Chapter Fifteen: Arrival and Departure
Anakin had helped Padme up, made sure she was alright, and then left. He headed straight for the Chancellor. Palpatine was the only one he could talk to. The only one there for him anymore.
The Chancellor did not mind being disturbed. For the second time in two weeks, Anakin Skywalker stood before the Supreme Chancellor and told him what had happened, what he had done. Palpatine didn't looked shocked. He thought a moment, anger plain on his face, then said, "Corruption. It is all around us, Anakin. Everywhere. The Senate, the Jedi… Look at Dooku. He was taught by Yoda himself… and he taught Master Qui-Gon. If such a paragon could try to do such a despicable thing… No one is safe."
Anakin bowed his head. "My lord, I don't know what to do."
"The Republic is falling apart. They need someone to hold it together. Someone strong to make sure it doesn't unravel any further."
"Someone like you, Chancellor."
Palpatine gave him a scathing look. "Not like me, Anakin. The Republic needs me. Someone to guide it, mold it. It cannot tolerate this weakness any longer. Democracy… It's a pretty ideal that dies in the real world. A stronger force is needed in this galaxy." He shook his head. "But I cannot do this alone. Join me, Anakin. Save our world. Save your wife."
Anakin stared into Palpatine's eyes. *Someone strong*, he thought. It was exactly what he had told Padme. Someone strong to make people listen.
Her words echoed in his mind. *Sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me.*
His own echoed back. *If it works.*
And it would.
*
It had been the longest few days of Obi-Wan's life, but they'd made it back from Dantooine intact and ready to inform the galaxy of Palpatine's machinations. The secret meeting place, Bail explained, as they sped down into the underbelly of Coruscant, was called Cantham House. Decades before, it had been used as a meeting place for diplomats. It was fit that they meet there to discuss Palpatine's plans.
There was a small crowd inside the meeting hall. Obi-Wan immediately noted Mace Windu and Yoda, and strode to join them, bowing. "Masters," he said, then followed with, "Where's Anakin?"
"Seen him we have not. Discuss him later we will."
Obi-Wan nodded, conceding the point, and turned his attention to the girl on the floor who was speaking.
"Chancellor Palpatine's designs have now become clear. We are all aware of his true identity now, and there can be no mistaking his intentions. He wants to rule the Republic as king or emperor." There was no gasp of surprise at Mon Mothma's words, no disbelief in any faces. "The 'review' Senator Taa has called for and Palpatine backed has put the noble Jedi out of commission. Many of them have been taken to facilities to be 'questioned'. I don't expect anyone will ever hear from them again."
Obi-Wan was shocked. He knew nothing of the review, nothing of his comrades that had been taken. What if Anakin had been one of them? Was his apprentice alive and well? He looked at Yoda, alarm apparent in his eyes. Yoda gestured for him to continue listening.
"What can we do about such a thing?" La'ang Hahon asked quietly, fear evident in her face and voice.
"Nothing," Bail replied. "He hasn't even made a move to claim supreme power yet."
"Everything he's done for a decade has been to claim supreme power!" Mon Mothma countered. "His emergency powers make the senate practically useless, this ridiculous evaluation of the Jedi makes them powerless!"
Garm Bel Iblis shook his head. "We cannot sit around doing nothing and wait for him to make a bid for power!"
Obi-Wan finally spoke. "What does Senator Amidala have to say about this?"
Mon Mothma seemed to see him only then, and offered a short bow. "General Kenobi. Senator Amidala was privy to our meetings before you managed to get us this new information. She went to the Chancellor to speak to him of relinquishing his emergency powers. According to her, he seemed willing to. We now know that was a ploy. No one has been able to contact her to tell her of this meeting."
Obi-Wan nodded, then turned to Master Yoda. "Something is wrong."
"Sense this we do. Find Amidala you must."
Obi-Wan bowed shortly, to his Masters, then the group, and slipped out of Cantham House, heading for the surface of Coruscant.
Anakin had helped Padme up, made sure she was alright, and then left. He headed straight for the Chancellor. Palpatine was the only one he could talk to. The only one there for him anymore.
The Chancellor did not mind being disturbed. For the second time in two weeks, Anakin Skywalker stood before the Supreme Chancellor and told him what had happened, what he had done. Palpatine didn't looked shocked. He thought a moment, anger plain on his face, then said, "Corruption. It is all around us, Anakin. Everywhere. The Senate, the Jedi… Look at Dooku. He was taught by Yoda himself… and he taught Master Qui-Gon. If such a paragon could try to do such a despicable thing… No one is safe."
Anakin bowed his head. "My lord, I don't know what to do."
"The Republic is falling apart. They need someone to hold it together. Someone strong to make sure it doesn't unravel any further."
"Someone like you, Chancellor."
Palpatine gave him a scathing look. "Not like me, Anakin. The Republic needs me. Someone to guide it, mold it. It cannot tolerate this weakness any longer. Democracy… It's a pretty ideal that dies in the real world. A stronger force is needed in this galaxy." He shook his head. "But I cannot do this alone. Join me, Anakin. Save our world. Save your wife."
Anakin stared into Palpatine's eyes. *Someone strong*, he thought. It was exactly what he had told Padme. Someone strong to make people listen.
Her words echoed in his mind. *Sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me.*
His own echoed back. *If it works.*
And it would.
*
It had been the longest few days of Obi-Wan's life, but they'd made it back from Dantooine intact and ready to inform the galaxy of Palpatine's machinations. The secret meeting place, Bail explained, as they sped down into the underbelly of Coruscant, was called Cantham House. Decades before, it had been used as a meeting place for diplomats. It was fit that they meet there to discuss Palpatine's plans.
There was a small crowd inside the meeting hall. Obi-Wan immediately noted Mace Windu and Yoda, and strode to join them, bowing. "Masters," he said, then followed with, "Where's Anakin?"
"Seen him we have not. Discuss him later we will."
Obi-Wan nodded, conceding the point, and turned his attention to the girl on the floor who was speaking.
"Chancellor Palpatine's designs have now become clear. We are all aware of his true identity now, and there can be no mistaking his intentions. He wants to rule the Republic as king or emperor." There was no gasp of surprise at Mon Mothma's words, no disbelief in any faces. "The 'review' Senator Taa has called for and Palpatine backed has put the noble Jedi out of commission. Many of them have been taken to facilities to be 'questioned'. I don't expect anyone will ever hear from them again."
Obi-Wan was shocked. He knew nothing of the review, nothing of his comrades that had been taken. What if Anakin had been one of them? Was his apprentice alive and well? He looked at Yoda, alarm apparent in his eyes. Yoda gestured for him to continue listening.
"What can we do about such a thing?" La'ang Hahon asked quietly, fear evident in her face and voice.
"Nothing," Bail replied. "He hasn't even made a move to claim supreme power yet."
"Everything he's done for a decade has been to claim supreme power!" Mon Mothma countered. "His emergency powers make the senate practically useless, this ridiculous evaluation of the Jedi makes them powerless!"
Garm Bel Iblis shook his head. "We cannot sit around doing nothing and wait for him to make a bid for power!"
Obi-Wan finally spoke. "What does Senator Amidala have to say about this?"
Mon Mothma seemed to see him only then, and offered a short bow. "General Kenobi. Senator Amidala was privy to our meetings before you managed to get us this new information. She went to the Chancellor to speak to him of relinquishing his emergency powers. According to her, he seemed willing to. We now know that was a ploy. No one has been able to contact her to tell her of this meeting."
Obi-Wan nodded, then turned to Master Yoda. "Something is wrong."
"Sense this we do. Find Amidala you must."
Obi-Wan bowed shortly, to his Masters, then the group, and slipped out of Cantham House, heading for the surface of Coruscant.