Mace Windu and Yoda, along with the Supreme Chancellor, stared at the small
holo of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"I have found a lead on a possible saboteur centering on the planet Wayland. Inform Anakin that I am going there to see if I can find anything. Kenobi out."
The image flickered and dissolved back into the projector.
"I am pleased with your progress," Palpatine said. "The Senate is in severe unrest and I fear many citizens have lost confidence in the government after the attack on Naboo. We must get to the bottom of this soon, or I am afraid our great Republic may be in danger of collapse."
"Don't worry, Supreme Chancellor," Mace replied. "Knight Kenobi is one of the best Jedi we have. If there is a connection, he'll be the one to find it."
***
"Yes, my master?" asked Darth Raptor, kneeling before the projected image of Lord Sidious deep within the center of Mount Tantiss.
"A Jedi is coming to investigate. An old enemy, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I want him utterly destroyed."
"It will give me great pleasure, Master," answered Raptor. It had been Obi- Wan who had defeated his predecessor, Lord Maul. Revenge on such a man would be a pleasing task for a Sith, indeed.
***
The thirty six hours in the confines of the small cockpit would have been nearly intolerable had not Obi-Wan put himself into a hibernation trance. At the precise moment his fighter left hyperspace near Wayland, he regained consciousness. He reached down and pulled the lever to disengage the fighter's ring-shaped hyperdrive module and vectored onto a course that would bring him into the planet's atmosphere.
***
Raptor's comlink beeped moments later.
"Lord Raptor, this is control, an unidentified fighter has penetrated our airspace in sector 1405 Alpha"
"Launch a squadron to intercept and destroy, Commander."
***
Obi-Wan scanned his sensor readouts, and was surprised to see a massive reading on his emissions detector. He performed a vector analysis and strangely enough, it seemed to be coming from the direction of the large mountain he had seen rising from the forests. Obi-Wan began looking for a gap in the trees of suitable size to land, when suddenly a shrill threat warning alarm jerked his gaze to his sensors, and then to the sky around him.
There were twelve small specks approaching him head on, spread out line abreast, and closing fast. Suddenly, a stream of blaster cannon fire erupted from the lead ship's wingtips, and Obi-Wan threw the Jedi fighter into a tight corkscrew, evading the shots, simultaneously adding power to his front shields. As one of the enemy fighters flashed by his canopy only a few dozen meters away, he got a good look at the strange craft.
It was blood-red, with angular lines, sharply swept wings, canted vertical stabilizers, and on each wingtip was a prominent blaster cannon.
He swore under his breath. He was a good pilot, as most Jedi were, but even the best flier could not have much hope for surviving long against twelve to one odds. And somehow he had to find a way to get onto the surface in one piece if he was going to complete his reconnaissance of the planet. He angled the nose down as the hostile starfighters had come about and were closing on his tail. At the last minute, he pulled sharply upward on the controls and the fighter leveled out only meters above the forest canopy. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.
He backed off the throttle and pumped power into the rear deflectors. As the lead enemy fighter drew into range, he hit the main fuel dump valve and at the same time, braced himself and slid his left hand over the ejector seat's activation handle. Concentrating intently on the image of the enemy fighter in the Force, he pulled the EV lever not a moment too late.
A blaster shot from the enemy craft passed directly under the Jedi fighter. The superheated bolt was in contact with the fuel dumped from the main tanks only for a second, but it quickly ignited the volatile emulsion, and the explosion rapidly progressed towards the ship's hull as more fuel ignited until it reached the fuel feed lines, and finally, the main tank itself.
The Jedi fighter vanished in a tremendous flash, blinding its pursuers, who rapidly veered out of the way of the flying debris. None saw Obi-Wan eject.
The Jedi strained against the massive acceleration as the rocket underneath his seat threw him clear of the fighter, and then suddenly there was a massive explosion and accompanying shockwave which struck him like a hammer blow, and then nothing but blackness.
***
"Enemy craft has been destroyed" the comlink buzzed.
"Excellent," replied Raptor. "But I want confirmation that Kenobi is dead. Send a company of infantry to the crash site, I'm not taking any chances."
**
He found her on her favorite balcony, the one overlooking the cliffs with their magnificent waterfalls. He paused, taking in the sight of her. Her back was turned to him, her hands clutching the stone railing. A white robe covered her nightdress, and her beautiful hair hung loosely, for once unencumbered by one of her usual elaborate styles.
He did not want to seem intrusive but could sense the aura of sadness in her presence. He hesitated for a moment before silently approaching her.
"Is everything alright milady?" he asked, mentally berating himself for asking such an idiotic question.
"I couldn't sleep," she replied. "And what are you doing out here so late?" she asked.
"I was standing watch, milady," he replied. "Jedi can perform most of the restorative functions of sleep through meditation." He paused for a moment. "Would you like to talk about it?"
She took a deep breath before speaking. "I was wondering if it was all worth it," she said, staring out into the night. "I've spent my entire life training for politics. Somehow, I led myself to believe that a leader with courage and convictions could actually make a difference. But I have made far too many enemies, and now what have once been petty personal grudges have turned into this," she said sadly, gesturing out towards the ruined city.
"Don't go blaming yourself," he answered. "If it had not been for your courage your people and other peaceful star systems like Naboo would still be under the control of the Trade Federation."
"But that decision has brought Naboo even more suffering than the Viceroy's army could have ever hoped to inflict," she said, her voice rising with frustration." She fixed him with a sharp glance. "Sixty thousand dead. A hundred thousand injured. Eirtae and Yane dead. THAT has been the price for my integrity! I've failed them, Anakin." Her gaze drifted off into the distance again. "I've failed them all."
In a blur of movement he grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face him, forcing her to look at him. His voice, though barely above a whisper, was edged with intensity. "Don't you say that! Don't you EVER say that."
He let go of her, his voice softening. "I remember when I first met you. One of the things I found so amazing was how strong and courageous you were. I know you don't feel that way now, but you have to realize that you can't always control everything. You can't protect everyone."
He turned and looked away from her. His hands gripped the railing, his knuckles white. When he spoke again his voice was strained and subdued.
"I also remember what you said when my mother died. That I could not spend my life wondering what might have happened if only I had done something differently. And I'm saying the same thing to you now." He paused for a moment, contemplative. "The people to blame for this atrocity are the ones who are behind it. And I promise you that the Jedi will do everything that we can to eliminate this threat. He turned back to her, his eyes suddenly icy gray, his face displaying that frightening intensity that seemed to come and go at a moment's notice. "They will pay for what they have done. All of them." He paused again, looking away, seeming to collect himself. "But until that happens you have to remain strong." He looked at her again, with the same intensity and sincerity. "Your people love you. They need you. And I know you won't let them down. You never have."
"Thank you," she said, the warmth in her eyes returning for the first time in days. "I needed to hear that."
Neither spoke for several moments, seemingly lost in thought. At last Padme broke the silence, her voice wistful.
"Sometimes I wish things were simpler. I never hadhad the luxury of enjoying my youth. I never had that freedom, that innocence. I feel like I've done nothing but exhaust myself fighting immovable objects." Anakin could sense her growing frustration, present since she had first spoken, increase through the Force. "Even if I manage to help get a proposal through the Senate, I still feel like I haven't really gotten anywhere." She looked at him. "I envy you, Ani. The Jedi are out in the forefront of things, you can see the results of your efforts. It must be incredibly fulfilling."
"It isn't always like that." He said, shaking his head. "I've been told I have the ability to be a great Jedi. to bring 'balance to the Force...'" Shrugging his shoulders he looked out over the city. "Whatever that means." He shook his head. "I can't help feeling like I'm being held back, that I should be doing more."
"Are you unsatisfied with your assignment here? I know protecting me has put you in a great deal of danger lately with little in return. Perhaps you can petition the Council."
"No!" he interrupted, almost desperate. "No, it's not that at all
She turned to look at him. "But I can tell something's bothering you." He looked away from her, wishing to hide his discomfiture. "I can't sense thoughts like you can, but I know something's been on your mind ever since you saw me, and you're not telling me."
He forced himself to look at her. "I'm.I'm letting personal considerations interfere with the mission."
"What do you mean?" she asked, concerned.
He turned away for a moment, staring out into the darkness again. He knew precisely where the conversation was leading, and more importantly, the consequences the outcome might take. He was faced with either a broken heart or deliberately, intentionally defying the Jedi Order, which forbid romantic attachment in any form. But at the moment, she was so tantalizingly close to him, and in dire need of comfort, of happiness, of any sort of distraction from the hell she was going through, while Obi-Wan and the Council were thousands of light-years away.
He was silent for a moment, still looking away from her. "I had not expected to ever see you again. I remember I was spellbound the first time we met. Over the last ten years I kept thinking the memory of you would go away, but I would always find myself thinking about you. Wondering what you were doing, what you might be thinking, if you still remembered me." Finally, once he had found the courage to speak and felt unable to stop himself, he turned to look at her again. "And then I found out I was assigned to protect you. I hadn't prepared myself for the reality of seeing you again."
"And have I changed, from how you remember me?"
He moved closer, staring into her eyes, contemplating their depths.
"Yes," he said. "You're everything I remember and more."
Slowly he took her hands, his hands slowly traveled up the length of her arms as he pulled her to him, bending his head towards hers. He felt her shiver, and for a moment he wondered if his legs would give out beneath him entirely. She closed her eyes moments before their lips met. The kiss was tentative, questioning, until she responded, welcoming him. Encouraged, he deepened the kiss. It was slow, deep, full of tenderness and empathy for shared pain. Neither hungry nor desperate but passionate nonetheless. Profound, startling in both intensity and sincerity. For a moment time seemed to stop, the chaotic events of politics and death stood aside, and there was only the refreshing solace of two understanding souls.
**
Darth Sidious watched the Jedi and Senator in his mind's eye, a shiver running through his body as he sensed the heated passion and raw power in the young man. The young Skywalker had first captured his interest a decade ago, when he sensed how strong the Force was with the nine-year-old boy who had destroyed a huge battleship without even knowing what he was doing at the time.
And now, he realized, the possibility of possessing and corrupting the young man, of having such a powerful apprentice, was moving ever closer into the realm of probability.
It had been quite simple enough to form a detailed impression of young Skywalker's presence in the Force when he and his Master had arrived on Coruscant in Senator Naberrie's quarters. Ever since then, Sidious had surreptitiously crept into Anakin's dreams, instilling the beginnings of doubt and fear into his mind. And now, the beautiful young Senator had, he realized, formed another distraction for Anakin. His feelings for her, he knew, could all too easily jeopardize his commitment to the Order. And the Jedi hadn't a clue that a Dark Lord of the Sith had been operating right under their nose in the guise of the affable gentleman who had been elected the Republic's Supreme Chancellor.
Nikoli Palpatine was a respected, distinguished colonel in the Naboo Royal Starfighter Corps. It was thought that his wife, Kira, was unable to have children when, much to the surprise and delight of she and her husband, she discovered she was pregnant. Their son, Ruk, proved to be possessed of a brilliant mind, but as things occasionally happened in the galaxy, the Jedi had not noticed Ruk Palpatine possessed a not insignificant strength in the Force, for Naboo was a relatively closed, isolationist planet at the time. The young man decided early on he wished to enter the service like his father, and had, after graduating from an elite Naboo secondary school with high honors, scored one of the highest marks in the history of the Republic Fleet Academy's entrance examinations.
He had graduated first in his class from the Academy, and rose rapidly through the ranks due to his remarkable intuition (which he believed was just that, he was unaware of his power in the Force) during training excercises and skirmishes with pirates and smugglers. His commanding officers noticed an uncanny ability in the young officer, who seemed to be able to predict the intentions of an opponent with phenomenal accuracy.
At the remarkably young age of thirty, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and given a command of his own, the frigate Audacious. And then his life changed forever.
The Audacious had been ordered by Palpatine's commanding officer, the Admiral of 7th Fleet, to meet with representatives of the government of the Outer Rim planet Teslo IV. The monarchial government of the planet had been thrown into chaos when a group of rebels, wishing to institute a democratic government, had taken up arms and plunged Teslo IV into a bitter civil war. The King, who was a good friend of the 7th Fleet's Commanding Officer, had pleaded with the Republic for intervention.
However, when the Audacious arrived on the planet's surface, a large party of rebels, headed by a vicious warlord, had ambushed the ship and taken the 300-man crew prisoner. The enlisted men were executed immediately, and the officers thrown into confinement. There they were starved, beaten, forced to live in appalling conditions, and subjected to countless horrible forms of torture and interrogation.
Lieutenant Commander Palpatine, ever resourceful, and determined to escape and send word to the Fleet, had surreptitiously dug a tunnel leading outside from the floor of his cell. On the evening he intended to escape, his cellmate, the ship's Executive Officer and a good friend of Palpatine's, had been taken from their tiny, filthy cell for further interrogation. Palpatine decided to wait, intending to bring his XO with him during the escape. Hours later, his friend was shoved back into the cell, nearly at the point of collapse. When Palpatine rushed to him, he saw something which would haunt him for years afterward.
The man's eyes had been gouged out.
Palpatine, carrying the semi-conscious form of his executive officer, had made his escape, making his way through kilometers of dense forest in a pitch-black, frigid winter night, with only his intuition to guide him. In the distance he heard mounted cavalry pursuing him, and he came to the bank of a stream. He plunged into the icy water, where every second was terrible agony to his bruised, tired, tortured body, but somehow managed, carrying his friend with him, to swim across the swiftly flowing stream to the opposite bank.
It was there that his good friend, a loyal, competent officer, with a beautiful wife and a young son, had died in his arms, begging him not to tell his wife of the horrors which had been inflicted on him.
Palpatine, beyond exhaustion, collapsed on the riverbank, awakening when the muzzle of a blaster rifle prodded him in the back. Several rebel troops were standing around him. He had finally resigned himself to his fate when suddenly, a black-robed figure shot out of the underbrush and, wielding a brilliant red lightsaber, had cut down the entire patrol in less than a minute.
The strange figure carried Palpatine, on the edge of death, to a palatial residence, where he slowly healed his broken body. He was given a transport, and rushed back to 7th Fleet headquarters to speak to his commanding officer about the fate of his ship and crew.
However, he learned, to his horror, that the Senate refused to authorize the Fleet to send a rescue mission for the Audacious survivors. Furious, Palpatine resigned from the Fleet in protest and returned to Naboo, where he lived quietly, haunted by his memories.
A year later, however, he was visited by the strange man who rescued him again. There he learned that his rescuer was a Baron of Teslo IV's royalty, and when the warlords had taken control of the planet, he had fled to spare his life. As it turned out, the man was well-connected in the Republic, and there Palpatine learned why his crew had been written off.
A powerful Senator, as it turned out, had held a controlling share in a Corellian firm which manufactured weapons and military equipment. The corporation was providing arms to the Rebels, and several other Senators, and even the Supreme Chancellor, held large investments in the corporation as well. Fearing that they would be exposed should the war be ended abruptly, they had sacrificed the frigate's crew and her promising young captain.
Palpatine was utterly furious, doubly so when he learned that a member of the Jedi Council had also urged the Chancellor not to intervene in the conflict, condemning the Audacious' original mission - the Jedi believed that the civil war represented the planet's right to self-determination, guaranteed under the Republic Constitution.
At this point the Baron suggested something - Palpatine was popular on Naboo for his resignation and apparent devotion to his men, while the Senate was viewed as corrupt - why not enter politics, the man suggested, where he could make policy himself rather than become another sacrificial pawn in a corrupt game.
So he ran for position of Governor of Theed, and was elected by a huge majority. The Baron came to reside on Naboo, and there he began to convince Palpatine to explore his latent abilities in the Force, to aid his political career. Shortly after, the Baron convinced him to run for Senator, and after a hard-fought election, Palpatine emerged victorious. He soon became a member of the Interplanetary Relations Committee, which focused on legislation impacting the at times turbulent disputes between the Republic's member systems. There he learned his Force abilities helped him gauge the true intentions and desires of ambassadors and negotiators, as well as his fellow Senators. He was mortified by what he sensed - corruption, greed, duplicity everywhere.
He spoke to his friend and aide the Baron about what he had seen, and there the Baron had explained to him that he, Palpatine, could eventually become, via use of his powers, the leader which the Republic needed. A strong leader.
And then he told him about the Sith.
He explained that the Sith were a horribly maligned order, but in truth, well versed in realpolitik. All sentients were corrupt and motivated by self-interest, and desired power and wealth. The Sith were aimed at bringing order not via the foolish idealism of the Jedi, but instead, manipulation was merely a means to an end.
Palpatine was at first mortified, but realized that if he wished for such incidents as the fate of his crew to never happen again, the power he was offered might be put to use. However, little did he know that such power came at a terrible price, and eventually came to be not a means to an end, but an end in itself.
Shortly after, the head of the Correllian arms firm had been found dead, his body burned to a crisp by some strange, unknown source. No suspects were ever named. Many more of those involved in the Teslo IV scandal suffered a similar fate, and again, there was never enough evidence to name a suspect.
Palpatine knew such idealism of his youth was foolish. The old, corrupt regime would have to be dispensed with, and quickly. So he had instituted a plan. Using the Trade Federation and the taxation bill, he had manipulated the Nemoidians into blockading and occupying Naboo, thus maneuvering him into the Chancellor's seat. The next step was to create a calamity of such magnitude that the populace would lose faith in the Senate entirely, and look to one man - the Supreme Chancellor - for leadership. Thus entered the Mandalorians. As a Sith, he promised Fett conquest, while as Chancellor, he would vow to defeat the enemy which threatened the Republic. Of course, he had no intention of letting the Mandalorian forces win the war, and thus he had ordered the Victory class ships commissioned and Admiral Haas, a coarse but brilliant officer, put in command of the Fleet.
He had also come to learn that true power in the Force was not skill with a lightsaber or lifting rocks, but instead, to see inside the soul of his foes, and promise them all they desired.for motivated beings were so much more effective.
And he now knew what Anakin Skywalker desired.much like himself at a young age, he wanted power, he wanted to change things.
And soon, indeed, as Sidious' next apprentice, he would effect great change indeed.
***
Suddenly, she pulled away, hurling them back into reality and leaving him stunned.
"I'm sorry, Anakin," she said.
"You're.sorry?" he asked, incredulous.
"I should go. I don't think this was wise."
"But. you can't. he stammered. "Can you deny that there's something between us?"
"I'm sorry, Anakin..but I have no other choice," she said, her voice, he realized, however, held a hint of regret.
With that, she left.
He stood unmoving as he watched her leave. His emotions were in too much turmoil to allow him to reply. He closed his eyes for a moment, reliving the kiss remembering the taste of her. Savoring it. He felt kilometers above the ground. Remembering her reply, however, he felt himself plummeting in freefall and dreading the eventual landing.
He opened his eyes again, reluctantly, as the sensation passed. He loved her. What else mattered? Love was the only honesty, all else was merely an excuse. Did she truly think of herself so little? He wondered why she refused to see it. If she didn't allow herself to love, or to be loved in return, to follow her heart, to not be afraid to live, she would not survive. And neither would he.
Anger and frustration came welling up inside of him again as he spun on his heel, walking away from the balcony rail, from the place he knew which would forever haunt him. How could she abandon him like this? Would she too break his heart, adding to the misery heaped upon him? Could she truly be so willfully blind? Was she so foolish to think that love could ever be tamed by reason?
The anger swelled. He paused, noticing a beautiful floral arrangement in a polished vase. He let the anger fill him, let it surge from him in dark, rippling waves. The flowers suddenly wilted, crumbling to dust, and the vase exploded into a thousand tiny shards. And then he was himself again.
The Dark Side, he knew. He had let himself give in momentarily. He mentally reproached himself for the failure. Yet at the same time he could not quite banish the feeling of satisfaction, of awe, the barest hint of the sort of power he had again tasted, if only so briefly.
***
She found little sleep that night, instead feeling herself tossed and turned in a sea of conflicting emotions and desires. She could not deny her feelings for him, but that was no longer the issue. She knew they were treading dangerous ground. Weakness of the will was not something either of them could afford. Not now.
She had no time to fall in love.
***
Sidious watched him storm away, shivering once more as he felt the intensity of Skywalker's anger and frustration. He sensed conflict, but he knew that the young man's subconscious, which held his hidden desires, had enjoyed yet another glimpse of the power it craved. Slowly, but surely, he was moving toward his true destiny.
"In time," he said softly, "you will call me Master."
"I have found a lead on a possible saboteur centering on the planet Wayland. Inform Anakin that I am going there to see if I can find anything. Kenobi out."
The image flickered and dissolved back into the projector.
"I am pleased with your progress," Palpatine said. "The Senate is in severe unrest and I fear many citizens have lost confidence in the government after the attack on Naboo. We must get to the bottom of this soon, or I am afraid our great Republic may be in danger of collapse."
"Don't worry, Supreme Chancellor," Mace replied. "Knight Kenobi is one of the best Jedi we have. If there is a connection, he'll be the one to find it."
***
"Yes, my master?" asked Darth Raptor, kneeling before the projected image of Lord Sidious deep within the center of Mount Tantiss.
"A Jedi is coming to investigate. An old enemy, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I want him utterly destroyed."
"It will give me great pleasure, Master," answered Raptor. It had been Obi- Wan who had defeated his predecessor, Lord Maul. Revenge on such a man would be a pleasing task for a Sith, indeed.
***
The thirty six hours in the confines of the small cockpit would have been nearly intolerable had not Obi-Wan put himself into a hibernation trance. At the precise moment his fighter left hyperspace near Wayland, he regained consciousness. He reached down and pulled the lever to disengage the fighter's ring-shaped hyperdrive module and vectored onto a course that would bring him into the planet's atmosphere.
***
Raptor's comlink beeped moments later.
"Lord Raptor, this is control, an unidentified fighter has penetrated our airspace in sector 1405 Alpha"
"Launch a squadron to intercept and destroy, Commander."
***
Obi-Wan scanned his sensor readouts, and was surprised to see a massive reading on his emissions detector. He performed a vector analysis and strangely enough, it seemed to be coming from the direction of the large mountain he had seen rising from the forests. Obi-Wan began looking for a gap in the trees of suitable size to land, when suddenly a shrill threat warning alarm jerked his gaze to his sensors, and then to the sky around him.
There were twelve small specks approaching him head on, spread out line abreast, and closing fast. Suddenly, a stream of blaster cannon fire erupted from the lead ship's wingtips, and Obi-Wan threw the Jedi fighter into a tight corkscrew, evading the shots, simultaneously adding power to his front shields. As one of the enemy fighters flashed by his canopy only a few dozen meters away, he got a good look at the strange craft.
It was blood-red, with angular lines, sharply swept wings, canted vertical stabilizers, and on each wingtip was a prominent blaster cannon.
He swore under his breath. He was a good pilot, as most Jedi were, but even the best flier could not have much hope for surviving long against twelve to one odds. And somehow he had to find a way to get onto the surface in one piece if he was going to complete his reconnaissance of the planet. He angled the nose down as the hostile starfighters had come about and were closing on his tail. At the last minute, he pulled sharply upward on the controls and the fighter leveled out only meters above the forest canopy. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.
He backed off the throttle and pumped power into the rear deflectors. As the lead enemy fighter drew into range, he hit the main fuel dump valve and at the same time, braced himself and slid his left hand over the ejector seat's activation handle. Concentrating intently on the image of the enemy fighter in the Force, he pulled the EV lever not a moment too late.
A blaster shot from the enemy craft passed directly under the Jedi fighter. The superheated bolt was in contact with the fuel dumped from the main tanks only for a second, but it quickly ignited the volatile emulsion, and the explosion rapidly progressed towards the ship's hull as more fuel ignited until it reached the fuel feed lines, and finally, the main tank itself.
The Jedi fighter vanished in a tremendous flash, blinding its pursuers, who rapidly veered out of the way of the flying debris. None saw Obi-Wan eject.
The Jedi strained against the massive acceleration as the rocket underneath his seat threw him clear of the fighter, and then suddenly there was a massive explosion and accompanying shockwave which struck him like a hammer blow, and then nothing but blackness.
***
"Enemy craft has been destroyed" the comlink buzzed.
"Excellent," replied Raptor. "But I want confirmation that Kenobi is dead. Send a company of infantry to the crash site, I'm not taking any chances."
**
He found her on her favorite balcony, the one overlooking the cliffs with their magnificent waterfalls. He paused, taking in the sight of her. Her back was turned to him, her hands clutching the stone railing. A white robe covered her nightdress, and her beautiful hair hung loosely, for once unencumbered by one of her usual elaborate styles.
He did not want to seem intrusive but could sense the aura of sadness in her presence. He hesitated for a moment before silently approaching her.
"Is everything alright milady?" he asked, mentally berating himself for asking such an idiotic question.
"I couldn't sleep," she replied. "And what are you doing out here so late?" she asked.
"I was standing watch, milady," he replied. "Jedi can perform most of the restorative functions of sleep through meditation." He paused for a moment. "Would you like to talk about it?"
She took a deep breath before speaking. "I was wondering if it was all worth it," she said, staring out into the night. "I've spent my entire life training for politics. Somehow, I led myself to believe that a leader with courage and convictions could actually make a difference. But I have made far too many enemies, and now what have once been petty personal grudges have turned into this," she said sadly, gesturing out towards the ruined city.
"Don't go blaming yourself," he answered. "If it had not been for your courage your people and other peaceful star systems like Naboo would still be under the control of the Trade Federation."
"But that decision has brought Naboo even more suffering than the Viceroy's army could have ever hoped to inflict," she said, her voice rising with frustration." She fixed him with a sharp glance. "Sixty thousand dead. A hundred thousand injured. Eirtae and Yane dead. THAT has been the price for my integrity! I've failed them, Anakin." Her gaze drifted off into the distance again. "I've failed them all."
In a blur of movement he grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face him, forcing her to look at him. His voice, though barely above a whisper, was edged with intensity. "Don't you say that! Don't you EVER say that."
He let go of her, his voice softening. "I remember when I first met you. One of the things I found so amazing was how strong and courageous you were. I know you don't feel that way now, but you have to realize that you can't always control everything. You can't protect everyone."
He turned and looked away from her. His hands gripped the railing, his knuckles white. When he spoke again his voice was strained and subdued.
"I also remember what you said when my mother died. That I could not spend my life wondering what might have happened if only I had done something differently. And I'm saying the same thing to you now." He paused for a moment, contemplative. "The people to blame for this atrocity are the ones who are behind it. And I promise you that the Jedi will do everything that we can to eliminate this threat. He turned back to her, his eyes suddenly icy gray, his face displaying that frightening intensity that seemed to come and go at a moment's notice. "They will pay for what they have done. All of them." He paused again, looking away, seeming to collect himself. "But until that happens you have to remain strong." He looked at her again, with the same intensity and sincerity. "Your people love you. They need you. And I know you won't let them down. You never have."
"Thank you," she said, the warmth in her eyes returning for the first time in days. "I needed to hear that."
Neither spoke for several moments, seemingly lost in thought. At last Padme broke the silence, her voice wistful.
"Sometimes I wish things were simpler. I never hadhad the luxury of enjoying my youth. I never had that freedom, that innocence. I feel like I've done nothing but exhaust myself fighting immovable objects." Anakin could sense her growing frustration, present since she had first spoken, increase through the Force. "Even if I manage to help get a proposal through the Senate, I still feel like I haven't really gotten anywhere." She looked at him. "I envy you, Ani. The Jedi are out in the forefront of things, you can see the results of your efforts. It must be incredibly fulfilling."
"It isn't always like that." He said, shaking his head. "I've been told I have the ability to be a great Jedi. to bring 'balance to the Force...'" Shrugging his shoulders he looked out over the city. "Whatever that means." He shook his head. "I can't help feeling like I'm being held back, that I should be doing more."
"Are you unsatisfied with your assignment here? I know protecting me has put you in a great deal of danger lately with little in return. Perhaps you can petition the Council."
"No!" he interrupted, almost desperate. "No, it's not that at all
She turned to look at him. "But I can tell something's bothering you." He looked away from her, wishing to hide his discomfiture. "I can't sense thoughts like you can, but I know something's been on your mind ever since you saw me, and you're not telling me."
He forced himself to look at her. "I'm.I'm letting personal considerations interfere with the mission."
"What do you mean?" she asked, concerned.
He turned away for a moment, staring out into the darkness again. He knew precisely where the conversation was leading, and more importantly, the consequences the outcome might take. He was faced with either a broken heart or deliberately, intentionally defying the Jedi Order, which forbid romantic attachment in any form. But at the moment, she was so tantalizingly close to him, and in dire need of comfort, of happiness, of any sort of distraction from the hell she was going through, while Obi-Wan and the Council were thousands of light-years away.
He was silent for a moment, still looking away from her. "I had not expected to ever see you again. I remember I was spellbound the first time we met. Over the last ten years I kept thinking the memory of you would go away, but I would always find myself thinking about you. Wondering what you were doing, what you might be thinking, if you still remembered me." Finally, once he had found the courage to speak and felt unable to stop himself, he turned to look at her again. "And then I found out I was assigned to protect you. I hadn't prepared myself for the reality of seeing you again."
"And have I changed, from how you remember me?"
He moved closer, staring into her eyes, contemplating their depths.
"Yes," he said. "You're everything I remember and more."
Slowly he took her hands, his hands slowly traveled up the length of her arms as he pulled her to him, bending his head towards hers. He felt her shiver, and for a moment he wondered if his legs would give out beneath him entirely. She closed her eyes moments before their lips met. The kiss was tentative, questioning, until she responded, welcoming him. Encouraged, he deepened the kiss. It was slow, deep, full of tenderness and empathy for shared pain. Neither hungry nor desperate but passionate nonetheless. Profound, startling in both intensity and sincerity. For a moment time seemed to stop, the chaotic events of politics and death stood aside, and there was only the refreshing solace of two understanding souls.
**
Darth Sidious watched the Jedi and Senator in his mind's eye, a shiver running through his body as he sensed the heated passion and raw power in the young man. The young Skywalker had first captured his interest a decade ago, when he sensed how strong the Force was with the nine-year-old boy who had destroyed a huge battleship without even knowing what he was doing at the time.
And now, he realized, the possibility of possessing and corrupting the young man, of having such a powerful apprentice, was moving ever closer into the realm of probability.
It had been quite simple enough to form a detailed impression of young Skywalker's presence in the Force when he and his Master had arrived on Coruscant in Senator Naberrie's quarters. Ever since then, Sidious had surreptitiously crept into Anakin's dreams, instilling the beginnings of doubt and fear into his mind. And now, the beautiful young Senator had, he realized, formed another distraction for Anakin. His feelings for her, he knew, could all too easily jeopardize his commitment to the Order. And the Jedi hadn't a clue that a Dark Lord of the Sith had been operating right under their nose in the guise of the affable gentleman who had been elected the Republic's Supreme Chancellor.
Nikoli Palpatine was a respected, distinguished colonel in the Naboo Royal Starfighter Corps. It was thought that his wife, Kira, was unable to have children when, much to the surprise and delight of she and her husband, she discovered she was pregnant. Their son, Ruk, proved to be possessed of a brilliant mind, but as things occasionally happened in the galaxy, the Jedi had not noticed Ruk Palpatine possessed a not insignificant strength in the Force, for Naboo was a relatively closed, isolationist planet at the time. The young man decided early on he wished to enter the service like his father, and had, after graduating from an elite Naboo secondary school with high honors, scored one of the highest marks in the history of the Republic Fleet Academy's entrance examinations.
He had graduated first in his class from the Academy, and rose rapidly through the ranks due to his remarkable intuition (which he believed was just that, he was unaware of his power in the Force) during training excercises and skirmishes with pirates and smugglers. His commanding officers noticed an uncanny ability in the young officer, who seemed to be able to predict the intentions of an opponent with phenomenal accuracy.
At the remarkably young age of thirty, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and given a command of his own, the frigate Audacious. And then his life changed forever.
The Audacious had been ordered by Palpatine's commanding officer, the Admiral of 7th Fleet, to meet with representatives of the government of the Outer Rim planet Teslo IV. The monarchial government of the planet had been thrown into chaos when a group of rebels, wishing to institute a democratic government, had taken up arms and plunged Teslo IV into a bitter civil war. The King, who was a good friend of the 7th Fleet's Commanding Officer, had pleaded with the Republic for intervention.
However, when the Audacious arrived on the planet's surface, a large party of rebels, headed by a vicious warlord, had ambushed the ship and taken the 300-man crew prisoner. The enlisted men were executed immediately, and the officers thrown into confinement. There they were starved, beaten, forced to live in appalling conditions, and subjected to countless horrible forms of torture and interrogation.
Lieutenant Commander Palpatine, ever resourceful, and determined to escape and send word to the Fleet, had surreptitiously dug a tunnel leading outside from the floor of his cell. On the evening he intended to escape, his cellmate, the ship's Executive Officer and a good friend of Palpatine's, had been taken from their tiny, filthy cell for further interrogation. Palpatine decided to wait, intending to bring his XO with him during the escape. Hours later, his friend was shoved back into the cell, nearly at the point of collapse. When Palpatine rushed to him, he saw something which would haunt him for years afterward.
The man's eyes had been gouged out.
Palpatine, carrying the semi-conscious form of his executive officer, had made his escape, making his way through kilometers of dense forest in a pitch-black, frigid winter night, with only his intuition to guide him. In the distance he heard mounted cavalry pursuing him, and he came to the bank of a stream. He plunged into the icy water, where every second was terrible agony to his bruised, tired, tortured body, but somehow managed, carrying his friend with him, to swim across the swiftly flowing stream to the opposite bank.
It was there that his good friend, a loyal, competent officer, with a beautiful wife and a young son, had died in his arms, begging him not to tell his wife of the horrors which had been inflicted on him.
Palpatine, beyond exhaustion, collapsed on the riverbank, awakening when the muzzle of a blaster rifle prodded him in the back. Several rebel troops were standing around him. He had finally resigned himself to his fate when suddenly, a black-robed figure shot out of the underbrush and, wielding a brilliant red lightsaber, had cut down the entire patrol in less than a minute.
The strange figure carried Palpatine, on the edge of death, to a palatial residence, where he slowly healed his broken body. He was given a transport, and rushed back to 7th Fleet headquarters to speak to his commanding officer about the fate of his ship and crew.
However, he learned, to his horror, that the Senate refused to authorize the Fleet to send a rescue mission for the Audacious survivors. Furious, Palpatine resigned from the Fleet in protest and returned to Naboo, where he lived quietly, haunted by his memories.
A year later, however, he was visited by the strange man who rescued him again. There he learned that his rescuer was a Baron of Teslo IV's royalty, and when the warlords had taken control of the planet, he had fled to spare his life. As it turned out, the man was well-connected in the Republic, and there Palpatine learned why his crew had been written off.
A powerful Senator, as it turned out, had held a controlling share in a Corellian firm which manufactured weapons and military equipment. The corporation was providing arms to the Rebels, and several other Senators, and even the Supreme Chancellor, held large investments in the corporation as well. Fearing that they would be exposed should the war be ended abruptly, they had sacrificed the frigate's crew and her promising young captain.
Palpatine was utterly furious, doubly so when he learned that a member of the Jedi Council had also urged the Chancellor not to intervene in the conflict, condemning the Audacious' original mission - the Jedi believed that the civil war represented the planet's right to self-determination, guaranteed under the Republic Constitution.
At this point the Baron suggested something - Palpatine was popular on Naboo for his resignation and apparent devotion to his men, while the Senate was viewed as corrupt - why not enter politics, the man suggested, where he could make policy himself rather than become another sacrificial pawn in a corrupt game.
So he ran for position of Governor of Theed, and was elected by a huge majority. The Baron came to reside on Naboo, and there he began to convince Palpatine to explore his latent abilities in the Force, to aid his political career. Shortly after, the Baron convinced him to run for Senator, and after a hard-fought election, Palpatine emerged victorious. He soon became a member of the Interplanetary Relations Committee, which focused on legislation impacting the at times turbulent disputes between the Republic's member systems. There he learned his Force abilities helped him gauge the true intentions and desires of ambassadors and negotiators, as well as his fellow Senators. He was mortified by what he sensed - corruption, greed, duplicity everywhere.
He spoke to his friend and aide the Baron about what he had seen, and there the Baron had explained to him that he, Palpatine, could eventually become, via use of his powers, the leader which the Republic needed. A strong leader.
And then he told him about the Sith.
He explained that the Sith were a horribly maligned order, but in truth, well versed in realpolitik. All sentients were corrupt and motivated by self-interest, and desired power and wealth. The Sith were aimed at bringing order not via the foolish idealism of the Jedi, but instead, manipulation was merely a means to an end.
Palpatine was at first mortified, but realized that if he wished for such incidents as the fate of his crew to never happen again, the power he was offered might be put to use. However, little did he know that such power came at a terrible price, and eventually came to be not a means to an end, but an end in itself.
Shortly after, the head of the Correllian arms firm had been found dead, his body burned to a crisp by some strange, unknown source. No suspects were ever named. Many more of those involved in the Teslo IV scandal suffered a similar fate, and again, there was never enough evidence to name a suspect.
Palpatine knew such idealism of his youth was foolish. The old, corrupt regime would have to be dispensed with, and quickly. So he had instituted a plan. Using the Trade Federation and the taxation bill, he had manipulated the Nemoidians into blockading and occupying Naboo, thus maneuvering him into the Chancellor's seat. The next step was to create a calamity of such magnitude that the populace would lose faith in the Senate entirely, and look to one man - the Supreme Chancellor - for leadership. Thus entered the Mandalorians. As a Sith, he promised Fett conquest, while as Chancellor, he would vow to defeat the enemy which threatened the Republic. Of course, he had no intention of letting the Mandalorian forces win the war, and thus he had ordered the Victory class ships commissioned and Admiral Haas, a coarse but brilliant officer, put in command of the Fleet.
He had also come to learn that true power in the Force was not skill with a lightsaber or lifting rocks, but instead, to see inside the soul of his foes, and promise them all they desired.for motivated beings were so much more effective.
And he now knew what Anakin Skywalker desired.much like himself at a young age, he wanted power, he wanted to change things.
And soon, indeed, as Sidious' next apprentice, he would effect great change indeed.
***
Suddenly, she pulled away, hurling them back into reality and leaving him stunned.
"I'm sorry, Anakin," she said.
"You're.sorry?" he asked, incredulous.
"I should go. I don't think this was wise."
"But. you can't. he stammered. "Can you deny that there's something between us?"
"I'm sorry, Anakin..but I have no other choice," she said, her voice, he realized, however, held a hint of regret.
With that, she left.
He stood unmoving as he watched her leave. His emotions were in too much turmoil to allow him to reply. He closed his eyes for a moment, reliving the kiss remembering the taste of her. Savoring it. He felt kilometers above the ground. Remembering her reply, however, he felt himself plummeting in freefall and dreading the eventual landing.
He opened his eyes again, reluctantly, as the sensation passed. He loved her. What else mattered? Love was the only honesty, all else was merely an excuse. Did she truly think of herself so little? He wondered why she refused to see it. If she didn't allow herself to love, or to be loved in return, to follow her heart, to not be afraid to live, she would not survive. And neither would he.
Anger and frustration came welling up inside of him again as he spun on his heel, walking away from the balcony rail, from the place he knew which would forever haunt him. How could she abandon him like this? Would she too break his heart, adding to the misery heaped upon him? Could she truly be so willfully blind? Was she so foolish to think that love could ever be tamed by reason?
The anger swelled. He paused, noticing a beautiful floral arrangement in a polished vase. He let the anger fill him, let it surge from him in dark, rippling waves. The flowers suddenly wilted, crumbling to dust, and the vase exploded into a thousand tiny shards. And then he was himself again.
The Dark Side, he knew. He had let himself give in momentarily. He mentally reproached himself for the failure. Yet at the same time he could not quite banish the feeling of satisfaction, of awe, the barest hint of the sort of power he had again tasted, if only so briefly.
***
She found little sleep that night, instead feeling herself tossed and turned in a sea of conflicting emotions and desires. She could not deny her feelings for him, but that was no longer the issue. She knew they were treading dangerous ground. Weakness of the will was not something either of them could afford. Not now.
She had no time to fall in love.
***
Sidious watched him storm away, shivering once more as he felt the intensity of Skywalker's anger and frustration. He sensed conflict, but he knew that the young man's subconscious, which held his hidden desires, had enjoyed yet another glimpse of the power it craved. Slowly, but surely, he was moving toward his true destiny.
"In time," he said softly, "you will call me Master."
