mon said, "Do the Jedi have a backup plan?"

Obi-Wan pulled his robes closer around him. "We are considering our options."

Padmé had to suppress a smile. The cryptic Jedi Master. She was used to it by now, but she knew it could be infuriating to those who weren't.

"There is some talk among us," Bail said in a low voice, making eye contact with everyone and waiting until he received nods of approval to continue, "Of an organization being formed. An opposition in the event that…something happens."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "I believe I understand." He raised his hand to his beard, deep in thought. "Do you have support?"

"Chandrila, Alderaan," Mon listed. "Mon Cala, and it's military. Dantooine, Malastare, and Ryloth are sympathetic, and we have potential allies Confederate systems if we can manage to make contact. Onderon is one possibility."

"We would value your opinion," Bail said. "As the only one among us with military experience."

Obi-Wan was still nodding contemplatively. "It is dangerous," he said slowly. "Alderaan has no military, Chandrila's is limited. Ryloth is still healing from early in the war. Mon Cala will be helpful, but it is only one against the entire clone army if the worst does come."

"Is there no way to gain support inside the military?" asked Giddean Danu.

"Palpatine took control over the army with his most recent amendment to the Constitution. If he is acquitted, he will attempt to regain total control over the entire military. It's too risky to ask for support openly."

Meena Tillis said, "But practically speaking, the Jedi are in command right now. They are the ones with experience leading the clones. Have you no sway upon them?"

Obi-Wan shifted in his seat. "The clones are an immensely loyal group of people bred to serve the Republic. However, they are still individuals who are very good at making decisions for themselves. I'm certain some of them would rally to your cause, but I would not hold out faith that widespread aid would come your way. It is much more likely that Palpatine would order them to squash your — organization, and most clones would obey."

"So is there no hope?" Chi Eekway asked him.

"All I am saying," Obi-Wan replied, "Is that in your current state, it will not be enough."

"I agree," Bail said. "We may be in this for the long haul, my friends. A fight seen only in the shadows. It will seem like a losing battle."

Obi-Wan looked around at them for a moment, then leaned in slightly, frowning. "If you were to ask me personally — I fear that if we continue a falsely democratic process like the one we're in now, we will lose. And I, personally, recommend that you go ahead with your organization. Rally what help you can. But keep it quiet. I will tell the Jedi Council if you wish, and I'm certain they will not try to stop you, but I do not believe we would be able to aid you in our current state."

"Even now?" Mon said. "Even in our most desperate hour?"

"I cannot speak for them, of course," Obi-Wan said carefully. "And I agree with the Council in many ways, and I have the utmost respect for them. But all I mean is…they do not always, at all times, set their priorities right."

"What about you?" Padmé said, finally speaking up.

Obi-Wan stared at her. "What about me?"

"If the worst case scenario comes to pass," Padmé said quietly, looking into his eyes. "If democracy dies and everything we've fought for was wasted…if our efforts in the Senate fail and we must do the unthinkable: will you help us?"

He blinked, and she watched as he steeled his jaw. "To oppose Palpatine's authoritarian rule?" he said as if to himself, and eventually came to nod. "If the worst does come, yes, I will help you."

"It would be most appreciated," Bail cut in. "Are there any Jedi who might follow?"

"Ahsoka, for one," Padmé offered.

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said. "I can try to find some others as well."

"And General Skywalker?" Mon asked.

Padmé and Obi-Wan exchanged a long look. She could tell he was thinking the same thing that she was — that they would really rather it not come to that. But Padmé said, "If it comes down to it, I'm certain he will."

Mon nodded. "Very well. Proceed, Master Jedi, and be cautious."

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said again. "And all of you as well."

They called their meeting to a close. Padmé shared some parting words with her friends and then removed herself with Obi-Wan off to her private chambers, in the direction of the kitchen. To her surprise, Anakin was there. He must have just returned, and he looked about as miserable as he usually did, these days, when he turned to look them over.

He glanced between Obi-Wan and her, rubbing at his eyes blearily as he held a cup of caf loosely in his mechanical hand. "So are you part of their little rebellion now, Master?"

Oh, not this again. "Anakin," Padmé started, but then he surprised her by waving it off with almost a smile.

"I'm kidding," he said. "Sorry. Too tired to joke, I guess."

"Therapy's going well, then?" Obi-Wan said with humor in his voice. "I haven't heard you crack a joke since the Invisible Hand."

"That was pretty fun," Anakin admitted with a shadow of a grin, not quite there but not quite not. "Really, though. Are you joining them?"

Padmé felt Obi-Wan's eyes on her, and she interjected. "I don't want it to have to come to that," she said. "I for one still haven't given up on democracy. But as a last ditch effort…yes, he's pledged his support." She paused, the end of the meeting echoing in her head. She might as well.… "But if the worst does come, goddesses forbid…we could use yours as well."

He looked between the two of them for a long moment, frowning. "You don't want my help."

"And why not?" Obi-Wan said.

"I would just make it worse," Anakin said, and in a blink suddenly he looked absolutely hopeless. "Just like I almost did."

"Anakin—"

"No," said Anakin, waving it off again. "You know it's true. I was supposed to be the one opposing your rebellion. I don't want anything to do with it. Do whatever you have to, but just — leave me out of it."

Before they could stop him, he turned away from them and left the room.

Padmé looked up at Obi-Wan. "At least he's actually talking about it now."

Obi-Wan nodded distantly, rubbing his beard. "I really should have pushed him for therapy a long time ago."

"Oh, stop that," Padmé said, not quite snapping. "Should have this, should have that. Stop before you start sounding like him."

He chuckled, and moved over to pour himself some caf. "No, one of him is already more than I can handle, sometimes."

"I do still believe in the political process, you know," she said, staring off in the direction Anakin had left. "But even I have to admit it looks bleak. I've never exactly been a pacifist, but…I didn't want it to come to this."

After a very long pause, where he took a sip of his drink and stared down at it, he said, "It might not have to."

"What?" Padmé said. "Does the Council have a plan after all?"

"Not the Council," Obi-Wan said vaguely. She looked at him inquisitively, but he just shook his head. "Oh, don't mind me. Just an old man rambling."

"Obi-Wan, you're thirty-nine."

"Yes, but I'm graying now."

She laughed, and threw her hands up in concession. "Fair enough. You're ancient."

It was a nice, but brief moment with smiles on their faces, one of those tiny pinpricks of light in the darkest of situations. After a short time, that briefest of moments concluded with him sobering and looking at her grimly. "Padmé," Obi-Wan said, "Promise me something."

"Anything."

"I know how hard it is for you to be working, what with the twins," he said seriously. "But keep doing it. Work as hard as you can. I will too. We need to take this man down, and like you I would prefer to do it the right way."

There was a passion in his words the likes of which she had never heard from him. It was…nice, somehow. Refreshing. She said, "That's all I want. To take Palpatine out and to keep him—" she pointed off in Anakin's general direction "—safe. I will die for this cause."

"So would I," Obi-Wan pledged. "And I would prefer for Anakin not to be involved, as he wishes."

"Agreed," Padmé said. "This is our fight now."

"And I will do anything to make sure we prevail," Obi-Wan said. "Anything."

"Anything," she promised. "Anything for him."

There was something unspoken here, and she couldn't quite put it into words…but maybe it was best if they indeed left it like that, for now.

The 501st arrived in the Mustafar system the same day that the trial was due to start. Ahsoka had been here before with Anakin years ago, on an intense mission to save some kidnapped Force-sensitive younglings from Cad Bane. She didn't think they had ever discovered just why the bounty hunter had done that, and who had been paying him to, but at the end of the day they'd succeeded in saving the children. She remembered the younglings had been returned to their parents with the Jedi arranging a relocation to protect them from a second attack, and that had essentially been that. Strange, suspicious, but ultimately just another terrible mission in an apprenticeship full of terrible missions.

Now, of course, she returned to this miserable lava planet alone, a fully fledged Jedi Knight absent of her master's companionship. It still felt so weird.

She'd known from the start that when — if — she returned to the Order, it would have likely resulted in her being knighted. This was your great trial,Master Windu had said that evening, after Barriss's deception had been revealed and Ahsoka had been let go. Yeah. Sure it had been. Right. But she guessed that was normal for her lineage — Obi-Wan and Anakin had been knighted after informal trials as well. She was living up to their standards, she supposed.

Now. Mustafar. She stood on the bridge with Admiral Yularen as the fleet approached the hellish planet, listening to the reports of the scans — no Separatist presence in space, or in the atmosphere. No Trade Federation ships, no dreadnoughts or battlecruisers, nothing. No indication that anyone was staking out here at all.

But they had to check. She went down to the hangar with Rex to board the gunships, escorted by a dozen or so individual fighters just in case, although scans of the surface came up similarly short. But this wasn't just any other mission — this was a sweep to find the members of the Separatist Council themselves. If they were here then militant presence would be as well, perhaps hidden on the far side of the planet, undetectable by their scanners. Best to be careful.

As they entered the lower atmosphere, the gunship side latches opened to give them a view of the planet, and Ahsoka immediately coughed out a few lungfuls of ashy, sulfurous air. Red light and intense heat filled the gunship immediately, swelteringly hot even at this altitude, and all she could think was: Why would anyone build a secret base here?

Their approach was slow as the scanners swept over the surface looking for anything that might point them in the direction of the Separatists, and Ahsoka took the time to comm Admiral Yularen.

"Any updates, Admiral?"

The tiny figure of him atop her wrist comm said, "There does not appear to be any presence in the atmosphere, but we've located two mining facilities that appear to be a headquarters of some kind."

Ahsoka nodded. "Send us their coordinates, we'll check 'em out."

The first facility appeared to be a dud, but a contingency of clones and a few gunships lingered back to finish the sweep as Ahsoka and Rex flew off to inspect the second. After a few minutes the clone pilot indicated they were approaching the target, and then suddenly—

"Red alert!" the pilot shouted, punching the emergency beacon.

Ahsoka tried to peer out the viewports. "What's going on?"

"Enemy ships, sir! Coming from the mining complex!"

She punched a key on her comm. "Admiral! Set the fighters in position and get ready to stop the ships trying to escape the system!" Then she looked at the men. "Get ready!"

The gunship swooped down near a landing platform and the sides opened fully. Before it was close enough for the clones to jump out, Ahsoka leapt from the transport, lightsabers blaring before she hit the ground in a roll. B1 droids began to swarm out of the base, and as she deflected their bolts and cut through them with her blades, all Ahsoka could think was how much easier this was than fighting militant Mandalorians. This was more like the good old days.

She did not stop moving and neither did her sabers, but she was conscious of the clones jumping off the ship behind her, the transports flying out of a hangar built into the mountain, the heat all around her and the constant blare of red light wherever she looked—

"Admiral!" she called into her comm. "Get ready the tractor beam! Don't let any of those ships escape!"

"We have formed a blockade, General," Yularen's voice said. "They won't get through on my watch."

Good, Ahsoka thought. Time to do what she did best, then:

Fighting. It was all she really seemed to know how to do, anymore.

I rewatched the episode where Ahsoka and Anakin go to Mustafar and there's a scene where the two go to talk with Palpatine, who says hi Anakin :) then glares at Ahsoka and says "excuse us" and takes Anakin into his office alone and I'M SORRY BUT ! sometimes the line blurs between fannish interpretation and actual canon but damn! Palpatine really is a straight predator isn't he! Ahsoka go tell an adult!