I don't own Star Wars, Anakin, Padme or other characters. All rights are reserved by Lucasfilm, I write stories to entertain you and for free.

Rated: M….so much Sex… because we didn't get enough from George Lukas

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This story takes place long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away ...

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Sentinel , Chapter 8

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Coruscant 20bby

Mas Amedda stood on the Chancellor's podium with two clones on either side. He was the Vice Chancellor and would have assumed the post of Supreme Chancellor, had it not turned out that Palpatine was a Sith Lord and Mas Amedda was in cahoots with him. He stood before the whole galaxy to hear what he was accused of before he was brought to justice. The list was long. He took everything with composure and without comment, let himself be taken away.

The Speaker of the Senate stepped onto the podium and announced that due to preparations, elections for the post of Supreme Chancellor will be held in six months and read the list of candidates. Until the new Chancellor is elected, sworn in, and assumed office, the rule of law will be the responsibility of the Jedi Order.

The Jedi didn't normally sit in the Senate, there were visits, but there weren't any permanent seats for them. Now, for the time being.

Obi-Wan sat in his chair, wondering how long it really will be before he can get out of it. He was no stranger to politics, he was also a negotiator, a skilled tactician in all kinds of negotiations, mostly sensitive, conflict-ridden situations in which he always found a solution, but he could not imagine directing the right politics, making decisions that affect billions of systems . Well, as a member of the High Council, he will do exactely that now. He thought Mace Windu would be more suitable, but Master Windu assigned him this task, he was the decision-making authority of the Jedi Council after all, he was the chairman. Obi-Wan thought that Mace Windu preferred to keep the task to himself when it came to deciding military matters.

Anakin was not involved in these decisions. He wasn't a member of the High Council, nor was he on the military staff...and he was fine with that. He was able to devote himself to his newly found family.

He was still concerned for his wife, who was recovering from Palpatine's attack, and for his children, who he didn't know if knew anything about his own kidnapping. He feared psychological damage. Healer Barriss Offee was very good at her methods of bringing back memories. She found nothing for parents to worry about.

Anakin did not see the political situation as tense, nor did he see military conflicts as serious, so he resolved to go to Naboo with his family for a few months, on call.

They had several choices of where to stay on Naboo. He was the heir to the Palpatine and Skywalker fortune now, his mother renouncing everything in his favor when she married. Padmé owned the villa on Varykino together with her sister and that's exactly what they decided to do. It was a dream property. Padmé was very comfortable there...with all the memories. She and Anakin spent so many happy hours at the lake shore, that's when he kissed her for the first time. Yes, it was a kiss on the cheek, but that was from Anakin….and the last kiss of her life will be from Anakin too. Anakin felt just like her….their shared memories. They were just children, but he loved her for as long as he can remember.

Now he should be happy and content. He had the wife he always loved and two children with her, children of their love and yet he felt a certain uneasiness within himself…..because the Force would not let him rest.

If he felt this way or got stuck, there was only one person who could help him, who could give the answer: Obi-Wan. Anakin knew that Obi-Wan was very busy with his Senate duties right now, the responsibility for the entire galaxy resting on his shoulders, but he still needed to contact him.

After a while of intense deliberation, Anakin boarded his starfighter, left the blue sky and orbit of Naboo, jumped into hyperspace, and flew toward Coruscant. In the Senate he found Obi-Wan immersed in his duties, he heard his speech from the pulpit first and thought he could make a first class Chancellor but knew that would never happen, Obi-Wan was a Jedi through and through . Too bad, because his former Master's skills were amazing. Yes, he was present at many of Obi-Wan's negotiations and knew how his Master was able to steer them in directions that benefited him, but Senate, that was another dimension. Still, Obi-Wan had them all under control. He never let the discussion go wrong or water it down. The speakers had to stick exactly to the topic and remain factual, otherwise they were admonished immediately, if necessary they were deprived of the floor. That focus would drain any mortal of strength, but Obi-Wan was a Jedi, he had the Force behind him. The senators began to fear him. He wasn't angry, he just didn't let them do what they wanted like they used to do and that was the point. Something had to change at that point.

That's why Anakin wasn't there. After a busy day in the Senate, he sought out Obi-Wan in his quarters.

"Anakin, I'm so happy to see you...yes I know I sound a lot like Palpatine, but I'm honestly happy. Your time off has only just begun, what's going on?"

"Master, I don't know. Something isn't giving me peace of mind. I feel like the Force is trying to tell me something, it's not really a tremor of Force, but something is moving...can't you feel anything?"

"I'm also feeling something like unrest and I've talked to Master Windu about it. I have this huge task to do in the Senate, he and Grand Master Yoda should deal with it. Go and talk with them."

Anakin wasn't thrilled about it, Mace Windu wasn't close to him, not as close as Obi-Wan was, and the Grand Master was far too philosophical for his liking or unable to interpret his thoughts. Nine hundred years of life experience should mean something...huh? So far, so good, he had to talk to both of them. He contacted them via comlink. He should come to the Council chamber.

"Welcome, young Skywalker." Was a typical Grand Master greeting.

Anakin bowed.

"Grandmaster, Master Windu."

"Master Kenobi informed us of your request. Why didn't you come to us directly?"

"Master Kenobi is my former Master, we are still very close, I think it's understandable that I go to him first. That wasn't wrong."

"No, it's not wrong, it's just that he's been given another job, matters like yours are now our responsibility...we don't want to overstep our authority."

Oh great, Anakin thought, unfortunately this isn't going to change, or not any time soon.

"I understand. As I told Master Kenobi, I sense some kind of movement in the Force. It's not a typical tremor, it's very faint and I can't define or locate it."

"Exactly the same we feel. Very careful we must be. We can't decide yet. We must meditate."

Damn it, Anakin thought, always the same.

"Anakin, I've already made an appointment with the Militery Staff. Tomorrow at 1000 we will go to headquarter together."

That was finally a step of action.

"Yes, Master Windu."

Anakin said goodbye and left. Now that was a stupid situation. Should he put on his uniform? He was a colonel after all, he goes to the Militery Staff. For what and as what does he go there? He goes with a Jedi cause, so he goes as a Jedi. He decided he'd stay in his Jedi robes. Still, he wasn't sure of his decision, not really because of the clothes, but because of what it represented.

In this galaxy, the Militery Staff did not consist of officers who worked for the top military command, no, the Militery Staff consisted of generals with decision-making powers and were not subordinate to any defense or war department. The supreme Chancellor had the power to decide whether to go to war, but not how. The generals had that power. Dangerous, you might think, but Anakin understood that no civilian without military training, like those in government departments, can and should make decisions about military operations. The Jedi were different.

At 1000, Master Mace Windu and Colonel and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker met the generals. The Chief of the Staff, Wilhuff Tarkin, greeted them and they sat down with other generals , five in number, to discuss the matter. Usually the Chancellor is the supreme authority of all decisions, but in the absence of authority at the moment, they felt the military superior to everything and everyone, even to the Jedi. They knew the law also had an option for the power vacuum and that were the Jedi. Winding this current power structure up, the Master Mace Wund, as Chairman of the High Council, was something like...Supreme Chancellor. Master Windu knew his power, and so did General Tarkin, but in his nature there was an irresistible urge to test the frontier.

Master Windu began.

"As you know General, needless to say, our ability to feel the Force is unchallenged. Several Jedi, strong in the Force, have felt that movements. It cannot be identified or located at the moment, but we must act before the calamity spreads, before it is too late."

"Anakin Skywalker, are you here as a Colonel or as a Jedi Knight?"

"This time as a Jedi Knight and this meeting is on my initiative. I have the highest number of Midichlorians, therefore I am the most powerful Jedi, I feel every movement of the Force, no matter how weak it may be."

Mace Wundu just gulped but knew that was the truth. Anakin continued.

"Therefore, gentlemen, it makes sense to send two Star Destroyers to Botjef to check the shipyard again. Not everything was destroyed last time, that has to be made up for, logically. I was called away at the time and couldn't have contributed to that."

"Master Windu, is this also your point of view?" Tarkin asked.

"Of course. We didn't come here to represent different views. How soon can the Star Destroyers be ready?"

"Three days."

"Good." Said Master Windu

"And you..." Tarkin pointed a finger at Anakin "...go on this mission as a colonel. All right with you Master Windu?"

"I don't see any difference, but you must have an ulterior motive...tell me." Windu wanted to know.

"No, but I'll tell you that this is something related to the military structure."

"I understand."

Mace Windu clicked right away. If the mission ends in success, Colonel Skywalker will be promoted to General. Was he jealous? Not really. He just thought it wouldn't be a bad thing to promote Anakin even further, maybe having his own general on the Militery Stuff wouldn't be a bad thing, but that might take time. The new Chancellor will be in office in a year at the latest and power will be taken from his hands. Was he obsessed with power? Possibly yes. Until then, we will come up with something.

Master Windu and Anakin left the meeting, the procedure was clear, the preparations should take place. Once again Anakin was to meet with Grandmaster Yoda and Master Windu in the Council chamber to discuss the procedure and that was exactly the problem, the approach. He cannot act as a Jedi since it was decided that he would go on the mission as Colonel. This means he must act according to the plan and direction of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff and in most cases the procedure has involved a huge array of military presence and pressure. Anakin always advocated the subtler kind. This time, that wasn't an option. Not only was the heavy military presence the tactic that Anakin felt alone would be enough to fuel the conflict, but also the presence of the most powerful Jedi that killed Darth Sidious, in one person in command of the operation. Grandmaster Yoda and Master Windu decided to agree with the tactic, one Jedi alone, or several, would not be able to complete the mission.

Master Windu still had Anakin's possible promotion in mind, and instructed him to use Force only in extreme emergencies.

After the briefing at the temple, Anakin went to his quarters, took his military uniform, packed other things he would need, went to the hangar, boarded his fighter and made his way to Naboo where he was to say goodbye to his family.

"Hey Ani, we missed you so much. Leia was looking for you in every room, calling again and again...Dada, Dada. Luke was just sad...and I...I was sick with longing. I love and miss my husband."

"Padmé, my Angel, I missed you too but unfortunately I have to leave you again. I'm being sent on a mission, a military operation. Possibly a dangerous one with unpredictable consequences. I can't tell you where I'm going or what it is but I've asked a friend to watch over you, I think you know her, Bultar Swan. She and her Padawan will be here in my absence."

"Is that necessary, Anakin?"

"Until we know we've eliminated the galaxy's last evil, we can't be too careful. We've been through too much, Padmé. I want to keep you and the children safe. But now we will enjoy the two days that I have free until departure, with our children."

The children came running.

"Dada, Dada!" Leia exclaimed

Anakin took the children in his arms and kissed them. Leia hugged him and kissed back, Luke just smiled shyly. Until the evening he played with his twins. Together with his wife he fed the children, then bathed them and put them to bed. He sang his mother's lullaby and soon the twins closed their eyes tight until the next morning.

"The time for us, my Angel."

He was tired from the trip, from the meetings, from everything. Still, he wasn't tired for his wife. They showered and went to bed. Her love always kept him optimistic about the future, her physical love made his doubts about his abilities to defeat evil even more confident. He was strong, physically strong, Padmé on the other hand, wasn't quite like he used to be physically but on the way to full recovery.

"You're almost like before, I feel your power to challenge me." He winked.

"I have appetite and eat as much as I can. A few more pounds and I'll be what you want me to be."

"I want you that way too but you look better with a little more weight like when we...made the kids...you remember."

"How could I not remember? Those were the best days of my life."

"And now?"

"Now? You have to go, I'll stay alone, I miss you. How long will you be gone, Ani?"

"I don't know, as long as it takes. We have to solve the problem. I'm going on the mission as Colonel, not a Jedi. That means I can't rely on my instincts and use the Force as I please, I have to stick strictly to the Militery Staff plan, which could mean it takes longer, or it could be more brutal. If everything goes according to plan, a week or two, if not then... longer."

"Anakin, I've spoken to my father...he wants me to be his assistant. The kids are old enough now that Corté could look after them for two to three hours a day, for starters. I need work, meaningful occupation. I studied, it shouldn't have been for nothing. I hope you understand that."

"Sure Padmé, do that. When I get back we'll talk about our future in a little more detail. Tell me, you've gained a little weight now, are you on your cycle again?"

"Oh my God ! I completely forgot about that, I got it again, but I didn't take any pills...it could happen that we...oh no, Ani, what do we do now?"

"If it happened now then...we'll have another baby."

He smiled at the thought but knew Padmé wasn't ready yet, she was still weak. You shouldn't panic now, even though she's pregnant, she's not in such bad condition that it could be dangerous.

Anakin used these two days off before departure to intensively deal with the twins, to play with them and to test their Force abilities. Leia was more energetic, purposeful in using her abilities, and could make decisions more quickly and instinctively. Anakin was sure she was more impulsive than her twin brother. Luke was calmer, pondering before he acted, but then he did so resolutely and always with success. The Force was very strong in him... and then the sister, this tremendous Force in double form. That would need to be channeled soon, Anakin thought.

He just hoped that this transitional period, this power vacuum where Obi-Wan has been so busy trying to hold everything together, won't last too long, he wanted to see his children in the care of his old master, the sooner the better.

He gave the two nights to Padmé. They didn't sleep much, so in a few weeks the memory of feeling love with his wife shouldn't fade.

On the third day, very early, he put on his military uniform, lovingly kissed his children who were still sleeping and said goodbye to his wife in tears.

"Ani, be careful, you have to come back to us. Promise me."

"I promise, Angel. I love you."

"I love you too and...may the Force be with you."

In headquarter he got a locked suitcase with datapeds. Those were detailed instructions, he was, as expected, in command of the mission. He entered the hangar with five other officers. There stood Grand Master Yoda and Master Windu who said:

"Anakin, act according to the instructions you were given as Colonel and Supreme Commander, use the Force and lightsaber only when your life is at stake. May the Force be with you."

"Thank you master, may the Force be with you too."

Anakin and the officers boarded the transport and exited the hangar toward the battlecruiser waiting in orbit around Coruscant. Anakin boarded the command ship, followed by ten others. The military had had enough, Palpatine made sure of that beforehand. With these ten battleships and their escort ships, whose firepower was enormous, they were able to blow up the whole of Botjef, not just the shipyard.

As Anakin fixed the coordinates and briefed the officers, they jumped into hyperspace. He then retired to his personal office off the navigation bridge and opened the first dataped.

The first instruction was not to appear in Botjef's orbit for the time being, but first to find out what activities were going on at the shipyard, which meant sending the designated spies.

Depending on whether ships are produced or not, one will demonstrate presence or return. There were two more instructions for each of the two variants, and by the time Anakin finished reading, he had a whole tree, structure, of possibilities. Actually, these weren't real options, rather instructions to follow, he just had to strategize and apply the best possible one at the right moment. Well, he was trained for that and had enough experience behind, experience as a successful strategist and leader.

The ship trembled slightly, announcing the jump out of hyperspace. Anakin contacted the commander of the escort ship from which the spies will depart, requesting the exact timing of the mission's launch, as well as the progression. The spies should appear on the command ship with the information. A standard day was set aside for this. Sounds short but the spies were well equipped, even had the latest class of mini stealth drones MSD-20.

All that was left now was to wait. Anakin went to his quarters hoping to get some sleep. His quarters were on deck six, where other officers had their quarters, his was only slightly better equipped, but not a luxury. The room was a little larger than that of the other officers, had a shower, walk-in closet and small kitchenette. The floor was covered with thick carpeting, next to the window there was a desk, above a large screen and opposite the desk there was a large bed and a bedside table.

Anakin showered and got into bed. He couldn't fall asleep, too many things were going through his mind, ordinary things like his life with his family, but also things for which the Force whispered possibilities, good and bad. The Force didn't give clear instructions, it would be far too easy. You couldn't predict the future. The future is always in motion. Yes, he knew the spell well. He felt this movement in the Force clearly now and knew that this mission would not end peacefully. Something big was going on here, but he needed to get some rest. If sleep didn't want to come, meditation should help.

At the end of the day, rather late at night, the spies came directly to the command ship to report. As Anakin had expected, production was in full swing at the shipyard. That had to be stopped now, clear instructions: destroy. One stone shouldn't even be left unturned.

Well, this production, these activities, didn't cause the power tremors, it was something else, someone else. It only allowed one conclusion: there must be another Sith Lord. So Palpatine had an apprentice who is now a master, and by Sith rules, there are always two. The new master now had a disciple.

The tremors of power were quite evident, Anakin could tell the tremors were very strong. He suspected that both were Sith on the planet.

There were no instructions for this option, so he was free to decide how to proceed. He knew it was going to be ugly, but he decided to try a peaceful variant. He had no idea who the new Sith Lord was, how strong he was, who his prentice was or how old, trained or just starting out, everything mattered.

He wanted the Sith to stop production and surrender. The prospects were bad but it was worth a try. Anakin decided to take an entire heavily armed legion with him. Maybe that sounded too much, but the spies couldn't find out the information about the droid army and their strength in the short time.

The Separatists, or what was left of them, were busy at work. One battleship after another left the shipyard. The final check on leaving was none other than Count Dooku. Anakin knew he was once a Jedi who left the Order and was counted among the Gray Jedi. He never dreamed of seeing him on the dark side. At his side was his apprentice, a face Anakin also recognized, Darth Maul. It was immediately clear to him that the negotiations had no chance. Nevertheless he tried:

"Count Dooku, I'm surprised to meet you here."

"That name no longer means anything to me, I'm Darth Tyranus. I am now the Master of the dark side and here is my prentice…"

Anakin knew right away there was no point, so get straight to the point and end this as soon as possible. Tactics: provoke.

"Darth Maul, I know. He will never rise above prentice status, he is so weak. You could have chosen something better...like Asajj Ventress or Quinlan Vos, but since your choices were flawed, your attempt to bring the Republic to war and achieve victory will fail you. I suggest…"

...and then he was immediately attacked by Darth Maul, with Darth Tyranus joining him right away. Anakin fought easily as the clones kept the two Sith busy with their blasters. He ordered the clones to focus on the Sith Lord with the intention of eliminating Darth Maul. He fought with a double-bladed lightsaber, so Anakin had to rely on the ability to rotate the blade, which Maul always used in combat. Knowing this and being prepared for this, Anakin couldn't use this to his advantage, Anakin had to use the Force to wield the blade against opponents stronger in the Force. Anakin's fighting style Shien/Djem So was aggressive and tiring for the opponent, so in the end the Sith was on the defensive and had nothing to oppose the Jedi. Just a little inattentiveness cost him his life.

The Sith Lord was not dead but disabled by the clones, or rather he stopped fighting, alone against a whole legion was hopeless. What he wanted to achieve with what he surrendered to, only he knew. He was brought onto the command ship and kept afloat in the force field. This is how he was to be taken to Coruscant.

The instructions for what to do next after failed negotiations were clear: completely, greenishly destroy everything. The work on the production of the battleships was automatic, where this was not possible, the droids were used. Few Botjefians were evacuated, and the firepower of the Republic battleships obliterated even the last vestige of evidence that anything existed on the planet.

The fleet jumped into hyperspace and headed toward Coruscant at top speed.

The transporters brought Anakin, officers, and the prisoners to the planet's surface, to Hangar 1 of the military headquarters, where the entire General Staff, Grandmaster Yoda, Master Windu, and Master Kenobi were waiting for them.

Anakin turned the prisoners over to the assigned guards and addressed the receiving delegation.

"Gentlemen, I am handing over the prisoner to you. I will submit the reports to headquarter at 1000 tomorrow."

For Anakin was it the end of the mission, his job was done.

Best regards from Germany