Triumph of the Republic

Still fuming after his argument with Padme, Anakin wandered the elevated walkways around 500 Republica in the morning sun and tried to clear his head. As he walked, dodging through the crowds with his hat pulled low, his anger with Padme began to fade. He began to regret storming out on her. He was already on shifting sands with Obi-Wan, and now he'd alienated Padme too.

With a sigh, he turned back toward 500 Republica. He'd acted foolishly, but it wasn't too late. If he hurried, he knew he could catch Padme before she left for the Senate and try to undo some of the damage. He hurried through the throngs of people along the walkway and started up the steps at the apartment building's entrance, taking them two at a time. He was nearly at the front doors when he ran into a white-haired man coming the opposite way.

"Watch it!" Anakin shouted, rounding on the old man with a snarl, but his anger quickly turned to mortification when he saw the man's face. "General Palpatine," he said, his face burning red from embarrassment. He snapped to attention before the leader of the Grand Army of the Republic.

"Commander Skywalker?" Palpatine asked, peering under the brim of Anakin's hat. The general was several inches shorter than Anakin, and there was little in his receding hairline or weak chin to suggest a great military man, yet his reputation as a ruthless strategist was unmatched in the galaxy.

"Yes, sir," Anakin said, hastily snatching his hat off his head. He was surprised Palpatine remembered him, as he had only met the general once before. "I'm so sorry, sir, I should have been paying better attention." He wrung the hat nervously in his hands behind his back, keeping his eyes down.

"What are you doing here?" Palpatine asked pointedly, ignoring Anakin's apology.

"I was...I was just…" Anakin stammered, casting about for some reasonable excuse. After a few difficult seconds, Palpatine took pity on him.

"Are you heading to the Jedi Temple?" Palpatine asked, offering Anakin an escape route.

"Yes, of course," Anakin said, relieved, though the general's expression suggested he knew very well Anakin was somewhere he ought not to be.

"Then you will ride with me," Palpatine said, gesturing to the well-appointed speeder that awaited him, "I am already headed that way myself." Anakin started to protest but Palpatine stopped him short. "I insist," Palpatine said, putting a hand on Anakin's shoulder and guiding him toward the speeder. Anakin decided it was best not to resist. His reconciliation with Padme would have to wait.

Anakin boarded the speeder and took his seat, marveling at the plush fabric of the vehicle's interior and the expensive bottles of alcohol arrayed in a miniature bar. Palpatine joined him, looking perfectly at ease in their luxurious surroundings. "Go," Palpatine ordered the driver, and the speeder took off.

Anakin fidgeted in his seat, nervous to be in such close proximity to a military leader he so admired. He wondered if he should say something, but Palpatine spoke first. "You'll be attending the Chancellor's celebration this evening?" Anakin nodded. Palpatine smiled, nodding. "You are to be commended for the bravery of your actions on Ryloth. Our triumph there is owed in no small part to you."

"Thank you, sir," Anakin said, bowing his head. He was pleased that Palpatine knew about his role in the battle. He felt his apprehension begin to melt away. Here at last was someone who appreciated his efforts, rather than scolding him for his failures. "I am not sure the Jedi Council will share your view of the situation," he added, ruefully anticipating the dressing-down he was sure awaited him at the temple.

"War is not normally the purview of the Jedi," Palpatine said. "They don't always understand what is necessary to succeed in battle." He paused, looking at Anakin closely. "But you already know that, don't you?" Anakin didn't reply, but he cast his eyes down, afraid they would betray his answer. "What a waste of talent, for the Jedi to hold themselves back," Palpatine went on. "Imagine what they could achieve if they allowed their power to be fully unleashed."

"The Jedi are guardians, not rulers," Anakin said, repeating the lessons he had learned in his Jedi training. He pushed aside the small voice whispering to him that Palpatine was right. "We must leave governing to the politicians," he said, hearing Obi-Wan's voice in his head. Palpatine was unmoved.

"The Jedi fear their own power and the galaxy has suffered for it," the general said brusquely. Anakin could hear the disdain in his voice. "Those with the ability to wield the Force were not always so timid."

"You mean the Sith?" Anakin asked, taken aback. He knew General Palpatine was an unorthodox military strategist, but he would never have believed him capable of admiring the Dark Lords of the Sith. "They were monsters."

"Your Order has demonized them, but if you've studied their history you know that many followers of that ancient order only sought to bring order to the galaxy," Palpatine said, his voice calm once again. "Is that so wrong?" he asked.

"No," Anakin said after a moment of quiet consideration, "but in the case of the Sith the end did not justify the means."

"Spoken like a true Jedi," Palpatine said with a half-smile as the speeder came to a stop in front of the Jedi Temple. "But I wonder," he added, looking straight into Anakin's eyes, "do you really believe that?" Before Anakin could answer, the driver came around and opened his door. Taking his cue to leave, Anakin exited the speeder.

"General," he said, offering Palpatine a low bow. Palpatine gave him a small smile that was difficult to read.

"Until tonight, my friend," he said, as the door closed and the speeder zoomed away as Anakin watched from the steps of the Jedi Temple.

In the darkness of his cell inside the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center, Tarkin sat with his eyes closed, trying to block out the shouts and inane babble of his fellow prisoner. He had been locked away in this place for four years, and had grown accustomed to many of the grim realities of the detention center, but the noise still unsettled him, and whatever poor unfortunate they were dragging in now was making a racket.

"I saw him!" someone screamed. "You have to believe me, please!" Tarkin heard the clone troopers who guarded the facility laughing.

"Oi, have you heard this one?" one guard said, still chuckling. "Says he's seen Darth Maul!" Tarkin's eyes snapped open. He got up and looked out through the force-field, listening carefully. He could see a few levels down where they were dragging the struggling Rodian inside.

"No, I saw him! I swear!" the Rodian pleaded, still resisting the guards. "He's here on Coruscant!" The clone troopers laughed again.

"You're full of it!" one of them said. "Crazy old spice junkie."

"I'm telling you, it's true! I can help you, I can help you find him! Please, please," the Rodian sank to his knees, pleading.

"We don't need to find him, he's dead," the other clone trooper said as he and his partner picked the Rodian up under his arms and flung him into a cell. "Now, get in your cell and keep quiet." The Rodian's cries continued for a few minutes, then faded away.

Tarkin went back to his seat on the hard palate that served as his bed. He knew better than to believe the ravings of a spice-addled Rodian. The guard was right, Darth Maul was dead. He was certain of it.

Muck splashed with each step as Darth Maul followed Vigdis through the ever narrower tunnels of Coruscant's ancient sewers. As the small band of Separatists got closer to the Senate Building, the tunnels became older and harder to navigate. They were now forced to walk single-file, stooping low to avoid hitting their heads. Maul despised the grime and the close-quarters, but he knew every step brought him closer to his goal.

"Wait!" Vigdis hissed ahead of him, coming to a stop. The column of soldiers ceased their forward motion, squinting in the darkness. "This is it," Vigdis said, turning to Maul. Maul took a few steps forward to stand beside her. She pointed up to a large, rusted hatch.

"I doubt it still opens," Vigdis remarked, reaching up to flake off some of the rust with her fingers.

"Leave that to me." Maul clutched his lightsaber hilt in his hand and ignited one of the ruby reb blades. The tunnel around them glowed red as Maul stretched his arm up and began to cut away at the hatch above. The metal of the tunnel quickly gave way before the power of Maul's weapon, and the Sith Lord stepped back quickly as the hatch fell to the floor with a tremendous clang.

"After you," he said, gesturing to Vigdis. The Falleen jumped up and grabbed the edge of the newly cut hole to pull herself up and through, and Maul followed. Vigdis activated a glowstick to light the way as they emerged into the basement levels of the Senate Building. The air was thick with an ancient must. Maul wondered how many centuries had passed since anyone set foot in this part of the building.

"This way," Vigdis called as the last their small crew came through the hole, "there's an old security center over here." Vigdis held up her glowstick to reveal a door leading into a room packed with ancient-looking consoles.

"Adisa," Vigdis said, motioning forward a young human male. "Can you slice a way in from here?"

"Should be able too," the boy said, brushing the dust of the seat in front of one of the consoles. Maul watched impatiently as the boy powered up console and set to work hacking his way into the security systems of the Senate Building. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long.

"I'm in," Adisa said, grinning. Maul leaned over the boy's shoulder to see the series of images now coming in from the security vid cams. Vigdis stood beside him, watching the screen as thousands of people milled around the Senate Building in their finery.

"It's must be some kind of celebration," Vigdis said, "Jedi, military officers, homeworld rulers. Most of the galaxy's leadership is in that room," she shook her head, as though unwilling to believe their good fortune. But Maul had no trouble believing.

"The Force is with us," Maul said, his eyes gleaming. "Now, in their moment of triumph, we will destroy them." He turned to Adisa. "Keep us out of sight," he ordered the slicer, who nodded enthusiastically. "You three," Maul said, pointing to a few of Vigdis' soldiers, "stay here and keep watch." He turned to the remainder of the crew. "The rest of you, with me."

In a quiet corner of the Jedi Temple's library, Anakin sat and scrolled through the scanned texts of the ancient histories of the Sith. He'd spent most of the day buried in the library's stacks, anxious to avoid running into his master. He assumed that if the Council had expelled him, someone would have been waiting for him when he returned to his room. But there was no one, so he'd freshened up and then made his way to the archives.

He was drawn to the library after his discussion with General Palpatine. He felt compelled to revisit the history of the Sith, trying to understand Palpatine's apparent admiration for them. He found what he expected, tales of cruelty and despotism, but he also began to see that Palpatine was right about one thing: the Sith were free in a way the Jedi would never be.

Palpatine's words about the limitations of the Jedi drifted back into his mind, and he felt their truth. Perhaps the general was right. Perhaps he'd learned all he could from the Jedi. Perhaps it was time to break free. Without the Jedi Order holding him back, there were no limits to what he could become, to what he could have. What was more, there would be nothing stopping him from being with Padme.

Someone shuffled down the aisle across from him and he jumped in his seat, afraid Obi-Wan had tracked him down at last, but when he looked up he saw that it was only the wizened old librarian, Jocasta Nu.

"Young Skywalker," she said, giving him a suspicious once-over. "You've been here an awfully long time."

"It's nice to be somewhere quiet, after spending so much time at the front," Anakin said, quickly clearing the Sith histories from his reading tablet.

"Hmm," Master Nu said, clearly not completely satisfied with his answer. "Well, I'm closing up the library now in order to attend the chancellor's celebration," she explained. "I imagine you'll be expected there as well?" She asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, Master Nu," Anakin said with a nod as he rose. He bowed deeply to the librarian. "Thank you." She turned away to hurry up another patron, her long robes swishing against the stone floor. Anakin headed in the opposite direction and slipped out a side entrance. The day was quickly turning from afternoon to evening.

He considered hailing a hover taxi to take him to the Senate Building, but the evening air was warm and pleasant, and he decided to walk instead. There was an intoxicating appeal in the thought of leaving the Order, but there was much doubt and fear in his mind. He had been so certain a place in the Jedi Order was his destiny, how could he turn away from that now?

Anakin reached the Senate Building, it's steps swarming with the galaxy's leaders decked out in their finest. He hurried up the steps through the glitzy crowd. He knew that when he reached the celebration inside his first task was to make amends with Padme. But what then? he wondered. He could see the many paths laid out before him, but he still didn't know which one to take.

Padme stood in the luxurious ballroom of the Senate Building, attempting to mingle among the honored guests of Chancellor Valorum. It was not something she relished. In fact, she hadn't failed to notice that Valorum had spent most of the evening so far up in his private box, conferring with his aides, and occasionally disappearing back to his office. She envied him.

Picking a canape off a server droid's tray, she joined a discussion among a few mid-rim senators about a trade embargo recently imposed on one of their worlds, but the conversation proved less than stimulating. All the politicians in attendance were skirting around the topic that was truly on everyone's mind: the secrecy of the Ryloth campaign.

There was little doubt the lack of Senatorial involvement represented a gross overreach of power by the military, but one had to tread carefully. You could never be sure who was on what side. There was a nervous energy in the room as everyone tried to suss out each other's position and motives. The war might be over, but a political storm was already brewing.

"Senator Naberrie!" A voice called out to her just as she was trying to think of a way to excuse herself from the conversation about trade embargos. Relieved, she turned away, only to have her hopes of rescue dashed. It was Ta'a Chume. The princess took Padme's arm, and, resigned to her fate, Padme let her. "I do hope you're feeling better after the other night."

"Much better, thank you," Padme assured her. "Just a touch of flu."

"Yes, Princess Breha mentioned something to that effect. It seems you've made a swift recovery. I imagine you have quite a strong constitution, growing up as you did in a remote mountain village." Padme knew Ta'a Chume didn't mean it as a compliment, but she smiled anyway.

"That must be it," she replied, determined not to let the Hapen princess get under her skin.

"Of course, what your little spell really reminded me of was when I was pregnant with my elder son," the princess continued. Padme froze, but tried to keep her expression neutral. She could see that Ta'a Chume was watching her reaction very carefully.

"The nausea would come and go, just like that," Ta'a Chume said breezily, waving her hand in the air. "I confess, if I didn't know you were so determinedly unattached, I'd have thought you were expecting," she said with a light laugh, pressing her hand against Padme's arm. Padme said nothing, but was relieved to have her arm released as a service droid came by and Ta'a Chume reached over to snatch two cocktails off of it. "Care for a drink?"

"Padme!" Padme turned and saw Breha hailing her from across the room. Relief washed over her.

"Excuse me, your highness," she said, avoiding being forced into refusing the drink. She left Ta'a Chume and hurried over to where Breha was standing near the rest of the royal delegation from Alderaan. "Stars' end, that woman is insufferable," she muttered to Breha as she came up to her. "I don't think she bought your story about the Guavian flu. She suspects something."

"Suspecting and knowing are very different," Breha pointed out, taking a long sip from her drink.

"But she's a vicious gossip, and the last thing I need is for her to start spreading rumours," Padme said with frustration. "Especially one that happens to be true," she added under her breath.

"At least you've had a chance to talk to Anakin," Breha said. Padme looked away sheepishly, and Breha raised her eyebrows. "You did tell him," Breha said, as though it were impossible Padme had done anything else, "didn't you?"

"We had an argument," Padme explained, not eager to rehash the experience with her friend.

"But you'll tell him tonight?" Breha asked insistently. Padme sighed.

"Honestly, I'm not even sure if we're on speaking terms right now," Padme admitted. "Besides, I have to find the right moment. I need to know where he and I stand first.'

"Well, if you wait too much longer he might hear the news from someone else," Breha reminded her.

"I know, I know." She knew Breha was right. "I'll handle it," she assured her friend. No sooner had she said it than she saw Anakin walk through the doors and into the ballroom. Breha spotted him too.

"Looks like you're about to get your chance," Breha said. "I'll leave you to it." Before Padme could protest Breha slipped back into the crowd, and a moment later Anakin was standing in front of her.

"Commander Skywalker," she said, refusing to meet his eyes. She was still upset with him.

"Senator Naberrie," he said, bowing his head slightly. She could hear the contrition in his voice, but she was determined not to let him off too easily. They stood in an awkward silence as the orchestra wrapped up one song and prepared to start the next. Suddenly, he held his hand out to her, looking at her expectantly.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked.

"What?" She stared at him, certain it was some kind of joke, but as she looked at him she realized it wasn't. "You're serious?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. Still somewhat hesitant, she gave him her hand and he led her out onto the dance floor just as the music picked up again. As the soaring chords of the song began, Anakin spun her around the room, executing the maneuvers of the dance with a surprising grace.

"Where did you learn to dance?" Padme asked as they glided across the room. She could already feel her anger fading away.

"It's part of standard diplomatic training," he answered with a shrug.

"You mean Obi-Wan taught you?" she asked, laughing as she thought of the Jedi Master attempting to teach Anakin the intricacies of a waltz.

"No," Anakin said, laughing with her. "No, it was Master Nu," he said, pointing at an elderly female Jedi seated on the far side of the room. "Are you jealous?" he asked, grinning.

"Very," Padme said with mock seriousness. "But I know you have a thing for older women," she teased, referring to the five years that separated their own ages.

"Don't worry, I don't think I'm her type," he whispered to her.

"What a relief," she said with laugh. How she had missed this, the flirtatious repartee with the young man she'd fallen in love with on Alderaan all those years ago. She'd been prepared for battle, but she found herself unexpectedly disarmed.

"I'm sorry about this morning," Anakin said, turning serious. "I shouldn't have left." She was silent for a moment, considering her words.

"I understand why you did," she said quietly, hoping none of the other dancers could hear them. "None of this is easy for me either you know."

"I know," he said softly. They made the next turn about the room in silence, and then the song ended. They stepped apart, each bowing in the traditional manner to signify the end of the dance. The next song started up, but Padme wasn't interested in another dance. Instead, taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was paying too close attention, she took Anakin's hand and pulled him toward the service door.

"Come on," she said, "let's get out of here."

"Where are we going?" Anakin asked as Padme pulled him out of the ballroom and through the kitchens. The service droids turned to look at them, but quickly went back to their work.

"You'll see," Padme said as they continued through the kitchens and out the other side, leading Anakin down a series of deserted service corridors. She pulled open another door that led into a small, dark room, then reached up and turned the handle of a ceiling hatch. The hatch opened, revealing the Coruscant sky above them.

"Give me a boost," she said, pulling off her heeled shoes. Anakin, still uncertain exactly what was happening, bent his knees and entwined his fingers into a step. She hitched up the flowing fabric of her skirt and put her foot in his hands. He gave her a lift as she pushed off and grabbed the edges of the hatch opening, pulling herself the rest of the way through with her arms. Once she was up, she turned back and looked down at him expectantly.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked.

"I don't think you're supposed to be out there," Anakin said hesitantly, his eyes taking in the warning labels plastered around the hatch.

"Since when do you care about breaking the rules?" Padme asked. "Come on." She disappeared from view. Anakin sighed, but reached up and pulled himself through the hatch and out onto the rooftop of the Senate Building.

Anakin immediately realized that the danger the warning labels had advertised was very real. They were standing somewhere near the top of the domed building, and the smooth surface of the roof sloped away from them for hundreds of meters. One slip and it would be a very long slide down to an even longer drop.

Padme, however, seemed unconcerned. She manuevered on the rooftrop with ease in her bare feet, walking a couple of meters from the hatch and taking a seat on the slope, stretching her legs out in front of her and crossing her ankles as she leaned back to take in the view. Anakin gingerly made his way over to her, trying to find purchase on the slick surface with his Jedi boots. Carefully, he sat down beside her.

He had to admit the view was fantastic. The brilliant reds and oranges of the Coruscant sunset glistened off the nearby towers, reflecting down on Anakin and Padme as they looked out on the city-planet from the secluded rooftop.

"I sneak up here sometimes, when I want to get away," she told him.

"It is beautiful," he said, "if a bit terrifying."

"The best things in life are usually both," she said, looking over at him. They sat in silence for awhile, simply enjoying the sunset and the each other's company, though Anakin could tell Padme was thinking something over, struggling to find the right words. Finally, she turned back to him.

"I didn't mean to spring anything on you this morning," she said carefully, clearly hoping to renew their discussion without it devolving into another argument.

"I know," he said. "And you didn't, not really" he admitted. "My future with the Jedi is something that's been on my mind as well, even if I'd rather not think about it." He looked out at the five spires of the Jedi Temple in the distance. "Honestly, I half-expected to come back to the Temple this morning and discover the Council had expelled me for what happened on Ryloth."

"What happened on Ryloth?" Padme asked, her brow furrowed. Anakin quickly backpedaled.

"Nothing," he said evasively, but when she seemed unsatisfied with that answer, he continued, "war is not the normal purview of the Jedi," he said, remembering General Palpatine's words. "They don't always understand what is necessary to succeed in battle. That's all." Padme continued to look troubled. He could almost see her mentally bookmarking this as something to come back to, but she had a more urgent concern.

"And what if they had expelled you?" she asked gently. "Could you be content with a life outside of the Jedi Order?" Anakin looked down into his lap, examining his hands. He'd asked himself that question a thousand times over the last two months, but the truth was, he still didn't know the answer.

"I don't know."

"Then you must understand why I can't ask you to leave," she said. "I would rather end what's between us than see it poisoned with resentment."

"I understand," Anakin said, nodding. He saw the wisdom in what she was saying.

"I know you're afraid," she continued, "I am too. It seems like no matter what we do it's all going to come crashing down around us." Her voice began to catch. "Everything is so uncertain." She looked away from him as a tear began to roll down her cheek.

"There is one thing I'm certain of," Anakin said, taking her face in his hands and wiping away her tears. "I love you. I always have," he said. It was the most sure he'd felt about anything in a long time. "Maybe that's enough," he said, more to himself than to her. He could see a path forming before him, a path that led away from the Jedi and toward Padme, and in that moment he knew it was the path he wanted to walk down.

"I know that there are no guarantees," he said, hardly believing the words were leaving his mouth, but if there is even a chance of a future for us, I would give up everything for that." Padme was taken aback, surprised by his sudden clarity on the matter. He was surprised too, but he felt in his heart it was right.

"Even the Jedi?" she asked, still unsure. Anakin took a deep breath.

"Yes," he told her, "even the Jedi."

"How is he?" Obi-Wan asked as he came into the medical bay. He could see Rex through the glass, under the careful observation of Shaak Ti, his fellow Jedi Master. She turned her head as Obi-Wan entered.

"Malnourished and disoriented, but he will pull through," Shaak Ti said. Obi-Wan stood next to her as they watched Rex being attending to by medical droids on the other side of the glass. "We'll wait until he's stabilized before we begin any tests," she said. Obi-Wan nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"If Bail Organa is right, we may find some very interesting results," he said.

"Indeed," she replied. "Aren't you late for the Chancellor's celebration?" she asked, looking at him sideways. Obi-Wan checked his chrono and sighed.

"It would appear so," he said. He didn't want to go the celebration at all, but he knew that he would be expected given the role he and Anakin had played in the victory on Ryloth. More than that he hoped Anakin, who had not seen for the entire day, would be there as well and that they might have a chance to talk. For that reason alone, he had to go. "You'll keep me informed?"

"Of course," she said, bowing her head.

"Thank you, Master Ti," he said, returning the bow. Then he turned and went back up the steps and hurriedly made his way out of the temple, headed toward the Senate Building and the celebration that awaited.

The quality of the air began to improve as the freight lift rose into the upper levels of the Senate Building. Darth Maul breathed deeply, relieved to be out of the stench of the underworld sewers. The lift was somewhat crowded with his assembled team, but soon they would be out in the open of the Senate's luxurious corridors, sowing fear into the hearts of their enemies.

"Loop the security camera on floor seventy-three," Vigdis ordered Asida through her comlink.

"Yes ma'am," the voice responded. A few seconds later, the lift stopped on the seventy-third floor and the doors opened. They exited into an empty service corridor. Vigdis quickly found the access to the ventilation system in the lower part of the wall a few meters from the lift. She pried the grille off of the opening and most of her soldiers followed their squad leaders into the ventilation system, per the plan they'd laid out. Vigdis replaced the grille behind the last soldier, leaving only herself, Maul, and a small team of four Separatist soldiers.

"They should reach the ballroom within twenty minutes," Vigdis said.

"We must move quickly." Maul started off down the hall, keeping to one side, with the others following behind him in single file. They'd found a schematic of the building in the security files hacked by Adisa, and the map now displayed on a palm-heald holo-projector before Maul. The team moved quickly and silently, managing to avoid the few service staff in the area.

Maul kept his eye on the schematic until he reached their destination. They were now two floors above the Chancellor's office. He brought the team to a halt by holding up his fist. He gestured for two of the soldiers to take up a defensive position in front of him. He could sense the adrenaline of each person around him. Everyone was on high alert. Maul pulled his lightsaber from his belt and ignited one blade.

Everyone tensed at the snap-hiss sound the weapon made as he activated it, but no security droids came rushing around the corner. Maul bent to his work, jamming the blade into the floor and swiftly cutting a large circle. The disc of cut duracrete dropped down into the room below, nearly crushing a Senate Guard below. The blue-armored guard looked up just in time to see Maul descend toward him from above, before Vigdis gave Adisa the order to cut the lights.

The room plunged into darkness, the only light coming from the dual blades of Maul's lightsaber and the blaster bolts of the guards. It was all over in a few minutes. As the room went quiet, Vigdis ordered the lights back on and Maul blinked in the brightness of the light, taking in the view of his destruction. A dozen Senate Guards lay slain all around him. He calmly walked to the body of the head guard and removed his code cylinders as Vigdis and the others joined him.

"Someone may come investigating after that racket," Vigdis said nervously, keeping her blaster up as she checked the lock on the door. Maul went to a nearby console and checked to see if any of the guards had succeeded in setting of an alarm. They hadn't. He pointed to his accompanying soldiers. Apart from Vigdis he had selected all human males of a certain height and built, anticipating he might need someone to impersonate a Senate Guard.

"Get their armor on. Two of you stand guard outside this door," he ordered. He took a code cylinder and inserted it into the controls of the door at the back of the room. The door slid open to reveal a stair, a stair he knew led directly into the Chancellor's office. "With me," he said to Vigdis and the two other soldiers, now clad as Senate Guards. They followed as he went through the door and down the stairs.

The office was empty. Maul positioned Vigdis and the two guards on either side of the door, where they would not be seen by anyone entering from the antechamber outside, while he took a seat at the desk, the stunning colors of the Coruscant sunset lighting up the window behind him. He activated his comlink. "Adisa, we're in."

"Yes, sir," Adisa's voice came through just above a whisper. "There are two guards, a protocol droid, and a secretary in the next room."

"Where is Valorum?"

"Headed back to his office. There are another four guards and two aides with him."

"As soon as he enters the antechamber, lock the outer door and disable the security protocols for these chambers," Maul ordered.

"Yes, sir," Adisa said. Maul folded his arms across the desk, waiting. He could sense the fearful anticipation of his comrades. A few minutes passed, then Adisa's voice came through the comlink again. "Target secure."

A moment later, the door between the office and the antechamber opened. There was a beat of silence as the Chancellor and his entourage stood in shock. Then the guards opened fire and Maul raised his hand, deflecting the blaster bolts, as Vigdis and the two disguised soldiers emerged from behind, making quick work of the four guards.

The secretary, still in the antechamber, went for a blaster secured beneath his desk, but Vigdis dropped him before he could reach it, and blasted the protocol droid for good measure. Chancellor Valorum and his two aides, quaking with fear, put up their hands in surrender. Valorum's face was ashen.

"Good evening, Chancellor," Maul said, grinning at his prisoner from behind the desk, "so glad you could join us."