Futures Past
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Chapter 6- Disagreements
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Obi Wan paced impatiently outside the temple.
Where is he, if he isn't here soon, he'll have failed before he's even begun.
He caught sight of his Padawan's craft landing in the hangar and made his way hurriedly towards it.
"Where have you been?!" Obi Wan demanded, noticing his apprentice's unkempt appearance. "And what have you been doing?"
"Nothing that need concern you Master."
"Nothing?! By your dishevelled appearance my young apprentice I would hardly say nothing, you owe me an explanation."
"And you shall have one Master. I was simply getting in some last minute training at the training complex."
Obi Wan scrutinized Anakin closely.
"You deceive me Anakin. But if that is your choice… very well. You are cutting it very close, get onto the transport, we have wasted enough time already." The anger and hurt was evident in his Masters voice and Anakin quailed inwardly.
"Sorry Master." He murmured but Obi Wan didn't acknowledge it and went to sit at the front of the transport.
You disappoint me Anakin.
Anakin went to apologise again but his master wasn't facing him and Anakin decided it would be better to leave Obi Wan alone.
How I wish Padmé were here. He sighed.
*
Padmé walked into the chancellor's office with her entourage of handmaidens and bodyguards, she was in her Senator role now. She wore a long midnight blue gown of crushed velvet which had a V neck and long flowing sleeves. Her hair was in an intricate design of knots with purple gems set into it, with a large bun in the middle of her head.
"Senator Amidala, what a pleasure it is to see you again." Chancellor Palpatine greeted Padmé, taking her hand and kissing it regally.
"Chancellor Palpatine, I came as quickly as I could, I hope I did not delay things?"
"No ma'am you arrived just in time. May I say you look radiant today."
"Thank you Chancellor. You flatter me, needlessly." Padmé nodded regarding him oddly.
"Shall we make our way to the senate then, everyone will be assembled by now?" He turned to Sly Moore one of his aides.
"Yes my Lord, we are ready."
"Very well. Senator Amidala I will see you in there." Palpatine nodded to her and swept out with his aides and servants in tow.
Padmé turned to her own entourage. She noticed Jar Jar had arrived behind her.
"Jar Jar!"
"Padmé! Mesa happy to be seeing yousa again!"
"Hello Jar Jar, I've missed you. Have you been keeping the senate in peace and rationality since I've been away?"
"Mesa bin trying Mémé!" Padmé laughed and hugged the Gungan warmly.
"Milady?"
"Coming." Padmé followed the guards out, Jar Jar close behind.
Padmé made her way into the exclusive booth for the Naboo, Jar Jar flanked her closely.
"The Supreme Chancellor!" Another aide called as Palpatine made his entrance to the arena. The senators rose in respect as he took his place in the centre of the arena.
"As we all know, I have been given the power to create an Imperial Army of the Republic, to aid us in our fight against the Separatists. But we all have yet to decide what their first act shall be, and where the power will go. So this meeting will decide their fate, and how we will use their power to our advantage. Our Jedi friends have provided us with over twenty thousand units with more on the way."
There was a murmur of pleasure from the assembled Senators, but Padmé looked on horrified.
She alerted the Chancellor of her wish to speak.
"The Chair recognises the Senator from Naboo." Palpatine nodded as the box floated to the centre of the arena
"This is outrageous! How can the senate condone the actions of the Separatist armies? If we raise this army we will be encouraging a war! The Republic will be torn apart by this decision it is murder of innocent lives!"
"If we do not raise this army then we will be allowing the Separatists to win! We will all die anyway if we do not fight back!" A representative of Malastare floated forward.
A murmur of agreement ran round the arena.
"The time for negotiation is over! We must fight back!" Another delegate agreed.
Padmé looked on in anguish as the congregation whispered in approval.
"Order! We will have order!" Palpatine shouted. "We understand your concerns Senator Amidala but unfortunately the delegate of Malastare has a point. We will become targets unless we take offensive action."
"How can we preserve life with the taking of life? A peaceful negotiation would-"
"As the representative of Umbul said Senator Amidala, the time for negotiations is over, if we do not take action then we will fail and the Republic will fall to ruins."
"War will ruin it anyway! You cannot possibly condone this Chancellor, see sense!"
"I am seeing clearly Senator, we have to do what is right for the Republic!"
Yoda and Mace Windu looked on as more arguments broke out among the assembly.
"A dark day this is…hopelessly outnumbered Senator Amidala is." Yoda sighed.
"I hope the Chancellor remembers that in this war, we cannot help, there are simply not enough Jedi to fend off an attack. We are not soldiers. And our numbers are terribly depleted since the battle on Geonosis."
"Worried I am for the young ones. If the Jedi are defeated, many innocent souls will be lost to the darkness. We could not sense the armies being made, or this new threat, diminishing our power is, we cannot protect the galaxy as we once did, many are tempted by the dark."
"Do you see something coming? The downfall of the Jedi?"
"Clouded the future is Master Windu, but I feel defeat in my bones, old I am, much use in a battle I am not."
"Do not say such things, if it wasn't for you, Obi Wan and Anakin would've died by Dooku's hand. You are the strongest there is."
"Power it takes and energy I do not have. Harder it is for me, when I am not as youthful as I once was. I cannot protect them…"
The two turned back to the senate, worry heavy on their hearts.
*
"We are almost there Anakin. Get ready." Obi Wan said appearing at the doorway.
Anakin thought this was the most his master had said to him the whole journey.
"Master, im sorry!" He cried as Obi Wan turned to leave.
Obi Wan turned back to him.
"I can't tell you though it pains me not to, you are like my father, but there are some things that sons don't share. Please don't be angry with me."
Obi Wan nodded.
"It took courage to say that Anakin, I understand, but you know I am here if you want to talk."
"Thank you master."
"Alright, now lets go find that Jedi." Obi wan smiled as Anakin followed him to the hall.
"The ships on cloaked, so we must be discreet. The Rishians are friendly enough, but we don't know how many are in league with the Geonosians."
"They'd betray their own species and friends to stay alive?"
"Its surprising what people would do to save their own skins Anakin, even hurting the people they care about. Sometimes the people we care about are the people we hurt most."
"Why?"
"Who knows why people do the things they do, the human mind is a strange and diverse thing."
Anakin nodded. "So we don't trust anything?"
"Not until they prove they are trustworthy."
Anakin took all his master was saying in and started to understand the way his mind worked.
"You haven't seen anything yet Anakin." Obi Wan smiled and the door to the transport slid open with a whoosh and he jumped out without warning.
"Master!" Anakin cried.
"I wish he'd stop doing that!" And Anakin jumped out after him.
This is gonna be a long mission!
*
