Chancellor Palpatine turned his chair from the window, slowly, and watched as the door to his chambers opened; he smiled, somewhat meekly, as he watched the three Jedi Masters walk toward him, as the door slowly closed behind them.
"Master Windu," Chancellor Palpatine said pleasantly, rising slowly to his feet from behind his desk and walking to meet the entourage from the Council near the center of his chambers. "How pleasant to see you again."
"It's good to see you in good health and unharmed, Chancellor," Mace Windu nodded, as he tossed the hood of his cloak onto his shoulders and bowed politely to the Chancellor as he approached them.
"And what a pleasure to see you again as well, Master Kenobi," Chancellor Palpatine said, "and you, Master Mundi," as the two Jedi masters lowered their own hoods and bowed politely in return.
"Thank you, your Excellency," Obi-Wan said, nodding at the Chancellor as he looked back up at him. "It was a great relief, indeed, to hear that you had escaped and were unharmed."
"Good fortune was on my side, it seems," Chancellor Palpatine sighed, as he gestured to the row of chairs in front of his desk. "Please, gentlemen," he said politely, "sit, and be comfortable."
"Thank you, your Excellency," Mace Windu said, and the three of them took their seats quietly, as they watched Chancellor Palpatine walk back to his chair behind his desk.
"So," Palpatine sighed, as he took his seat and leaned back in his chair, "to what great need do I owe the pleasure of this visit this afternoon?"
"We've come to discuss a matter of grave importance, your Excellency," Mace said, as he leaned forward in his chair and folded his hands thoughtfully.
"Then, by all means," Chancellor Palpatine said, "please continue."
"I'm sure that you've been made aware that the Separatists have broken off their attacks against our clone forces in the last several hours," Mace said, as he leaned back in his chair and looked at Chancellor Palpatine thoughtfully.
"Yes," Palpatine said, nodding his head. "I had received news of this, just a short time ago. It was welcome news, indeed."
"We feel the same, your Excellency," Mace continued. "We on the Council feel that the death of Count Dooku may have left the Separatists unorganized and disheartened," he said. "Count Dooku was an exceptional organizer and planner. His loss may leave them vulnerable and willing to negotiate."
"I suppose that is a possibility," Chancellor Palpatine said, folding his hands thoughtfully, as he regarded Mace Windu with keen interest.
"We feel that the time has come for us to try to bring the Clone Wars to an end," Mace continued, as he watched the Chancellor study him with ever increasing interest. "The time to shift our attention away from military force and back to peace and diplomacy has returned."
"What, exactly, is it that you're suggesting, Master Windu?" Chancellor Palpatine asked, a look of keen interest on his face.
"We feel the time has come for you to surrender your emergency power and return control to the Senate, where it belongs," Mace said, as he leaned back and bridged his fingertips thoughtfully. "And to recall and begin dismantling the Clone Army."
"The Separatist leaders are vulnerable now, Chancellor," Ki-Adi Mundi said, as Chancellor Palpatine turned to regard him as he spoke. "If you extend a gesture of peace and goodwill by recalling and dismantling the Republic army, then they may be willing to bring the war to and end, and begin dismantling their own."
Chancellor Palpatine turned his attention to Obi-Wan, as he sat quietly next to Mace Windu. "And you, Master Kenobi," Palpatine said, "do you agree with your esteemed associates?"
"I do, your Excellency," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "If there is any hope of bringing this war to and end, and quickly, then we must move now to restore control to the Senate, so that peace negotiations can begin."
Chancellor Palpatine nodded his head, slowly, and then turned his chair and looked out of the window of his chambers for a long moment. Finally, he stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the city that stretched out far below them.
"Gentlemen," Palpatine said, his back still to them as he spoke, "I appreciate your candor and your willingness to come and speak with me," he said, as he turned slowly toward them, folding his hands quietly behind his back.
"But," Palpatine said, as he looked up at the three Jedi who sat before him, "I'm afraid that I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of the current situation."
"Count Dooku is dead, yes," Chancellor Palpatine said, as he took another step toward the three Jedi who watched him intently as he spoke. "But I do not feel that the threat of attack has diminished enough to warrant the dismantling of the Republic clone army at this time."
Mace turned a concerned expression to Ki-Adi Mundi as the Chancellor continued. "The Republic has changed," Palpatine said. "The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates who have no desire to work together for the common good. Their only concern," he said, "is to line their own pockets, and those of their conspirators."
"If I were to return control to the Senate and recall our forces at this time," Chancellor Palpatine said, turning and walking slowly back toward his chair, "our unified front would fail, and we would be overrun by the droid arms of the Federation in a matter of weeks."
"No," Palpatine said after a pause, shaking his head as he took his seat and leaned back thoughtfully, "I'm afraid that I must maintain emergency control of our forces for the time being."
Obi-Wan turned and looked quietly at Mace Windu, as the Jedi Master looked at him for a long moment. "With all due respect, your Excellency," Mace said, turning a deeply concerned expression toward the Chancellor, "that is a decision that should be made by the Senate."
"The entire Council is in agreement on this matter, your Excellency," Mundi said, as Palpatine turned his attention toward him. "In our judgment, the time to return to peace and diplomacy has arrived."
"I understand," Chancellor Palpatine said, nodding his head and smiling meekly. "But, if you will forgive me, Master Mundi," he said, "I am afraid that, in light of recent events, I must call that judgment into question."
Windu and Mundi exchanged glances for a brief moment. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Chancellor," Mace said, turning a deeply serious face toward him.
"Come now, Master Windu," Chancellor Palpatine said, rising from his chair and walking slowly toward the window behind him. "Surely you must recognize that if it were not for the Council's involvement, we would never have been pulled into this regrettable conflict in the first place."
Mace Windu was taken back by the boldness of Palpatine's statement, and he leaned forward in his chair again, his expression growing more frustrated by the moment. "Are you implying, your Excellency, that the Council is somehow responsible for this conflict?"
"It's not a matter of implication, Master Windu," Chancellor Palpatine said, the smile gone from his face as he turned toward them, his hands folded behind the back of his long robe, "but rather, a matter of fact."
The three Jedi Masters listened, with a growing sense of foreboding, as Palpatine continued. "It was the Jedi who commissioned the creation of the Clone Army in the first place," he said, taking a step closer toward them. "It would seem that the Jedi had been preparing for war long before the decision to formalize hostilities ever reached the Senate."
"The Council never commissioned the creation of that Clone Army," Mace said, his tone growing aggravated and defensive. "It was done without the approval, or the knowledge, of the Council."
"Yet, by your own admission and by that of the cloners on Kamino," Palpatine replied calmly, "it was indeed a Jedi who commissioned the army, yes?"
"That is correct," Obi-Wan interjected, his own countenance growing more concerned at the direction this conversation was taking. "But it was done outside of the Council's guidance and approval. Count Dooku was the one who commissioned Jango Fett as the donor for the Clone Army, long after he had left the Order."
"Which leads me to another regrettable point of concern, Master Kenobi," the Chancellor said, turning his attention to Obi-Wan. "It would seem that the Council is having trouble maintaining discipline within their own ranks."
"A rogue Jedi commissions an army, several thousand legions strong, without the Council's knowledge," Palpatine said, turning and gazing out of the window as he spoke. "An event that could hardly be considered a simple oversight."
"And then," Palpatine continued, "one of their own, indeed, one of the most revered and trusted Jedi in the order, joins forces with our enemies and orchestrates the largest, most destructive conflict to occur in the galaxy in over a thousand years."
"You'll forgive me, I hope," Chancellor Palpatine said, turning and looking at the three Jedi who sat dumbfounded before him, "if I have grown somewhat apprehensive of the Council's recommendations, in light of these events."
Mace reached, deeply, into the Force, attempting to calm himself; he was furious. He had hoped, beyond all hope, that Anakin's suspicions regard Palpatine were wrong, that Anakin had simply misunderstood or misinterpreted the events and what he had sensed onboard the Imperial Hand.
But this conversation was taking on a tone far more sinister than anything he could ever have envisioned; to imply that the Jedi were responsible for this war went far beyond what he could have imagined, even in his worst nightmares.
"Chancellor," Mace said, his tone deeply aggravated, "you must lay aside your emergency powers and recall the Clone Army," he said. "To do otherwise would be to risk the security and stability of the Republic."
Chancellor Palpatine nodded his head, slowly, as he looked back at Mace Windu. "I understand your feelings on this matter, Master Windu," Palpatine said. "But in my opinion, it is the Council that has placed the Republic at risk."
"As I said," Palpatine continued, folding his hands in front of him as he reclined slowly back in his chair, "the Republic is changing. While I value your opinion tremendously," he said, "I'm afraid that the Council's involvement in the future affairs of the Republic must diminish."
Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair, dumbfounded by what he was hearing; he had assumed that Chancellor Palpatine would resist relinquishing his power, but the extent to which the Chancellor had taken his accusations had surpassed even than which he could ever have imagined.
He looked up, just as Mace Windu rose quietly, but quickly, to his feet. "I would ask, once more, your Excellency," he said, his tone deeply aggravated, "that you reconsider your decision and help bring this war to an end."
"Thank you, Master Windu," Palpatine said, as he rose to his feet, along with Ki-Adi Mundi and Obi-Wan. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid our decision has already been made. I will be meeting with a senior delegation from the Senate tomorrow to discuss, among other things, the future of the Council's involvement in the affairs of the Republic."
"Then this conversation is over," Mace said, as he looked at the Chancellor for a long moment, and then tossed the hood of his cloak up over his head. He nodded to his two companions, and then they turned and walked quickly toward the door to the Chancellor's office.
Chancellor Palpatine watched in silence as the three Jedi Masters disappeared through the doors of his chambers. He turned and sat quietly back down in his chair, folding his hands in front of him, as he turned and looked out over the city as the afternoon sun began to set slowly in the orange-gold sky.
The three Jedi walked quickly, in complete silence, through the long halls of the Republic Senate building as they made their way to the landing platform above. Mace opened the door, and the three of them stepped out into the late afternoon sun. He stopped, as he scanned the platform quickly with his eyes, making sure that the three of them were alone.
Seeing no one near them, he turned quickly toward his two companions, their long cloaks flapping briskly in the late evening breeze as they stood huddled in a small circle.
"That didn't go well at all," Obi-Wan said flatly, as his companions looked at him, their faces deeply concerned.
"To say the least," Mundi said, nodding his head, as Mace took a long, deep breath.
"There can no longer be any doubt," Mace said, placing his hands on his waist. "We must take this matter before the whole Council, immediately."
"Agreed," Ki-Adi said, his tone sullen and somber. "We must call an emergency meeting of the Council at once."
"Obi-Wan," Mace said, turning his attention to him, "Master Yoda should be on his way to your residence to meet with Anakin. Go there at once, advise him of what has happened here, and then join us at the Temple as soon as possible."
"Understood, Master," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "I'll head there now."
"Contact the members of the Council," Mace said, turning his attention to Master Mundi. "We will convene in the Council chambers in one hour."
"At once," Mundi nodded, as Mace turned and looked back toward the Senate building and took another long, deep breath.
"I will contact Senator Bail Organa," Mace said, as he turned his attention back toward his companions. "We need to advise him of the Chancellor's plans. With any luck, he may be able to convince the other representatives to stand with him when the Chancellor meets with them tomorrow."
They all looked at each other for a long moment. "Very well, then," Windu said, finally. "Time is short. We will meet at the Temple in one hour."
Obi-Wan watched as his companions turned and headed back into the Senate building. He stood there quietly for a long moment, and then turned and headed toward their transport at the far end of the landing pad.
He had known that Anakin was right; yet now, as the truth began to reveal itself, he wished with all of his heart that his young friend had been wrong, as he began to sense the sinister, oppressive influence of the Dark Side all around him.
He could only hope, he though to himself, as he opened the door and boarded the small transport, that they weren't too late to stop it.
Padmé sat quietly on the ship's bench, listening intently as Anakin continued to share the events of the past day with her.
"So, anyway," Anakin said, as his green tinted image blinked slightly over the small table in front of her, "Master Obi-Wan left a while ago to go and meet with the senior members of the Council, and when they released me from the infirmary, I came here to his place," he paused and looked at her with a smile. "And called you."
Padmé closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. "No wonder I've been worried about you," she sighed, opening her eyes and shaking her head slowly. "I'm just so thankful you weren't hurt any worse than you were."
Padmé sat quietly for a moment, and then she started to laugh, softly, as she raised her hand to her face.
"What's so funny?" Anakin asked with a bewildered grin.
"I just pictured you slapping that little medical droid," Padmé said, as she started to laugh even harder. "Oh, I wish I could have been there to see that."
"See it? You should have heard it," Anakin laughed, and she watched his image as he swung his arm in front of him, simulating the blow he had given the unfortunate little droid. "That little droid's head must have been hollow. It sounded a lot funnier than it looked."
"You're awful," Padmé said, as she started to laugh hysterically at him. "That poor little droid was just trying to help you."
"Well, he was doing a lousy job," Anakin laughed, as he reached down and rubbed his leg just above his knee. "But I suppose that he did mean well, though. I apologized to him a little later."
"Good," Padmé laughed, as she reached up and wiped the tear away that stood in the corner of her eye; Anakin had a way of doing that. He could always make her laugh, even at times like this, when she found it hard to, but needed it most.
"Oh, I can't wait to tell Sola and Dad about that," Padmé said, still laughing softly as she looked back at his smiling face. "My husband, Anakin Skywalker, a great Jedi Knight, beating up on a poor, defenseless medical droid." She shook her head, as she leaned back against the bench and gazed at him fondly, still giggling softly. "At least you didn't use your saber. Dad's going to love that."
"Believe me," Anakin chuckled, "that little droid was a long way from being defenseless. He had sharp things all over him."
"You always know how to make me feel better," Padmé sighed, smiling at him warmly, and they both sat quietly, gazing fondly at each other for a long moment.
"Padmé," Anakin asked quietly, after a long pause, "how did you know? About me getting hurt, I mean?"
"I'm not sure," Padmé replied, shaking her head slowly. "I just felt it, early this morning. I thought I was dreaming, but I knew it my heart it was more than a dream." She paused for a moment, and then smiled at him. "Just like I can still feel you in my heart," she said, softly, "I could feel that you were in pain."
Anakin smiled back at her as she watched him sit quietly for a moment. "Even though I hate that it scared you like it did," he said softly, "something about that makes me feel really good inside."
"Me too," Padmé nodded, gazing at him fondly. "Just be careful and try not to give me any more reasons to wake up like that again, okay?"
"I promise," Anakin nodded.
Padmé looked down for a moment, and then leaned forward toward his image, folding her hands in her lap. "Anakin," she said, softly, her expression growing serious for a moment, "Are you sure? About Chancellor Palpatine, I mean?"
"Yes, Padmé," Anakin said, his own countenance growing more serious as he nodded his head slowly. "I've never been more certain of anything."
"That's so hard to believe," Padmé said softly, looking down at the floor for a moment. "But then again," she said, looking back up at him, "it is, but it isn't, somehow." She sat back up, shaking her head sadly. "I don't know," she said. "So many people trusted that man for so long, even me," Padmé said, turning her eyes downward again. "It's just awful."
"I know," Anakin said quietly, and then he paused for a long moment. "There's something else, though, Padmé," Anakin said softly, as she looked up at his image as it flickered again. "Something that's been bothering me even more. I haven't even told Master Obi-Wan about it yet."
"What is it, Ani?" Padmé asked, as she saw the deeply thoughtful expression on his face.
"Remember when I told you about the other Sith?" Anakin asked. "The one I tried to stop, the one who took the Chancellor off the ship?"
"Yes," Padmé said, as she watched his image intently. "The one who killed Dooku?"
"Yes," Anakin replied softly, as he nodded his head slowly. Padmé looked at him thoughtfully, as he sat quietly for a long moment.
"What's wrong, Ani?" Padmé asked, seeing the look of deep concern on her husband's face.
"We never really got a chance to see him clearly when we were in that room," Anakin said, as Padmé watched him look back at her. "The ship's emergency lights were on, and his hood almost completely covered his face."
"Add to that," Anakin said, "General Grievous, and the fact that the ship was about to come apart from underneath us," he said, somewhat frustrated, "and we never really got a chance to pay much attention to him."
"Anyway," Anakin continued, as Padmé listened to him intently, "I tried to stop him when he tried to leave the room with the Chancellor. I had him, for just a moment, and for an instant, I thought I saw his face under his hood."
"I can't be sure, though," Anakin said, turning his head and pounding his fist gently on the console beside him.
Padmé could sense that he was frustrated and upset about whatever it was that had happened. "It's okay, Anakin," she said, as comfortingly and supportively as she could. "You did the best you could; it's okay if you don't remember what he looked like."
"That's just it," Anakin said, looking up at her, his face deeply thoughtful. "I do remember what I saw, Padmé," he said, quietly. "I'm just not sure that I believe it."
"What did you see, Ani?" Padmé asked, as she tried to help him reason his way through whatever it was that was bothering him so badly.
"Me," Anakin said quietly, looking up at her with a deeply pained expression. "For an instant," he said, as his image flickered again, softly, "I saw my own face looking back at me from underneath that hood."
Padmé sat quietly for a moment, as she looked at his agonized face. "Are you sure, Ani?" Padmé asked, softly. She wished so much that she were there with him now, to help him through this.
"I think so, Padmé," Anakin said, nodding his head. "For an instant, it felt like I was looking in a mirror, except the face that looked back at me was completely consumed with rage and hate," he said. "I just don't know how that could be possible."
"Do you think it could have been a trick?" Padmé asked, as supportively as she could.
"I thought about that," Anakin said, nodding his head. "I suppose it's possible. Right after I saw it, I was so distracted that he managed to throw me across the room and escape before I got a better look."
"That may be it, then," Padmé said, leaning back against the bench. "Why don't you talk to Master Obi-Wan and tell him what you saw? I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to help you figure it out."
"Okay," Anakin nodded, slowly. "It's just been hard to get that image out of my mind."
"I know," Padmé nodded, as reassuringly as she could. "You'll figure it out, Ani. I have faith in you, I know you will."
"Well," Anakin sighed, returning her gaze, "I feel better about it already, now that I've talked to you." He gazed at her fondly for a long moment. "I always do," he said, finally. "I love you, Padmé. So much."
"I love you too, Ani," Padmé said softly, as she smiled brightly back at him across the stars. "So much."
Padmé heard the soft tones of the visitor's bell ring over the comlink. "Sounds like you have a visitor," she said, as she watched Anakin look back over his shoulder toward the door.
"I would've thought that Obi-Wan would have just come on in," Anakin said, as she watched him stand up in front of the transmitter. "Can you hold on one minute? Let me go see who that is and I'll be right back, okay?"
"Okay," Padmé nodded, and she watched as he walked out of the transmitter's view toward the door.
Anakin opened the door to Obi-Wan's apartment, and smiled as he saw the small, familiar face looking up at him.
"Greetings, young Skywalker," Yoda said, as he looked up at Anakin, his hands resting on his small cane. He looked down toward Anakin's leg, and took his cane and rapped it against Anakin's boot several times, looking up at the young Jedi Knight slyly. "None the worse for wear, you seem to be, hmmm?"
"Not at all," Anakin grinned, as he opened the door fully and watched as Yoda made his way into Obi-Wan's residence.
"Interrupting you, I hope I was not?" Yoda said, as he turned and watched Anakin close the door behind him.
"No, not at all, Master," Anakin said, turning and walking toward him. "Well, not really," he continued, gesturing toward the com station in the corner of Obi-Wan's main living area. "I was just talking with Padmé."
Yoda turned and looked toward the corner of the room, and smiled as he saw Padmé's image as she waited patiently for Anakin to return. Yoda chuckled quietly to himself, as he started to walk toward the transmitter. "Perfect timing, this is," he said, looking back over his shoulder at Anakin with a grin. "Mind if I speak to her a moment, do you?"
"Not at all, Master," Anakin replied, as he followed Yoda as he walked quickly across the room toward the transmitter. "I'm sure that Padmé would love to see you."
Anakin smiled as he watched Yoda walk quickly, more quickly than he had seen the tiny Jedi master move since that day on Geonosis, toward the com station, chuckling happy to himself as he went. "Padmé," Anakin called, as he saw her look up from her seat in their ship, "there's somebody here who wants to say hello to you."
Yoda stepped in front of the imaging transmitter, his small face beaming as he saw Padmé lean forward and look at him with a grin. "A long time has it been," Yoda said with a chuckle, "since such a lovely face I have seen."
"Master Yoda," Padmé smiled brightly. "It's been far too long, indeed. How wonderful to see you!"
"Taken good care of you, I trust, young Skywalker has?" Yoda asked, as he watched Anakin take a seat in the chair beside him.
"Oh, yes, Master Yoda," Padmé nodded, as Yoda watched her image flicker above the holopad. "He has indeed, just like he always does."
Yoda chuckled again, as he watched her place her hand gently on her stomach. "Not long, you have, I believe," Yoda asked, "until your young padawans arrive?"
"Not long at all, Master Yoda," Padmé replied, shaking her head. "Just a few more weeks."
"Warms my heart it does," Yoda chuckled, as he looked up at her, "each time I see you, Padmé." He took a long deep breath, and looked down for a moment. "Only wish, I did," he said as he looked back up at her, "that better, the circumstances were."
"I know, Master Yoda," Padmé said, nodding her head as Anakin watched the two of them talk. "Anakin has told me something of what's happening."
"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his small head. "The shroud of the Dark Side continues to fall," he said, looking at Anakin thoughtfully. "Dark, these days have become."
"Come to discuss these matters, I have, with young Skywalker," Yoda said, as he looked back up at Padmé with a smile. "But pleased I am, indeed, to have seen you as well."
"I am too, Master Yoda," Padmé nodded. "Anakin," she said, as she turned her attention to him as he looked up at her image on the holopad, "you should go and speak with Master Yoda." She paused for a moment, and then looked at him knowingly. "He could probably help you with that subject we were discussing earlier."
Yoda looked at Anakin thoughtfully, as he smiled back at Padmé's image. "Okay," Anakin nodded. "I'll be sure to do that. And I'll call you again just as soon as I can, okay?"
Yoda smiled as he watched quietly as Anakin and Padmé said goodbye to each other. He reached out to Anakin with his feelings, and briefly touched the life energy that flowed through him as he spoke to Padmé; just as he had sensed four years ago on Geonosis, he felt Padmé's familiar presence, amid the warm feelings of love and devotion that flowed so freely through the young Jedi who sat next to him.
"Okay," Padmé nodded, as she gazed at him fondly. "Please be careful, Ani." She paused for just a moment, as he watched her place her hand over her heart. "I love you," she said, softly. "So much."
"I love you, Padmé," Anakin said, as he gazed at her fondly. "And don't worry," he nodded. "I'll be careful. I promise."
"Goodbye, Master Yoda," Padmé said, nodding her head toward the Jedi Master who sat at Anakin's side, "and may the Force be with you."
Anakin looked at Yoda, as he nodded at Padmé. "And with you, Padmé, and your young ones," he nodded.
"I'll call you soon, I promise," Anakin said, as he reached over toward the transmitter's control switch. "Have Artoo contact me here if you need me for anything, okay?"
"I will," Padmé smiled, nodding her head. "Talk to you soon, sweetheart. Love you."
"Love you, too," Anakin smiled, and he watched as her signal flashed several times, and then faded.
Yoda looked at Anakin thoughtfully, as he watched his young companion take a long, deep breath. "Fortunate you are, Anakin," Yoda said, "to be loved so much, by one so strong."
"Yes I am, Master," Anakin said, turning to look at the Jedi Master who stood by his side. "Very much indeed."
Yoda nodded at him, thoughtfully, and looked at him for a long moment. "Now," Yoda said, his expression growing more concerned, "much we have to discuss, it seems."
"Yes we do, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head in agreement. "We do, indeed."
Anakin sat down and leaned back against the cushion of the small couch in Obi-Wan's quarters, turning and watching as Master Yoda climbed up into the chair beside him and sat down with an exasperated sigh. "Taller, I should be," Yoda said with a small chuckle, as he reached down and propped his small cane against the arm of the chair as he settled himself into it.
"So," Yoda said, as he folded his hands and looked at Anakin with great interest, "Told us, Obi-Wan has," he said, "that the Lord of the Sith, you suspect the Chancellor to be."
"Yes, Master," Anakin said, his expression deeply thoughtful as he looked at Yoda and leaned forward in his chair. "I'm sure of it, although I really can't tell you how, or why," he said, as he rubbed his hands thoughtfully, resting his elbows on his knees.
"This dark presence that you sensed," Yoda asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at his young companion, "on the ship, was it, when you felt it again?"
"Yes, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head firmly. "It was right before Obi-Wan and I entered the room where Dooku was killed."
"It was the same thing that I sensed four years ago," Anakin continued, "right after we had met before Padmé and I went home to Naboo," he said, as Yoda listened to him intently. "I had gone to the Chancellor's office, to tell him goodbye."
"I didn't know why, at the time," Anakin said, "but, when the Chancellor asked where Padmé and I were going to live, something told me not to tell him, so I didn't. I told him we were staying on Coruscant, and that we hadn't made plans beyond that."
"A fortunate thing it is, if correct you are," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly, "that heard the Force speaking to you, you did. If revealed to him, your plans had been," Yoda said, his expression growing more concerned, "In great danger, your companion could be."
"I know," Anakin said, nodding his head. "I've thought about that more than once, Master Yoda," he said, his own countenance growing more serious as he sat quietly for a moment. "Anyway, as soon as I told the Chancellor goodbye and walked back out into the hallway, that's when I first felt it."
"The only way I know how to describe it," Anakin said, looking at Yoda thoughtfully, "was a feeling of betrayal. It made me feel cold and uncomfortable all over."
"I've sensed it several times since then, too, Master," Anakin continued, as he looked back toward his hands, "but when we were outside that room, it was the most intense, uncomfortable thing I've ever felt."
Anakin looked back at Yoda's deeply concerned face for a long moment. "I'm sure of what the Force is telling me though, Master," Anakin said, quietly. "Chancellor Palpatine is the Dark Lord of the Sith."
Yoda nodded his head slowly, as he took a long deep breath as he turned his eyes thoughtfully to the floor. "Deeply disturbing, this revelation is," Yoda said, and then he looked back up at Anakin. "But," he said with a sigh, "agree with you, I do."
"Strong, the Force is with you now, Anakin," Yoda said, regarding his young companion with a deeply thoughtful expression. "Rely on your judgment and sense of the Dark Side, we must, if we are to conquer the Dark Lord."
"Rely on me?" Anakin said, leaning back and looking at Yoda curiously, somewhat shocked by Yoda's statement. "But, Master Yoda," he said, shaking his head as he looked at him with a bewildered expression, "you, Master Windu, and the other members of the Council are far stronger with the Force than I am," he said. "I'm the one who should be, and is, relying on your judgment for guidance."
"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head and looking back at his young companion. "Strong we are with the Force, indeed," Yoda said. "But tell me," he said, cocking his head to the side and looking Anakin curiously, "how is it, then, that you have been able to sense what we have not?"
Anakin took a deep breath, and then looked back toward the floor before him. "I don't know, Master," he said, shaking his head for a moment. "I've thought about that myself, even right before I told Master Obi-Wan about it earlier." He looked back at Yoda, a somewhat pained expression on his young face. "How could I possibly be able to sense something that you can't?"
"Hmmm," Yoda mused with a nod. "Important it is for a Jedi," he said, as his long ears perked up as he looked at his young companion, "to know why, and how, he senses the things that he does."
"I know, Master," Anakin said apologetically. "I mean, I know that it's the Force that's allowing me to sense these things," he said, "but I'm not really sure why, or why I feel it so strongly." He smiled weakly back at the tiny Jedi master as he spoke. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
Yoda nodded his head thoughtfully as he looked at Anakin. "A curious thing, the ways of the Force," he said, as Anakin listened to him intently. "He who possesses a gift is often the last to understand why it has been given to him, or how it reveals itself."
"A gift?" Anakin said, looking back at Yoda curiously.
"Indeed," Yoda nodded. "Difficult indeed, the Dark Side of the Force is to see," he said, as Anakin listened to him intently. "Even for the older, more experienced Jedi." He paused for a moment, and then took another deep breath. "For eight hundred years, have I sought to do so," Yoda said, looking at Anakin thoughtfully. "Still, a dark and elusive quarry it is."
"Tell me," Yoda said, as he leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap, "How is it that a Jedi may know the good side of the Force from the bad?"
Anakin let his mind drift back for a moment to his training, when he had first become Obi-Wan's apprentice. He sat quietly for a moment, as he thought back to those basic rules of the Force that he learned as a young boy so long ago.
"That's easy, Master," Anakin said, looking back to Yoda's attentive face. "When he's at peace."
"Indeed," Yoda said with an approving nod. "Only when a Jedi is at peace, when he is calm and passive, may he truly be able to discern the nature of the Force around him."
"Tell me, young Skywalker," Yoda asked, looking at Anakin with a curious, but knowing expression, "when is it, that you feel the most peaceful, the most content?"
Yoda watched, as Anakin looked down toward the floor for a moment quietly. "That's simple, Master," Anakin said, finally, as he looked back up at Yoda. "Whenever I'm with Padmé," he said quietly. "Or, for that matter," Anakin sighed, as he looked back down at his folded hands again, "anytime I just think about her, or about how much I love her."
Yoda smiled back at Anakin, as he leaned forward toward him. "It is that," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly toward the young Jedi Knight, "that allows you to sense that which we cannot."
"Truly at peace, your heart is, Anakin," Yoda continued. "Sensed it, I did, a moment ago, as you spoke with your companion," he said. "You must trust in that peace, and in that which the Force tells you through it."
Anakin looked at Yoda for a moment, and then nodded his head, slowly. "I think I understand, Master Yoda," he said, the hint of a smile on his face.
Yoda nodded at Anakin again, as he watched Anakin's worried countenance fade away. "Already know you, in your heart, that which you need," Yoda said. "Rely on the Force, and your companion, just as she relies on you," he said, quietly. "And trust that which the Force reveals to you."
"I will, Master," Anakin nodded, as Yoda looked at him thoughtfully. "Thank you."
Yoda nodded, and then looked toward the window for a long moment, watching the last rays of the setting sun turn the evening sky into a rainbow of dark purple and orange hues. Anakin watched him, intently; he could sense that something was deeply troubling the diminutive Jedi Master.
"What is it, Master?" Anakin asked, his own countenance growing more concerned. "Something troubles you, as well."
Yoda looked back down at his hands in front of him, and took a long, deep breath again. "Dark, these days may become, Anakin," he said, turning a somber face back toward his young companion. "The shroud of the Dark Side continues to fall," he said, his tone reserved and somber. "To late it may be, I fear," he said with a sigh, "to stop it."
Anakin listened intently as Yoda continued. "Of utmost importance, it is, Anakin," he said, the expression on his small face growing deeply serious, "that you protect Padmé, and your younglings, at all costs," he said. "On this, all things may depend."
The urgency of Yoda's words struck him hard, as his thoughts shifted to his wife and unborn children; the seriousness of Yoda's tone unnerved him, somewhat, and he sat back in his chair, slowly, as he began to sense the tremor of dark foreboding that weighed heavily on Master Yoda's heart. It was dark, elusive and distant, almost an echo of things to come.
"I will, Master," Anakin said quietly, nodding his head slowly, and they looked at each other for a long moment. Yoda took another long, deep breath, and turned his eyes thoughtfully toward his hands, as the two of them sat in silence.
They both looked up, as they heard the locking mechanism on the front door turn, and they watched as Obi-Wan opened the door and walked quickly into the room, and then turned and closed the door behind him.
"I was hoping that I'd find the both of you here," Obi-Wan said, somewhat winded, as he turned and walked toward them, tossing the hood of his cloak back onto his shoulders as he approached them.
"You sound like you've been running, Master," Anakin said, as he looked up at Obi-Wan as he came and stood beside the chair where Yoda sat.
"I have," Obi-Wan said, taking another quick, deep breath. "I've just returned from the meeting with Chancellor Palpatine," he said, turning his attention toward Yoda, as he looked up at him from the chair where he sat.
"What news have you, Obi-Wan?" Yoda asked, turning his somber expression toward him as he stood beside his chair.
"Nothing good, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "Chancellor Palpatine has rejected the Council's recommendation to relinquish his emergency powers and decommission the Clone Army," he said. "Just as we suspected he would."
Yoda sighed deeply, turning his eyes back down toward the floor, as Obi-Wan continued. "Master Windu has called an emergency meeting of the Council," he said, looking back at Anakin as he watched him from his seat beside Yoda. "We're to convene there in half an hour to discuss the Chancellor's decision, and our response."
"That's not good news, Master," Anakin said as he looked up at Obi-Wan.
"It gets worse," Obi-Wan said, as he placed his hands on his belt at his waist. "Not only did the Chancellor reject our recommendation, but he openly and directly accused the Council of starting the Clone Wars in the first place."
"He did what?" Anakin said, as he leaned forward and placed his hands on the couch beside him, a look of utter disbelief on his face.
"He blames us for starting the Clone Wars," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head at Anakin, as Yoda looked up at him with a deeply serious expression. "He claims that the Jedi were planning for war by commissioning the Clone Army in the first place, and that Dooku's involvement was also the Council's fault."
"But Dooku left the Order long ago," Anakin said, still not believing what he was hearing. "He's the one who commissioned the Army, and the Council knew nothing about it."
"Apparently," Obi-Wan said with a nod, "the Chancellor sees that as just another one of the Council's failures."
"Dooku's lies and deceit, I sense again," Yoda said, a deep scowl on his small, weathered face.
"That's not the end of it," Obi-Wan said, as he took another deep breath and looked at Yoda. "The Chancellor is meeting with a senior delegation from the Senate tomorrow," he said, "to discuss diminishing, or possibly removing, the Council's role in the affairs of the Republic."
"It would seem," Obi-Wan said, as he watched Yoda and Anakin look at each other in complete disbelief, "that the good Chancellor has gone a long way toward confirming Anakin's suspicions."
"Indeed," Yoda said, as he reached for his cane and hopped down out of the chair in which he sat. "Come," he said, as he watched Anakin stand up beside him and reach for his cloak. "We must meet with the Council at once."
Anakin quickly tossed his dark brown cloak over his shoulders, and Yoda looked up at the young Jedi Knight as the two sabers at his sides flashed brightly in the light of Obi-Wan's quarters as he adjusted his cloak. He sighed, deeply, and then turned and started to make his way toward the doorway.
Obi-Wan looked at Anakin for a moment, and then smiled weakly and placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder as Anakin tossed his hood up over his head. "For what it's worth, Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, "They all believed you."
"I'm just sorry I was right, Master," Anakin said, a look of sadness and regret on his young face. "I hope there's still time to stop him."
They looked at each other for another moment, and then they turned and followed Yoda out into the hallway. Obi-Wan closed the door of his quarters behind him, and they made their way slowly down the long hallway and up toward their transport on the platform above.
Anakin's long brown cloak swirled around his boots as he followed Obi-Wan through the massive, ornate doorway of the main Council Chamber.
It had been a long time, indeed, since he had walked into this massive, round auditorium, perched high atop the Jedi Temple. The room looked just as he remembered it; its many chairs, each of different sizes to suit its specific owner, still encircled the ornate floor, and the evening stars could be seen flickering in the sky outside of the tall, clear windows that encircled the entire chamber. All around the room, the Council members stood in small groups, talking quietly among themselves as they waited for the last members to arrive at this hastily called meeting.
Mace Windu turned and watched from his place beside Ki-Adi Mundi, as Yoda walked through the doorway, with Obi-Wan and Anakin trailing close behind him. A smile crossed his dark skinned face, albeit a troubled one, as he watched the small trio approach them.
Obi-Wan turned and watched as Anakin stopped beside him, and bowed politely to the Jedi masters as they watched him approach. "Greetings, Masters," Anakin said quietly.
"Welcome, Anakin," Mace nodded, as he reached out and squeezed Anakin's shoulder tightly as he watched the young Jedi toss his hood back onto his shoulders. "It's indeed good to see you again," he said, "although I wish the circumstances were better."
"I know, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head at Mace, and then to Master Mundi. "So do I."
Anakin watched as Windu turned and looked at Yoda, as he stood beside Obi-Wan, his small hands resting on his cane. "Everyone is assembled," Mace said, placing his hands on his belt at his waist. "We should call the meeting to order."
"Agreed," Yoda said, and he turned and started toward his small chair near the head of the Council's audience chamber.
"Anakin," Mace said, turning his attention toward him, "Would you take your place beside Obi-Wan? We'll call on you when we're ready for your testimony."
"Yes, Master," Anakin said, and then he turned and followed Obi-Wan to his seat near the entrance to the main chamber; he stood just behind Obi-Wan's chair, as the Council members watched as the Jedi Masters took their places beside Yoda. The chamber fell silent, and Anakin watched as, as soon as the three senior Council members took their seats, the other members took theirs, and he took a step closer to Obi-Wan's chair and stood behind him, folding his hands quietly in front of his robe.
"I must apologize for the short notice, and the late hour, of this emergency session," Mace said, leaning back in his chair as he addressed the Council. "But a matter of utmost importance has arisen, one that requires our immediate and urgent attention."
Anakin watched as the Council members all looked at each other in silence, and then turned their attention back toward Mace Windu as he continued.
"We believe," Mace said, as the Council members listened in attentive silence, "that we may finally have learned the identity of the Dark Lord of the Sith."
Windu's words swept through the chamber like a strong wind, as the Council members began to whisper to each other, taken back by the magnitude of the statement they had just heard.
"Order," Master Mundi said, looking around the chamber, his large, white eyebrows furrowed over his eyes as the members began to fall silent again. "This is a matter of utmost importance," he said coolly. "We must have order in the chamber."
"This is indeed a serious, and remarkable, claim," Council member Shaak Ti said, her head towering over her companions, as she looked at Master Windu. "Who do you believe he is?"
"Indeed," Oppo Rancisis said, turning his long, white bearded face toward Master Windu. "Name him, immediately."
Mace turned and looked at Yoda for a long moment, and watched as the tiny Jedi master nodded his head, slowly, his hands folded thoughtfully in his lap. He turned back toward the Council members who watched him, intently, and took a long, deep breath.
"Chancellor Palpatine," Mace said, slowly.
Anakin watched from his place behind Obi-Wan as the Council members looked at each other in complete, stunned silence for a long moment.
"Incredible," Council member Plo Koon exclaimed, finally breaking the awkward silence that permeated the chamber floor. "How did you come to this conclusion?" he asked, "and what proof do you have?"
"As you all know," Mace said, "a short time ago, Master Mundi, Master Kenobi, and I met with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to discuss taking the first significant steps that we feel are necessary to bring the Clone Wars to an end."
"As we agreed in our previous Council session," Mace continued, "we approached the Chancellor and requested that he meet with the Senate, lay down his emergency powers, and take the first steps to begin the decommissioning of the Clone Army."
"What was the Chancellor's response?" Oppo Rancisis asked, his full attention focused on Mace as he addressed him.
"The Chancellor refused," Mace said, turning his attention to Oppo, as he sat near the window to his right. "He rejected our recommendation out of hand, and refuses to return control of the Republic back to the Senate."
"A rash move, indeed," Plo Kloon said, from his position directly across from the three senior Council members. "But, hardly proof that the Chancellor is the Dark Lord of the Sith."
"The Chancellor also accuses the Jedi of being responsible for the start of the Clone Wars," Mace continued, directing his attention toward Plo as he spoke. "He states that we are guilty of commissioning the clone army, and are also responsible for the actions of Count Dooku."
"Preposterous," Oppo Rancisis exclaimed, as he leaned back in his chair, looking around the chamber at his fellow Council members. "Dooku acted completely outside of the Council's authority. This claim will surely be struck down if we take it before the Senate."
"That may prove difficult," Mundi interjected, as Oppo turned his bearded face toward him. "The Chancellor is meeting with a delegation from the Senate tomorrow," he said, raising his thick white eyebrows as he spoke, "to discuss the removal, or severe limitation, of the Council's activities in the affairs of the Republic."
The Council floor burst into hushed discussion again at Mundi's words, and Anakin watched as Shaak Ti raised her blue-clad arm into the air and began to speak. "These are serious charges, indeed," she said, as the Council members fell silent and turned their attention to her. "But, as serious as these actions are, they do not indicate by themselves that the Chancellor is in reality the Dark Lord," she said. "We must have more proof."
"Agreed," Plo Kloon said, nodding toward Shaak as she sat across from him. "Master Ti is correct," he said, gesturing toward her with his long, muscular arm. "We must rely on the guidance of the Force to make any determination regarding the Sith," he said. "Can any one of us here say, with certainty, that we have been guided to this conclusion by the Force alone?"
"There is one among us," Mace Windu said, nodding his head, "to whom the Force has spoken, very clearly, on this matter."
"Who?" Shaak Ti said, looking around the Council chambers inquisitively, and then turning her attention back to Mace Windu.
Mace turned his eyes toward Anakin, as he stood behind Obi-Wan. "Master Skywalker," he said, as he gestured for Anakin to approach the speaker's platform near the center of the room.
The Council members watched him, in silence, as Anakin walked to the center of the room, and Obi-Wan smiled as he watched his former padawan bow politely, and then stand up, confidently. "Masters," he said, reverently, and then he stood there quietly.
"Anakin," Mace said, as he nodded toward the young Jedi Knight before him, "will you tell the Council what it is that the Force has revealed to you regarding Chancellor Palpatine?"
"Yes, Master," Anakin said with a nod. "I first sensed it four years ago, when I was leaving Chancellor Palpatine's office," he said, as the Council members listened to him intently as he spoke. "I sensed it again when Obi-Wan and I were attempting to rescue the Chancellor aboard the Imperial Hand."
Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair, slowly stroking his beard with his hand as he listened intently, along with the other Council members, as Anakin recounted the events that transpired onboard the doomed Separatist flagship in great detail. He watched, as Anakin shared with the Council members, who whispered quietly among themselves and listened to his former apprentice with great interest, the dark, sinister tremors that he had sensed through the Force, those same tremors that now brought them all together at this late hour in the evening.
Obi-Wan smiled, as he watched his young friend turn in a tight circle, looking at the Council members as he addressed them, calmly and confidently. "There is no doubt in my mind, Masters," Anakin said, as he looked slowly around the room as he spoke, "that the living Force has told me that Chancellor Palpatine is, in reality, Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith."
The Council members began to whisper among themselves again for a moment, as Anakin turned and looked back at Master Windu; Mace nodded at him, approvingly, and then turned his attention to Shaak Ti as she spoke.
"Your confidence in the Force's guidance in this matter is considerable, as we can all plainly sense, Master Skywalker," Shaak Ti said, as she nodded politely toward Anakin. "And, I must concede," she said, as she bowed her head slightly, "that the Chancellor's actions lend a great deal of support to your assertions."
"But," Shaak Ti said, as she looked back toward Mace Windu, "We all know that the Code requires that such a claim be corroborated by at least one member of the Council, who has also sensed the Force's guidance in the matter," she said. "Is there anyone here who can say that they have sensed the same thing that Master Skywalker has?"
Obi-Wan watched, as the Council members looked around in silence, as they waited for a response to Shaak Ti's question.
"I have," Obi-Wan heard a gruff, familiar voice say, firmly, and he, along with the other members of the Council turned their eyes toward the seat beside Mace.
"Confirm young Skywalker's interpretation, I will," Yoda said, as he looked at Shaak Ti and nodded his head, slowly. "Sensed the same thing, I have," he said, "though not as plainly or as clearly as he."
"Exceedingly strong with the Force, young Skywalker has become," Yoda said, as he looked around the Council chamber at the other members who listened to him intently. "Trust his interpretation of the Force's guidance in this situation, I do," he said, as he turned and looked back toward Mace Windu and nodded his head, firmly.
"The interpretation has been accepted, and corroborated per the Code," Mace said, turning his attention toward the Council before him. "It is our opinion that, in light of the revelation given to Anakin by the Force, and the Chancellor's own actions, that the process of gathering evidence to substantiate this accusation should begin."
"This is a serious matter," Windu said after a pause, as he looked around the room slowly, "quite possibly the most serious that we have ever faced. We must be unanimous, both in our decision," he said, his tone deeply somber, "and in our response."
Anakin turned and looked toward Plo Kloon, as he heard his deep, booming voice behind him. "In light of Master Skywalker's testimony," Plo said, gesturing toward Anakin with his long arm, "I would call that a vote be taken, now, to recommend that we proceed at once."
"Very well," Mace said, looking around the chamber slowly. "All that are in favor of proceeding with this investigation please rise at this time."
Obi-Wan stood up, and watched as the other members of the Council began to stand, one by one, from their seats and take a step forward from their chairs.
Anakin looked around the room, slowly; not a single seat was left occupied, and he turned his eyes back toward Obi-Wan, and watched as he smiled and nodded at him approvingly.
"Very well," Mace said, as he looked around the Council chamber at the results of the unanimous vote. "It is imperative that this meeting, and this matter, remain a closely guarded secret until we have obtained the evidence we need."
"Obi-Wan," Mace said, turning his attention to him as he and the other members of the Council returned to their chairs, "Would you join Anakin for a moment?"
"Of course, Master," Obi-Wan said, standing back up from his chair and joining Anakin at the center of the chamber.
"It is imperative that we apprehend General Grievous as soon as possible," Mace said, as Obi-Wan turned to face him at Anakin's side. "One of our ships intercepted a transmission from a small vessel that managed to escape from the Imperial Hand just before it went down," Mace said, as Obi-Wan and Anakin listened intently. "We believe that it was General Grievous."
"If the transmission was correct," Master Mundi said, "then we believe that the General is regrouping with his droid armies on the planet Utapau."
"Utapau?" Obi-Wan said, looking at Mundi curiously. "I wasn't aware that planet had been involved in the conflict."
"Until now," Master Mundi said, "it has not."
"We are sending a large battalion of clone troopers to Utapau as we speak," Mace said, as Obi-Wan turned his attention back to him. "They are en route now. We need you to go and take command of the battalion, and attempt to locate and capture General Grievous before he has time to regroup," he said.
"We believe that the General is responsible for the deaths of the three Jedi and their apprentices," Windu continued. "If we can capture him, we can bring him to justice, and we may also obtain the proof that we need to prove Chancellor Palpatine's involvement and corroborate Anakin's theory."
"I'll leave at once, Masters," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "But I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with the planet, or where to start looking for General Grievous when I get there."
"Time is short, Obi-Wan," Yoda said, looking up at Obi-Wan from his seat beside Mace Windu. "Leave now you must," he said, and then looked at Anakin. "Obtain the information you need, Master Skywalker will."
"Anakin," Mace said, as Anakin turned his attention toward him, "Go to the archives. Obtain all the information that you can on the planet Utapau and relay it to Obi-Wan as soon as you have it ready."
"Understood, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head affirmatively.
"Once you have provided Obi-Wan with the information he needs," Mace continued, "then we need you to attempt to learn the identity and whereabouts of Count Dooku's killer."
Anakin took a long, deep breath, as the face that he had seen under the hood flashed briefly in his mind. "Yes, Master," he said, nodding again. "I'll do what I can."
"Very well," Yoda said, as he looked at the two Jedi before him. "Go quickly, the both of you," he said. "And may the Force be with you."
Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed reverently, and then they both turned and made their way out of the Council chambers.
Our story continues shortly...