Obi-Wan and Count Dooku sat facing the holographic image of Anakin, anger and irritation were well shown on their faces while a determined defiance showed on the face of the hologram.

"I have to go to Naboo Master." Anakin said.

"You are out of line to think you can travel the galaxy at will young one. You are to return to Geonosis and face whatever punishment is brought to bear upon you." The aging Dooku replied.

"I'm sorry master but I am going to Naboo. I'll be back as soon as I'm finished there."

"And what exactly is it you are going to Naboo for?" Obi-Wan interjected.

"Personal." Was all that Anakin answered.

"You were supposed to return as soon as you were finished on Coruscant. I know you haven't been there all this time, so where have you been?" Dooku inquired.

"I had a situation develop on Tatooine that I had to take care of."

"And what, may I ask, was that?" Dooku pressed.

"A band of Tuskens killed my mother. I went to make things right."

"And you did this how?"

"I killed them master."

"You killed all of them or just the guilty?"

"All of them master. If the children had lived they would have grown up to be guilty and the women would have produced more that would grow up to be guilty."

Pure hate of the Tatooine Sand People played across Anakin's face and Count Dooku couldn't help but give him a small smug and satisfied grin.

"Ok Anakin. Don't be long. Things will come to a head shortly and we will need you back here when the blasters start."

"Yes Master. I'm only doing this because Qui-Gon gave me permission to try and turn the Naboo into allies. My mission on Coruscant was interrupted but I still believe that they could be valuable allies. I have to try again."

"That's fine Anakin. However there has been a sad development that you must be aware of before you go to Naboo." Dooku said with a touch of depression in his voice.

Anakin did not respond so Dooku continued, "It is Qui-Gon. I sent him to Coruscant with evidence implicating the Republic Jedi in the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala. While attempting to complete his mission he ran afoul of her Republic Jedi protector. Both Qui-Gon and the false Jedi were killed in the fight."

The denial of the news that Anakin felt at the news showed on the hologram as he said, "Did the Naboo at least know why Qui-Gon was there?"

Dooku tilted his eyes slightly to the ground and slowly shook his head, then looked back at Anakin saying, "I don't know. I strongly doubt it."

"Has another false Jedi Protector been assigned?"

"No," Dooku answered, "She has not. According to our sources inside the Senate she was offered one but is very distrusting of everyone at the moment. She left Coruscant right away and returned to Naboo."

"I'm on my way there already. Transfer the file to Skywalker's Wrath's data banks and I'll convert it to a data file before I land. We can't let Master Qui-Gon die in vain. His mission must be completed."

"I'll do that. May the Force be with you." Dooku said breaking the connection.

Obi-Wan ran his hand through his hair and said, "I have never liked that boy. Qui-Gon should have never have taken him off Tatooine.

Count Dooku stood up, walked around behind Obi-Wan, rested a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and thought, "It is too bad I can't discuss with him the masterful work that the Techno Union did in creating that evidence implicating the Jedi him. Even knowing that it was a total fabrication I couldn't help but believe it."

Instead Dooku said, "No my friend. He is very powerful and just what we need to succeed in restoring the Republic of old with the Confederacy.

Anakin slammed his fist into the Skywalker's Wrath's control panel as the tears that had welled up in his eyes burst forward like an ice volcano on Hoth. He thought, "Qui-Gon can't be dead. This has to be a mistake. He was the only father I've ever known. He saved me from a life of slavery, possibly even the same death that my mom died. He taught me the ways of the Force when everyone told him not to, he did it anyway. He taught me how to conduct myself. The various ways I have to behave depending on what class of citizen I'm talking to in what system. He made me important in galactic events, not just the little slave boy in a junkshop but an actual player in historical events. He made me the man I am today and saved me from what my life would have made me. The Jedi will pay for taking the life of Qui-Gon, I will see to that."

The next day in Senator Amidala's Theed office on Naboo, Padme sat at her desk speaking to the hologram of a Duros Senator who represented his home world of Duro. The hologram showed her clearly that the Duros was a tall humanoid with large eyes, no nose and a slit of a mouth. What the hologram didn't show her was his blue skin and red eyes.

The Duros Senator said, "Senator Amidala. The Military Creation Act needs your vote. We believe that the Separatist are not far from launching their first strike against the Republic and without a military to meet theirs we won't be able to resist anymore then a tamed Bantha. We will be wide open for invasion."

Padme looked evenly at her colleague and retorted, "I will not support an army when the creation of which is very likely to push us into a Civil War. Lately I've been considering proposing that we allow the separatists to leave the Republic peacefully.

The large eyes of the Duros Senator got even larger and he said, "You can't be serious."

Padme retorted, "I'm very serious. An army is not just throwing together a collection of beings and things go your way as soon as you do. An army is a fighting force, something that our army if we create one would have no idea how to do. First of all you would have to train an army. It has been thousands of years since the last interstellar war and all of the veterans of it have long since died and decayed. Who would train those who would be tasked with training our army. Unlike the droid army of the Confederacy ours would have to be fed. They would also have to be provided housing. In a war, soldiers are injured and killed, we do not have the facilities to handle this amount of casualties. Not to mention that should we by some miracle of the Force happen to win this war the resentment of the Republic on the Separatists worlds would be high enough to drastically if not permanently harm diplomatic relations."

The Duros paused for a brief moment as if collecting his thoughts for his next argument and then said, "What about duel species worlds. The ones I'm talking about are the ones where one species wants to remain loyal to the Republic and the other wants to separate. We have this occurring on Mon Calamaai where the Mon Calamari want to remain loyal but the Quarren have announced their intentions to join the Confederacy. The same has occurred on Elom where the Elom which to remain within the Republic but the Elomin don't. There are plenty of duel species worlds where this could happen. You yourself are from one. What would you do if, lets say, the Gungans wanted to join the Separatists while you and the rest of the Naboo wanted to remain within the Republic. Would you and the rest of the Naboo be forced into the Confederacy or would the Gungans be forced into remaining within the Republic? You cannot have two major galactic governments ruling one planet.

To this challenge Senator Amidala wasted no time in making her counterpoint, "Well in that case those of us who make our credits as diplomats will have to earn our pay and find a diplomatic solution for those worlds that would allow us to keep them in the Republic. If it comes to war, those worlds will be the hardest hit and will take the largest toll in life and destruction of property. Not to mention that their economies will be in shambles for a long time afterwards. Plus if you start two species that share one planet fighting each other, that fighting will continue long after the galactic civil war is over. You'll create the situation where the duel species worlds will be in a state in planetary civil war for decades if not centuries after the fate of the rest of the galaxy is decided."

Not to be outdone, the Duros Senator retorted, "Now consider this. What if your diplomatic solution for Mon Calamaai ends up being that it goes into the hands of the Confederacy to lets say keep your home world of Naboo in the Republic. Lets just theorize that compromise shall we? Lets say that Mon Calamaai goes to the Confederacy. How do you think that the Quarren will treat the Mon Calamari when they are no longer on equal political footing?"

The Naboo Senator looked at the hologram and said, "I don't know. That is why there will be no compromise on the divided worlds. We must not allow that to happen."

Realizing that the argument track he was on was a loosing one, the Duros Senator said, "What about the assassination attempts against you?"

Defensively Padme countered his question with a question of her own, "What about them?"

"Well, it is well known that it is the Separatists that are behind them."

"No we don't. It could just as well be a pro-military creation senator within the Republic who hopes to scare the opposition to the act by acts of assassination. Silence the leading voices of the opposition and the rest will fall in line quickly."

"Now I know you're not that naive Senator Amidala."

"No I'm not. But now think about it. Why would the Confederacy want me dead above all of the other senators? I'm against the creation of a military. I do not think we need one. Wouldn't it be more prudent of them to kill a pro-Military Creation Act senator?"

"What if it isn't political? What if the attempts on your life are a personal attack from the Confederacy?" The Duros asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it is widely rumored that the entire Trade Federation will be leaving the Republic like the Techno Union, the Banking Clans, the Commerce Guilds did. Plus Neimoidia has already separated from the Republic. Both the Neimoidians and the Trade Federation took a big black eye over the whole Nute Gunray affair."

Padme gave an honest laugh and said; "Now you are reaching. Nothing happened to the Trade Federation and until his starship malfunctioned and blew up with him in it yesterday Nute Gunray was still the Viceroy of the Trade Federation. What happened here ten years ago is old news. Nobody cares about it anymore."

The Duros Senator was about to respond when Captain Typho entered the office and said, "We have a situation senator."

Padme motioned for her chief security officer to remain silent and said to the Duros Senator, "Com me again when you have compelling evidence for the creation of an army and not just pro-military creation rhetoric." Then she broke the connection.

After this she looked at Captain Typho and inquired, "What is the situation?"

"Mr. Skywalker has just arrived unannounced." The security chief answered.

A look of unrestrained excitement overcame Padme's face as she said, "Please show him in."

Captain Typho in his normal proper and formal manner challenged, "Are you sure that is a good idea senator? After all, it was a Separatist Jedi who tried to kill you."

Senator Amidala answered, "Yes I am. We don't know why it is that Qui-Gon came here and we don't know for sure who it is that wants me dead. All I know is that I have a long history with Qui-Gon and Anakin and I know for a fact that neither of them would ever hurt me. Maybe we will find out why it is that Qui-Gon came here the way he did now that Anakin is here. If it will make you feel better, go ahead and escort Anakin to the guest quarters before I meet with him and keep him under surveillance."

"He did say that he had a matter of great importance to discuss with you."

Padme smiled and said, "Well, this is my place of business and I have never turned away someone with important matters to be discussed. Go ahead and show him in, if you'd like you may remain as well as the security officers that you have escorting him now."

Typho nodded his head in a bow and said, "As you wish." Then left.

A short time later Anakin entered the senatorial office and bowed to the senator that his secret love for has been a nagging strain on him for the last ten years. He then looked at each of the security officers in the room and asked, "Do we need them?"

Padme answered, "I think that it would be prudent until we know why it is that Qui-Gon snuck into the consulate."

Anakin took that as his cue, cleared his throat and said, "That's why I'm here. We have sources within all of the Republic's major resources and establishments including the Jedi Temple. That source provided us evidence that it has been the Republic's Jedi behind all of the assassination attempts on you. Qui-Gon's mission was to present that evidence to you without alerting your false Jedi Protector as to what he was doing. Obviously he failed."

Captain Typho looked disbelievingly at Anakin and said, "Nothing of the sort was found on his body."

Anakin shrugged, looked at Captain Typho and then said sharply, "Then it must have been destroyed in the fight. But never accuse me of lying." Then he looked back at Padme.

"Was that the only copy of your evidence or did you bring another?" Padme asked.

Anakin pulled a data disk out of his pocked, held it up for all to see, smiled at her and said, "One thing about being part of a revolutionary force, you never know what will be intercepted so you have backup copies of everything and back up copies backing up your back up copies." He then handed the disk to the senator who put it into the player built into her desk.

Holographic images of Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu appeared on the senator's desk, appearing to walk down a hall somewhere in the Jedi Temple.

"I don't understand how one insignificant senator can cause us so much trouble." Mace Windu's image said.

"Troubling this is. Better assassins we need." Yoda's image agreed.

"I don't think hiring assassins to do the job is going to work. We've tried several different times with different assassins every time."

"What suggest you Master Windu?"

"I think we need to have one of our own take care of the good Senator Amidala."

"Wise idea that is not. Expose us it would for a Jedi to kill the senator."

"If it were taken care of by someone already on the inside though, no one would have to know we were behind it."

"Master Cloem you suggest huh?"

"That I do."

"Briefed he has been?" Yoda asked.

"Yes he has. I did it personally."

"Why such a hurry your in?"

"If we are to see the ancient prophecy of the Age of the Jedi to come to fruit we need the civil war to start real soon. Our time is running short."

"Point you have. Contact Liak Cloem. An accident Senator Amidala will have."

Both Jedi Masters were giving a satisfied laugh as the data disk finished its playback and the holograms disappeared.

Anakin broke the silence that reigned in the room for a brief moment after the data playback by saying, "Qui-Gon came here to protect you. By other intelligence similar to this we knew the date and time of the final assassination attempt. He came to stop it and he died doing so. Now I am here and I will join him as one with the Force if that's what it takes to save your life."

Anakin waited for someone else to say something, but no one did. They were too busy trying to assimilate everything that they have just seen with their own eyes into believability.

Finally Captain Typho chocked out the words, "Well, I for one am glad that you are here."

"I am to." The Senator said, "However I am no longer Queen and can not make decisions for Naboo. All I can do is represent Queen Jamillia's wishes to the Senate. She won't be back from Talbet City until tomorrow. I will call an emergency session for her and all of her senior advisors for as soon as they return, but all we can do until then is wait."

Count Dooku sat in a musty, dirty and foul odor filled cantina in the Corellian District on Nar Shaddaa, in Hutt space. It was the type of place where you could be confident that nothing you said would be overheard. The customers of this particular establishment valued the privacy of those around them because they were likewise having conversations that they did not want overheard. He stroked his white beard as he looked across the table at Rune Haako, the Deputy Viceroy of the Trade Federation.

"So Deputy Viceroy Haako. Tell me of your history with the esteemed Nute Gunray." Dooku said to the green skinned Neimoidian."

"I've been part of the Viceroy's senior staff for years. First I was his attaché, and then I became his legal council and after Hath Monchar died, before our blockade of Naboo ten years ago, I became his Deputy Viceroy." Haako answered.

"Do you honestly think that you would make a better Viceroy then Gunray? Do you think you could lead the Trade Federation better then he has?" Dooku asked.

Count Dooku felt Rune Haako's conflicting emotions through the Force before the alien asked, "Is this on or off the record?"

Dooku gave his nervous companion a reassuring look and said, "Don't worry my friend. Everything we discuss here will stay here unless you mention it to anyone else. Which however I wouldn't suggest you doing."

Feeling better about speaking with this human Rune said, "Well in that case, I think that Nute Gunray is a poor Viceroy. He is too reckless, and sends the entire Federation off on more scams then actual ventures. He doesn't think his ideas through, just gets a notion in his head and runs with it. The decisions that Nute Gunray makes for the Trade Federation are for his own benefit and not for the advancement or the profit margins of the Trade Federation. So to answer your question yes, I think I would make a superior viceroy. I'm far more cautious then he is."

Count Dooku leaned as far forward on the table as he could and looking his companion right in the eyes said in a low tone of voice, "I can make it happen."

Deputy Viceroy Rune Haako looked upon Count Dooku with puzzlement, "What do you mean?"

Dooku answered, "Just as I said. I will make a trade with you. Nute Gunray's life for the entire Trade Federation Army becoming part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. You could be Viceroy Rune Haako and your hands will never have to get dirty.

Rune sat back and laced his fingers together then said, "I'd be lying if I didn't say your proposal interested me. How do you plan on making this happen?"

Count Dooku laughed heartily and answered, "That is no concern of yours. But I do promise you that for the entire Trade Federation Army, and I mean all of it. Your battle droids, your droid tanks, your droid Starfighters, your STAPs, your droidekas and all of your control ships to master your forces. For those items you will be among the most powerful men in the Confederacy of Independent Systems instead of Nute Gunray. It's your choice of course. If you are content to only being the second man in the federation, well that's up to you. I'm offering you true power. However, should you hold anything back from me, the Trade Federation will find themselves in need of filling its two top positions instead of just one."

Haako's expression changed from intrigued to challenging as he said, "You are offering to betray Nute Gunray. How do I know you won't betray me?"

Dooku leaned back in his chair grinning and said, "That is a fair and intelligent question. The answer is simple. Nute Gunray promised to deliver the army of the Trade Federation into the Confederacy, which was the requirement for the Trade Federation to become a member. He never did. Therefore he is not one of us. If you pledge your armies you will be one of us, a part of the Confederacy, and we will never hurt one of our own."

Rune Haako nodded his head in acceptance of this explanation and grinning said, "The Trade Federation hereby accepts your trade Count Dooku."

Count Dooku's own grin matched that of the Neimoidian in front of him as he said, "Good, very good. You will be Viceroy Rune Haako, Viceroy of the entire Trade Federation and a seat on the Confederacy of Independent Systems Governing Committee by the time you leave Nar Shaddaa. All you have to do is sit back and wait for it to be made official."

Without saying anything more Count Dooku stood and left.

The next day found Anakin, now friend of Naboo and no longer suspect, sitting at a large round table with Senator Amidala, Captain Typho, Queen Jamillia who is Naboo's current queen, Captain Panaka who is the head of the queen's security, Sio Bibble who is the queen's chief advisor, the queen's nine other senior advisors, and Boss Nibel who took the mantel of Gungan leadership after Boss Nass died of natural causes two years ago.

Queen Jamillia sat in silence as Anakin's evidence came to an end. When the playback had finished she ejected the data disk from the player built into table and handed it to Anakin who sat to her right. After what she had just seen she said, "Well this is surprising. You were right to call an emergency session.

An uneasy silence filled the room as each person tried to phrase what it is they wanted to say. The room's tension was so high that a vibro-axe wouldn't be able to cut through it.

Anakin was the first to speak, "It is now proven that the Republic is a threat to the citizens of Naboo. It's senators don't care about individual systems, they only care about pleasing those who finance their campaigns," then realizing he was in the presence of a Republic Senator he turned to Padme and continued, "Most of the Republic's senators that is. We have further evidence which I'd be happy to provide to you at a later date which prove that many of the Republic's leading voices have sided with the Jedi for positions of favor in the Age of the Jedi which they see as unpreventable. We will fight for our independence which is just what the Jedi want us to do, and any army that the Republic can raise to field against us will likewise be as corrupt as those who will lead it."

Sio Bibble followed Anakin by saying, "I think first we should hear what our security chiefs have to say about this matter."

Captain Typho nodded his head at Sio Bibble and said, "I don't know what course of action you'll choose and it is not my place to presume to interject my opinions, however I do know that Coruscant is no longer safe for Senator Amidala."

Everyone in the room looked to Captain Panaka who said, "Captain Typho briefed me on this situation before we arrived back in Theed. After having seen the data provided by Jedi Skywalker I fail to see how I can fully protect the queen while remaining in the Republic as long as we maintain our anti-military creation position."

Queen Jamillia turned her attention to Senator Amidala and asked, "Is there anyway to safeguard you through negotiations?"

Padme shook her head sullenly and answered, "Not without caving on the Military Creation Act. I've been over this over and over again in my head since Anakin arrived yesterday and I cannot think of a solution, which would allow us to remain in the Republic. I therefore propose that we leave the Republic and join the Confederacy."

Queen Jamillia shook her head in acknowledgement of what Naboo's senator had said, then looked to Boss Nibel and asked, "And what do you think Boss Nibel?"

Boss Nibel shook his head and replied, "Gungans have no say in what Naboo do."

Jamillia answered this by saying; "We have been working on plans for a united planet since we beat the Trade Federation blockade. If we are to eventually have a planet with one government that includes both Gungans and Naboo we have to listen to each other. What is decided here today will affect the Gungans just as much as it will affect the Naboo. You do have a say in this discussion."

Backing up what the queen just said Padme added, "We don't need a divided planet at a time like this. If Naboo joins the Separatists it has to have the blessing of both the Naboo and the Gungans for the benefit of everyone when the war does start."

Boss Nibel looked at each person seated at the table in turn as if reading their thoughts and finally said, "There can be no good from any government that will kill the opposition within its own ranks. I second the senator's motion."

Queen Jamillia looked at her advisors and asked, "Does anyone object to this course of action?" When her question was greeted with silence she continued, "We must discuss this with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. His input is just as important to the decision we make today as any of ours."

Padme Amidala shook her said side-to-side and said, "No. He wrote the Military Creation Act and wants to hold the Republic together more than anyone else. He might be from Naboo but he is very much a part of the Republic and he must be considered as such.

Queen Jamillia slowly and heavily hearted shook her head in agreement with what Padme had said. She then looked to Captain Typho and said, "Captain, order a recall of all consulate staff. As soon as they arrive safely on Naboo I'll declare our intentions to the Republic Senate and issue a statement urging that all Naboo citizens on any Republic controlled world return immediately to Naboo."

A few short hours later Anakin and Padme stood at the foot of the Skywalker's Wrath's boarding ramp.

Tears welled up in Padme's eyes as she said, "We are now part of the Confederacy. The same as you are. You can stay here, on a Confederate world. Please don't go."

Anakin fought back his emotions but replied sadly, "I have to. I don't know why, but I'm seeing trouble in the near future through the Force. I have to get back to Geonosis so that I'm ready and with the others when it comes."

Surprising even herself Padme closed the distance between then and kissed Anakin like she would if she knew there wouldn't be a tomorrow. After doing that she embraced his closely and whispered in his ear, "Come back to me safely Anakin."

Not trusting himself to be able to control his emotions if he said anything, Anakin just broke the embrace, turned his back to Padme, boarded his ship and then took off.