18
"All that could have been done, you did," Yoda said with a heavy sigh.
He looked up at Mace and Obi-Wan, blinking.
Mace stared out across Coruscant, unable to meet the other Master's eyes. In the hours since their return to Coruscant, he had said hardly two words.
"Master Yoda, we failed," Obi-Wan said. "We failed the Order, and we failed the Republic."
Yoda lowered his head in resignation. Even he could not deny the truth of Obi-Wan's statement. "Dark times have we fallen into. Lost many Jedi we have, trust us the Republic does not."
"The darkness is out there," Mace suddenly muttered prophetically. Crossing his arms over his chest he looked to Obi-Wan. "If there ever was a time to have faith in the Prophecy, now is that time. Anakin Skywalker is the one that can restore the balance, bring peace back to the galaxy and ensure the stability of the Order and the Republic."
Somewhere, out there on Coruscant, he could feel Anakin in a lot of confusion.
He hoped the boy's troubles could be resolved before it was too late for all of them. Most of all, he wished that Anakin had returned t the Temple instead of fleeing to wherever he did. Obi-Wan knew all too well the powers of meditation and reflection through the Force.
Obi-Wan merely nodded in return, wishing he could believe in Mace's words. Troubled, he put his hand over his mouth, thinking.
If there ever was a time to believe in the Prophecy, that time was now.
Not too far from the Jedi Temple, Chancellor Palpatine sat in his chambers. Already the reports were coming in regarding the damages done to Kashyyyk and most importantly, Kuat.
Palpatine sighed. War was upon the Republic.
Again.
For about six months they rested at peace with the Separatists, allowing them their corner of the galaxy. If these systems were determined to break off from the Republic, Palpatine was about ready to let them. After all, eventually they would pay. Peace would be restored to the galaxy.
He would not leave office until that was achieved.
Most regrettable, however, was the loss of the Jedi. Palpatine knew all too well what the results of this battle meant. Already, anti-Jedi propaganda flooded the holonets. People were asking questions about how the mighty Jedi, who could do anything, could allow part of the Republic to fall and be subjected to certain slavery. Palpatine knew it would take something almost like a miracle to save the Jedi.
That miracle was Anakin Skywalker.
Though some of the Jedi Council believed it was a mistake to train Anakin, something about his age being too old for Jedi training, Palpatine disagreed. The boy was powerful. Young Skywalker was unlike anything he had ever encountered in a Jedi.
If he weren't trained to be a Jedi, Anakin would have made a wonderful leader anywhere in the galaxy. He was young, even good looking. Not only that, but he was powerful, able to control himself. Despite his relatively young age, just barely over twenty standard years, Anakin carried himself like a man nearly twice that age. He was enthusiastic, eager to lead and to learn, and he was just barely a Knight.
It would be amazing to see Anakin as a Master, for sure.
Tonight, though, the young Jedi was in a terrible state. Confusion, anger and fear came off him in great waves. Darth Sidious could feel the boy's doubt of the Jedi building – even his own self doubt.
Pulling back from the Force, Sidious could feel the worry radiating from the Jedi Temple. It was unusual for them to worry like this. Sidious relished in it, his hands tightening on the arms of his chair.
Darth Sidious watched the citizens of Coruscant go about their business. His chair, in a lone room in a high building, allowed him a grand view of the planet.
Little did the Jedi know he was so close. If he glanced just so, he could make out the five spires crowning the Jedi Temple.
Watching Coruscant, Sidious's thoughts turned to the battle. General Hill did a wonderful job. The plan worked as it was supposed to. There was the added bonus of the wonderful labor value of the Wookiees, but the main outcome he hoped for came true: the Jedi would be terribly crippled as the news of the loss broke to the Republic.
And Anakin Skywalker, the single hope of the Jedi, was on a very fine edge.
Darth Sidious smiled to himself.
Everything was working out to his design.
Author's Note: Thank you very much for reading this fic. I hope that you enjoyed it. :) To everyone that left comments, I thank you again. I'll start posting the sequel within a week or two, which continues the story with higher stakes: Anakin continues to slide to the Dark Side, Padme is pregnant and Jedi are disappearing all across the galaxy. So keep an eye out for The Dark New Order!