Here's the next chapter, everyone!
Lordwindwalker: No, Palpatine will not make Padme his slave, as Jabba did, in Leia's case. This is, after all, a T rated fic.
Stephanie C: Glad you liked what I did with the last chapter. As for Padme's vision, all I can say right now is that I will stray quite far from cannon with this story. It is an AU, after all.
Trinity Day: Thank you! I'll do my best to keep the storyline interesting.
BGTom: Anakin's perspective has been so twisted by Palpatine's manipulations, that he cannot know when the Emperor is dishonest or when he tells the truth. This blindness of his will cause him great problems in the future, as you will see.
Elessar-Lover: Ha-ha! No need for threats, I'm already writing at top speed :) The fact that I have to wrestle over the computer with my annoying little brother and have to work at a travel agency six hours a day doesn't do much to speed up the process. :)
And before I completely forget, I've started work on a Harry Potter fic, called Drowning in Darkness, after I finished reading The Half-Blood Prince. Tell me what you think about it!
One of my friends told me that the chapters are getting way too long. At 15.000+ characters, this one was no exception. It was such a behemoth, that I had to split it in two parts. Here is the first one. As for the second, I'll post it in a few day's time.
Anakin is torn between the mortal peril in which his wife currently finds herself and the fact that his Jedi brethren need his help now more than ever.
Chapter XV - Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove
"Anakin? Anakin, can you hear me?"
Bant's soft voice entered his ears, but, for some reason, his brain refused to register it. All that he could feel and hear was the pounding pain in his skull and Palpatine's warning, repeated over and over by his feverish mind:
Ten hours is your dead limit.
"Anakin, for Sith's sake, get up!"
Nodding faintly, the Knight allowed the Mon Calamari to help him get6 back in bed.
"I can't believe you disobeyed my request" Bant huffed, annoyed, as she placed the IV needles back in his wrists. "I clearly told you to stay in bed! But, then again, when have you been the one to follow rules?"
Bant's tone had a humorous tint to it, but Anakin was not paying any attention to her, as his thoughts raced with the speed of light. Where could Palpatine have taken her? Why was he unable to pinpoint her exact location via the Force? What would he do to her after the ten hours were up?
Don't even think about that! He sternly ordered his own mind. The mere thought that Padme could lose her life at the Emperor's hands was enough to make him want to devastate the entire medical center. Fortunately for Bant, though, he barely had enough strength to get up.
"Now, you will stay out in this bed until I say so" the Healer ordered, sternly. "You already have enough problems without adding overexertion as well!"
But Anakin's mind was already made up. He needed to get out of the Temple.
As fast as possible.
"I need to leave" he said, tugging on the IV's and fumbling around for his belt and boots.
"Leave?" Bant repeated, incredulously, nearly dropping the syringe in her hand. "What for?"
"Someone I know is in grave danger." Anakin explained quickly, pulling on his boots. "And if I don't find her, she'll be killed!"
"Whoa, slow down!" Bant spoke, placing a webbed hand on his chest, to push him back down. "You're in no state to go around playing the hero! If you haven't figured it out already, surviving a battle with a Sith Lord is a very serious matter and it leaves any Jedi with scars!"
"I do not care!" Anakin went on stubbornly, swatting away Bant's hand. "I'm leaving, whether you like it or not!"
Bant gazed in Anakin's deep blue eyes, in which a dark tempest was raging. The determination and sheer force of will that she saw there left her speechless, for a few moments.
"You are a fool, Anakin" she said, resignedly, as she took her hand from his chest, allowing him to rise.
"I am" he agreed somberly, raising from the bed and clipping his lightsaber in its holster. "But it has kept me alive through the war, hasn't it?"
"Indeed it has" Bant agreed, placing the unneeded medical equipment in a cabinet. "Just what do you intend to do?"
"Search, follow my intuition. There is no other alternative."
"And what do you want me to tell Obi-Wan?" Bant asked, keeping her firm gaze upon Anakin, who was pulling two black gloves over his metal arms.
"Tell him" he hesitated slightly, "tell him that my wife and unborn child's lives are in mortal danger."
The Order would learn soon enough of his transgressions, he reasoned, so what purpose did it have to lie again?
If this information was surprising or shocking to Bant, she showed no outwardly sign. Her demeanor remained as smooth and unperturbed as before.
"Very well" she agreed, taking everything in stride. "There is no chance to convince you that a team of Masters would be much more successful in finding them, is there?"
"No" the young Knight shook his head. "He is expecting me and no other. Besides, I do not wish more members of the Order to risk their lives for my sake."
Bant could only nod, in acceptance.
"You have a Healer's heart inside of you, Anakin Skywalker" she pointed out, as the young man draped his cloak over his shoulders. "You would defend others to the very end, with no thought about yourself."
"Much good that has done me" Anakin said bitterly, as he gazed at his gloved fists, tightening them with enough power to bend steel.
"It has done you much good" Bant contradicted, her bulbous eyes not breaking contact with his. "The Force has given you very precious gifts, Chosen One. Do not squander them needlessly."
Anakin only bowed his head slightly, in respect to the Mon Calamari Master and swiftly left the Med Center, without one look back.
"But" Bant whispered, when she found herself alone once more, "I fear that all of this will finally end in tears."
She would not live to see just how prophetic her words would prove to be.
x x x
"The reception is so poor! I can barely make out anything!"
Huffing in frustration, Padawan Kazuya Ataro took the cumbersome headphones off her ears, placing them on the console's smooth surface.
"Any luck?" she asked, turning to her friend, Jor Teroh, a greed-skinned Rodian Padawan.
"Nope" he answered, in heavily accented Basic. "Too much static."
Sighing, the girl, tapped a few keys on the console, in annoyance.
"I don't understand, why did Master Kolar ask us to monitor this frequency? If you ask me, it's all just a waste of time!"
"I wouldn't say that if I were you" Jor cautiously advised her. "Master Kolar has his orders directly from Master Yoda. Whatever they think will be transmitted through this frequency must be important."
"But it is foolish" Kazuya said, annoyed. "Everyone is acting as if the Temple was under siege!"
"Maybe it will be" Jor spoke quietly, so that Kazuya almost didn't hear him.
"Will be?" the girl repeated, astonished. "Jor, no enemy has ever set foot in the Jedi Temple since the end of the Sith Wars, a millennium ago! Why would things change now?"
"Haven't you heard what's been happening lately?" the usually calm Rodian boy lost his temper. "Palpatine has proclaimed himself Emperor and wants the entire Order destroyed. And he's a Sith Lord to boot!"
"A Sith Lord?" Kazuya asked. This had truly managed to surprise her. "The one that trained Count Dooku and the other apprentice?"
"The very same" Jor confirmed grimly. "Master Kenobi gave a full report to the Council last night, when he returned with Anakin Skywalker. Apparently, they had just faced him and survived to tell the tale."
Kazuya could only stay silent, as she thought about the dark developments in the last few hours. She could remember her years as a Youngling, in one of the Bear Clans, when the elderly and wise Master Yoda had taught her about the nature of the Force and she had taken her first tentative steps into a much larger world. Back then, no Darkness lurked over the horizon. She was an innocent and naïve child, her heart beading rapidly with joy at the prospect of someday being full-fledged Jedi Knight, giving aid to those who needed it and healing the Galaxy's wounds.
Now, however, she saw how narrow her views had been.
As the Republic, which had stood unchallenged for eons, crumbled under its own weight, pain, anguish and chaos erupted in the minds of the young Padawans, who had been used, ever since birth, with the idea that the Light was invincible.
That the Jedi were invincible.
And now, Kazuya began to realize, with downing horror, that the truth was quite another.
"We won't fall, will we, Jor?" she asked, in such a small whisper that the other Padawan had to strain his ears in order to hear her. "The Order will not fall to just one Sith Lord, will it?"
"I don't know" the young Rodian answered, sincerely. "Nothing seems to live forever these days, does it?"
"No" Kazuya agreed. Although, benefiting from fifteen years of intensive training, she did not show anything outside, in the inside, Jor's words had been a death sentence. A portrayal of the Order's ultimate fate. And an end to her childhood dreams of courage, valor and idealism.
Suddenly, a sharp been from her console made the girl leap, startled out of her seat.
"What is it?" Jor examined his own console, but no warning flashed.
"It's receiving a transmission" Kazuya informed him, as she placed the headset over her ears once more.
At first, all that she could hear was static. Turning a few dials, she tried to triangulate the frequency and get a better signal. Steadily, the static died down and she could vaguely make out two voices. She could not clearly discern what they were saying, but, as she listened, her blood seemed to freeze in her veins.
C/704 . . . . . . command . . . . . . . Order 66 . . . . . . . .
Through the unnerving noise of static, the girl involuntarily shivered, as she heard the hollow, broken voice.
. . . . . . Milord . . . . . . .
That one word made her clutch the sides of the console with her hands, as all of her senses strained to catch every possible bit of the transmission.
. . . . . . . Temple . . . . . .
Kazuya's lips were pressed in a firm line. The subject of the discussion was clearly, the Order.
. . . . . . . sundown . . . . . . .
A time reference, the Padawan's well trained mind realized instinctively. A time limit for the unknown command.
. . . . . . . destroy . . . . . . . .
Although she pressed the headphones firmly on her ears, Kazuya could not hear anything else than static. Two sides warred inside of her: the quick, analytical mind, that had pieced the garbled transmission together and the heart, which desperately cried out that this couldn't be happening, that the Jedi Order couldn't be in real danger.
But, as much as she wished to deny it, the truth lay in front of her, irrevocable and unalterable.
"Kaz, what's the matter?" Jor inquired, his reptilian features frowning as he saw the color steadily fade from his friend's cheeks.
"We're doomed" she stated simply, with a glazed look in her eyes. "By the sound of it, the entire Clone Army will be marching on our doorstep by sunset."
"You're sure?" Jor scowled, skeptically.
"I am" Kazuya spoke, without any hesitation. "I need to find the Council members and tell them! You stay here!"
Jor had opened his mouth to speak, but Kazuya had already risen from her chair and was racing down the corridor before he could utter one single sound.
The young Padawan ran down the hallways as if a Sith Lord was chasing her. Gripping the railing of a spiral stairway, she slid down upon it, landing on the floor below with a rather clumsy forward flip.
Unexpectedly, the jump stopped, when she landed not on the hard, marble floor, but on something soft.
And thrashing.
Alarmed, Kazuya looked down and saw that she was sitting on what, at first, resembled a mound of dark, writhing robes.
"Get off me!" a muffled voice growled and the girl quickly sprang to her feet, with a horrified expression, as she realized that she had just landed on a fellow Jedi. The tall form of a young man pulled himself up from the floor, flapping his cloak to get rid of the dust.
"Master Skywalker!" Kazuya gasped, as she recognized the man's dark blonde hair and stormy eyes.
"Watch were you're going, Padawan!" he rebuked her sternly.
"I . . . I'm very sorry . . . . I didn't mean to . . . to run into you!" Kazuya stammered, almost losing her ability to speak. "I was in a hurry . . . "
"As am I" Anakin cut her off, and proceeded to resume his frantic pace to toward the hangar bay, when the girl's fingers curled themselves around his left wrist.
"Master Skywalker, wait! I need to tell you something!"
"I don't have time for your babbling, child" Anakin said, wanting to wrench his hand from Kazuya's grasp. "Find someone else to bother!"
"Please, Master Skywalker" the girl insisted. "I need to speak with a Council member and you are the only one I could find!"
Anakin was about to tell her that he no longer considered himself a member of the Jedi Council, but the Padawan continued her desperate tirade:
"The Temple is in danger! It will be destroyed before sundown!"
These words make Anakin's full and undivided attention converge on the teenager who was now gazing in his eyes with a pleading look. Now that he knew that the Order might be in danger, he could not ignore her request.
"How do you know this?" he asked, quietly.
"I intercepted a comm transmission from Palpatine's office on one of the Temple's decoding consoles." she explained, breathlessly.
At the mention of Palpatine's name, Anakin's eyes hardened to matted steel, as his mechanical fingers gripped Kazuya's hand, causing her to cringe in pain.
"Let's go" he ordered. "I need to hear this for myself!"
Nodding, Kazuya led the way, as the two Jedi climbed up the spiral stairs. At the top, Jor awaited, with an anxious expression on his face.
Kazuya passed by him, without a single word. She pointed toward her console and Anakin sat down, placed the headphones over his ears and activated the Replay switch. The two Padawans watched him listed, in complete silence. Gradually, his features darkened, until, at the transmission's end, his face looked like a mask of anger and hate.
"That . . . that hadakh!" Anakin spoke in a hoarse whisper, muttering several explicit Huttesse curses under his breath, sending Palpatine and his entire ancestry to Hell.
"The Council needs to be warned" Jor said, slowly, fearing that Anakin's already stretched-thin nerves would snap. "We need to plan out a defense."
Anakin's face rose from the console, as he regarded the two fearful Padawans. His features softened instantly, as he realized that he was the cause of their fear. Shuddering on the inside, he remembered that the Tusken children that had seen his rage first-hand had had similar expressions on their faces.
"Listen, you two" he said, on a much gentler tone, to put the children at ease, "I need you to rally all of the Masters that are in the Temple at this moment."
"Where should we direct them, sir?" Kazuya asked, instantly snapping to attention.
Frowning, Anakin tapped on a few keys on the console, bringing up a small holographic three-dimensional display of the Temple. His gloved finger searched the display, until it stopped over a large room, located several levels underground.
"The main storage depot" he said. "It's large enough to accommodate everyone."
"Yes, Master Skywalker" Kazuya acknowledged. Gripping a reluctant Jor's arm, she quickly left the room.
Anakin remained alone, his dark eyes intently studying the Temple display, a mind trained by the three years of warfare instinctively searching for the weaker spots in the structure. He knew firsthand the unerring precision on the Clone troopers and it very clear that they would all be wiped out if they didn't prepare an almost unbreakable defensive system.
His fist rammed into the chair's armrest, as he realized, with growing despair, that he could not possibly leave the Temple now, when his fellow Knights would need all the assistance they could possibly get, in order to survive the night.
Once again, he was faced with the impossible choice between his wife and the Order.
Between his love and his duty.
"Great way to start the day!" he chuckled bitterly to himself, as his fingers worked frantically on the console, bringing up the schematics of the Temple's existent defenses.
x x x
Padme moaned softly as she opened her eyes. Her vision was very blurry and she couldn't see far ahead of her.
Where am I? She thought to herself, as the disastrous attempt to confront Palpatine came back to her. The child!
She wanted to place her hands on her belly, to see that everything was alright, but, to her horror, she realized that both of her arms were bound to the surface on which she was resting. Struggling uselessly against the restraints, she heard a dry cackle from the darkness that seemed to surround her on all sides.
"Wake already, Senator?"
Palpatine's tone was almost gleeful and it made Padme feel a powerful impulse to hit him. Unfortunately, the monarch stood far enough that he was completely out of her reach.
"I trust the accommodations are to your liking, Milady?" he asked, on a derisive tone. "I'm very sorry that I could not prepare something more suitable on such a short notice!"
"Enough with the acting, Palpatine!" Padme spoke, her voice losing none of its commanding authority, in spite of the situation in which she found herself. "Why have you brought me here?"
"To the point, as usual" he chuckled, as he extended a withered hand, placing it on Padme's stomach, who winced in disgust. "There are two reasons, my dear. The first one is this precious child of yours. By what I can feel, it is close to come into this world and I wish to be here, greeting it."
"You . . . you want to corrupt my baby!" Padme spoke, through clenched teeth, as she saw the greedy look in Palpatine's eyes.
"Indeed I do, my dear. The Chosen One's child will be very strong in the Force, probably equaling its Father. What better candidate for my next Apprentice?"
"Over my dead body!" Padme growled, her deep brown eyes staring at Palpatine, her anger and revulsion toward him increasing tenfold.
"That will come soon enough, Milady" he said, mockingly, stroking her cheek with one bony finger. "The second reason is to lure your husband into a trap. If I will play my cards right" he boasted, his yellow eyes gleaming, I may get two Apprentices instead of one."
"My Ani will never succumb to the Darkside!" the young Senator spat, tugging to get as far away from the Emperor as possible.
"That remains to be seen!" Palpatine contradicting her, his twisted smile growing wider. Placing both of his hands on the sides of her head, he let small bolts of lightning coarse through her frame. Padme's body shook violently, her back arching off the surface on which it was seated. Her teeth were gritted, as she struggled with the overwhelming urge to scream her lungs out.
"This is only a taste of my power, darling" he whispered, his lips very near to her left ear. "Say that you will surrender your child to me and I will spare your life."
"N-never!" she choked out, quivering uncontrollably.
"After this Milady" Palpatine said, his pleasant tone abandoned, "you will beg me to end it!"
He started to increase the lightning's power steadily, as Padme's screams echoed off the rough stone walls. He could feel her agony, her intense pain and it made him almost euphoric. Pain was the most wonderful aphrodisiac for him, as he basked in its destructive waves.
Padme felt the searing dark energies pass through her, burning every cell in her body. She screamed, for it remained the only thing that she could do. Inside herself, she prayed feverishly, repeating the words over and over, like a sacred litany:
Oh, Force, please let my child live!
The burning sensation had spread in her entire body, as her head impacted viciously with the stone surface. She could barely keep hold of consciousness, as wave after wave of spasms shook her.
I have failed, she thought, as her vision dimmed and the pain began to recede. I cannot protect even my own child.
She could fell herself fall through layers and layers of darkness, no end coming in sight.
Forgive me!
She did not know if her child could hear her, as her descent came to a halt. To escape the maddening torture, her conscience had sunken down in the depths of her very being, away from any kind of physical pain. Only once in her life had she been so desperate that she had had to retreat inside herself: thirteen years ago, when it seemed that Naboo was doomed and no one wanted to do anything. Back then, it had been a idealistic, blue-eyed boy who had managed to unknowingly pull her back from the brink.
But now, she was truly alone. There was no blue-eyed boy to jump to her rescue. Now, her Fate was sealed.
All around her, the Darkness swirled, but she was not afraid: this Darkness was hiding her, protecting her Spirit from the Emperor's wrath.
Suddenly, she felt it: a shift in the space around her. The velvety Darkness parted like a curtain, to make way for an almost blinding Light. Padme cringed, in surprise. What was happening? When last she had sought refuge in the depths of her being, she had seen no light. Yet now, the shadows disappeared, as she found herself surrounded by a shroud of pearly-white brightness. An unexpected warmth passed over her, making her relax instantly and lose any trace of fear that she might have had. She instantly knew that she was in no danger.
The brightness flowed over Padme's weary spirit, like a soothing balm. She could almost feel another conscience in the all-encompassing Light, which was murmuring words of comfort to her. Shedding all of her apprehension, she allowed herself to gently drift in the ocean of brightness.
Palpatine frowned, as he removed his hands from Padme's face. The woman had obviously fallen unconscious, for she didn't move at all. The monarch sent another few slight jolts through her, in the hope of rousing her, but it didn't seem to work.
The Emperor extended his senses, probing the pregnant woman's prone form for any indication as to her present state, but he was bewildered when he didn't feel anything.
Placing his fingers on her forehead, he projected his mind's power inside of her, searching. Just when he thought that he had managed to feel a brief glimpse of her presence, a white-hot pain stabbed his chest and he found himself viciously flung in the air and impacting with the stone floor, on the other side of the room.
Growling, Palpatine clambered to his feet, untangling his long black robes from around him. His anger was blazing now, but his curiosity was, if possible, even stronger. What on Coruscant had happened? One moment he was seizing the infuriating woman's spirit, to pull it up to the surface from the depths in which it had sunken, to be blasted away in the next.
Crazy as it sounded, even to himself, for a brief second, he thought that he had managed to feel another presence inside the Senator's body.
A very powerful presence.
Cautiously, he approached the stone slab. On it, Padme's frame lay still, gently swaying in its binders. Palpatine flinched slightly, as he saw her lips quiver and her move slightly from side to side. She was regaining her consciousness, but he would stay alert all the same. His long life experience told him not to let down his guard only when he was sure that no danger was present.
Padme's eyes fluttered open and he could not suppress a little gasp. They were not the warm brown that he had gotten so used to, but a cold, dark blue, staring in silence at him. If he weren't so thoroughly stunned, he surely would have seen the uncanny resemblance with Anakin Skywalker's own eyes.
"Palpatine" the strange Padme said, quietly. Her voice was much deeper and rougher than he had ever heard it before.
"Who are you?" he asked, keeping all of his senses in full alert. Whoever said that a savvy Sith Lord, ruling the Galaxy for over thirteen years couldn't be surprised by anything had been sorely mistaken.
"If you are that all-knowing" the pseudo-Padme spoke mockingly, "surely you can figure it out?"
Palpatine stared at the woman in front of him, his mind working in overdrive. He felt a blazing Force-aura surround her. But how could that be possible, when Padme Amidala wasn't Force-Sensitive. And once more, he was not sensing the Naboo Senator's familiar presence, but another, far more powerful.
"You seem to be mistaking me for my mother" he strange woman spoke once more, her eerie eyes not leaving Palpatine's for a second.
Of course! The Emperor shuddered, as he managed to finally put the facts together. This woman was not Padme, but her unborn child! The daughter's spirit was speaking through her mother! He remembered once reading about a few very rare similar cases. All of them had involved children with a very high Force potential.
"What do you wish from me, young one?" he asked, regaining his superior confidence once more.
"Do not call me young!" the woman snarled, her features twisting in anger. "I have traveled through this Universe far longer than you have, Emperor!" The sarcasm with which the last word had been spoken was undeniable. "Just because you wear the mantle of Sith Lord, you have foolish notion that you are invincible!"
Palpatine sneered, shaking his head disdainfully.
"If I wasn't the most powerful entity in this world, how did I manage to catch the entire Galaxy in my grasp?" he asked, a small smirk on his blackened lips.
"Do not give yourself too much credit!" the woman cut him off. "You may think that the entire world bows down to you, but there will always be those to oppose you!"
The woman tilted her head backwards, looking at Palpatine with a malicious twinkle in her eye.
"The more you tighten your grip, Your Highness, the more star-systems will slip through your grip! It's the same with all tyrants!"
Palpatine's anger seemed to grow another notch, as the woman smiled infuriatingly at him. The sense of superiority that she projected outward made him wish with all of his being that he could wipe the smirk off her face. But apprehension held him back once more. He knew very few facts about the strange apparition in front of him, but one thing didn't give him peace: what was her alignment? Was she Dark? Or did she serve the Light?"
"I serve no one" the woman said, as if she had read his thoughts. "Only a fool like yourself can think that the Force has an alignment!"
Palpatine's scowl deepened, in frustration.
"What do you mean?"
The woman gave a bark of laughter, but it seemed hollow and unnatural. "I mean, you pompous old prick, that the Force is neutral! It does not take sides! It simply exists! Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide how he uses it, for noble or evil purposes. Your whole concept of Light and Dark Force is just foolishness, though, I must say, I didn't expect anything else from a narrow-minded simpleton such as yourself!"
Perhaps if he had a weaker body, the severe increase in blood pressure could have given Palpatine a coronary. As it was, it took all of his willpower to restrain himself from lashing out at the possessed woman. He had to repeat to himself over and over that he needed Padme Amidala alive.
"You fear Death, don't you?" the woman suddenly asked, out of the blue, her eerie eyes making the monarch feel very uncomfortable. "For all of your so-called wisdom, you fail to realize that there are much more horrible things in the world than death."
"I hardly think that you are in a position to tell me what to do" Palpatine spoke, in an icy tone, that would have most surely silenced anyone else.
"I am only telling you that, as long as you fear mortality" the woman said, her eyes boring into the Emperor's "you will fall."
Palpatine wanted to deliver a scathing reply, but Padme closed her eyes, her head falling forward, as she lost consciousness once more. The spirit retreated to the depths from were it had risen. Hesitatingly, the monarch placed his hand again on the woman's forehead, as he felt the subtle pulsing of the Force under his fingertips. Indeed, the child would be very powerful. One of the Universe's oldest Spirits walking among the Living once again.
This, he thought, made him even more determined to harness the girl's strength for himself and damned be all who stood in his way!
x x x
News about the impending attack had spread through the Temple like wildfire. Across the corridors, Padawans and Knights discussed the future in, worried, hushed tones. An feeling of anticipation, unease and fear of the unknown permeated the air.
The Order now knew that Damocles' sword hung over them.
And it was poised to strike.
Inside the storage depot, several floor underground, Obi-Wan Kenobi surveyed the room's transformation into impromptu command center. Large piles of crates were being hauled out and in their place appeared communication consoles, displays of the Temple and a map of the entire area surrounding the structure, as seen from an orbital satellite.
Although he appeared as calm and serene as always, the Jedi Master's mind was very far from tranquil, mirroring the chaotic environment around him. His thoughts were split between multiple causes of worry: the Republic's inevitable end, the beginning of Palpatine's dictatorship, the Senate's new hate against the Order.
But none of them were as troubling as the contemplations over his former pupil. He couldn't help but feel worry grip his heart whenever he thought about Anakin: the previous night had stretched he young man, both physically and emotionally, to his limits, to such an extent that it was truly a wonder that he hadn't snapped.
Obi-Wan had to suppress a shudder at the Dark thought. Thank the Maker that he had managed to keep a hold of his emotions at the crucial moment. The Jedi Master didn't even want to contemplate the state of things had Anakin fallen.
He's fine, he tried to appease his worried psyche, the worst is over.
But a part of him vehemently disagreed with this. No, things were very far from over: the storm was merely gathering its strength, before it landed atop the world with savage might.
And another aspect kept plaguing Obi-Wan's thoughts, ignoring all of his half-hearted attempts to swat it away. The dream/prophecy/vision that he had seen on his way from Utapau. As much as he tried to figure it out, it kept eluding his understatement. The tribal leader's dark-skinned, blue-eyed face insinuated itself in his mind, now and then, as if wishing to remember him of Fate's whims. He had not forgotten the wise man's words, for, at the time, they had shocked him:
In order to save your former learner, you will have to Fall!
The words sounded as chilling as ever, Obi-Wan reflected, gloomily. As much as he struggled to understand their hidden meaning, it remained as elusive as ever. Just what did the wise man mean? The confrontation with Palpatine had passed and yet, he hadn't been forced to make any type of choice at all. The peculiar prophecy wasn't showing any sign that it might come true.
Unless, the thought, his mind working in its usual logical, no-nonsense way, one vital part was missing from the equation: perhaps Anakin wasn't as safe from the Darkside's influence as he had initially presumed. Maybe his former Padawan had more challenges in store for him. Again, the strange wise man's words seemed to hold true:
It will not happen at a predetermined time. It may happen now, or it may happen fifty years from now.
He was right, of course. The future was always in motion and most attempts at discovering its secrets had been doomed to failure from the start.
Obi-Wan's eyes turned to the door, through which Master Yoda had entered, accompanied by a tall, bipedal humanoid, who was introduced earlier to him as Chewbacca the Wookie, one of General Tarfful's most capable men.
Although 'men',though Obi-Wan wryly, might be a somewhat subjective term for the Wookies.
His ruminations turned somber once more, as he watched Yoda listen attentively, as Master Shaak Ti spoke through a holocomm transmission with a Knight that was keeping vigil atop the Temple and who reported no sighting of the alleged attack force yet.
The by now thoroughly confused Master wished to discuss the vision's problem with Yoda. He was sure that the small Master could pull him out of his seemingly endless confusion, as the search for answers kept him running in circles. But that also presented a number of problems: he would have to explain every small detail of the last day to Yoda and the rest of the assembled Council. At the debriefing after the return from the Senate dome, Obi-Wan had told a very simplified story, keeping out Anakin's secret marriage, his own dark premonitions that had initially prompted him to return to the capital as fast as possible and the reason for which Anakin needed Palpatine alive.
He had never, in his entire life, kept something hidden from the rest of the Order. As long as he had known himself, he had been respectable Jedi, holding the Order's oaths above all else, shunning falsehood and trickery.
And now he was not telling a vital truth to his peers, to the people that had essentially been his extended family. The blatant truth almost made him chuckle. He, who had been considered the embodiment of all of the Order's virtues, was nothing more than a normal man, ready to do anything in order to protect his brother.
He realized that, for Anakin, he could even lie through his teeth to his fellow Jedi, disregarding all of his guilty conscience's arguments.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi-General and renowned Negotiator, was ready to throw away all that he had worked for, all of the oaths that he had sworn, for Anakin Skywalker. Now that he had the truth in front of him, it was not as shocking as it had been supposed to be. A part of him had always known that the bond that he had forged with his pupil would, someday, transcend anything that the Order had seen.
Maybe, his feverish mind theorized, this was the path that would lead him into Darkness in the first place. Maybe his blind love for his Padawan would cause him to Fall, in the end. But, he realized, with a dose of dry amusement, that the prospect didn't seem to worry him as much. It had always been this way with Anakin: the boy had a powerful charm that drew others to him like a magnet. It was impossible not to love or care for him, once you got to know him well.
His meditations were cut short, when the doors slid open once more. All eyes in the room turned around, to see a tall Knight, with blonde hair and piercing dark-blue eyes, leaning slightly on the doorframe. His robes were torn and shredded, a testimony to the fierce battle that he had waged the previous night. As he walked across the room, everyone could see that he had a slight limp and that his cheeks were unusually pale. Obviously, he was far from recovered from his wounds.
Behind him entered two young Padawans, looking around the room in awe and a little fear. It was clear that they had never seen such a large gathering of the Order's most powerful members.
"Anakin" Obi-Wan called out, "why aren't you resting?"
"I should be asking you the same question" the young Knight pointed out, gazing at his Master's heavily-bandaged chest. "This is not a time for rest and idleness."
The Masters around the room couldn't help but smile a little at Anakin's already customary bluntness. When he had something to say, he said it plain and simple, ignoring what others called 'principles of protocol and etiquette'.
"Glad I am that here you are, Knight Skywalker" Yoda spoke on his quiet tones. "But this, a meeting for Masters and Council members is" he added, pointing his cane at the two Padawans behind Anakin.
"They will stay" Anakin said immediately, not letting Yoda say anything else. Several Masters raised their eyebrows at this direct defiance.
"Padawans Ataro and Teroh are the ones who intercepted Palpatine's message" he explained, "so I believe that they deserve a place here. After all, they have proved to possess keen and sharp minds, haven't they?"
Kazuya and Jor looked both flattered and embarrassed by Anakin's praise, all the while keeping their mouths firmly shut.
"Very well" conceded Yoda, pointing his cane toward a pair of chairs. "Stay, they can."
The two teenagers appeared to be relieved, as they took each took a seat, lying very low in their seats, as though they wanted to be invisible.
"Now, then" Anakin swept his gaze through the entire room, "no doubt that the Padawans have informed everyone here about the impending attack."
A chorus of murmurs surrounded the room, some in approval and some in annoyance that Anakin was taking leadership of the meeting.
"Good" he nodded, not appearing to hear the disapproving whispers. "It all falls down to one element: the size of the attack force. I have no doubt that the Temple's defenses are quite capable of dealing with a small to medium offensive. The problem arises when the attack force exceeds this value."
"May I ask" said Agen Kolar, raising his hand, "why exactly are you establishing our strategy, Knight Skywalker? Someone with much more experience would me much better, don't you agree?"
Anakin's scowl deepened, as he regarded Kolar. It was obvious that most of the command center's occupants agreed with the Jedi Master.
"Funny" said Anakin coldly, "but I was under the impression that the Order needs all the help that it can get, Master."
His tone was slightly derisive and it did nothing to stop the whispers of discontent. On the contrary, it amplified them.
"Hold on, everyone" Obi-Wan said, his soft-spoken manner instantly calming those closest to him. "I have fought together with Anakin in the war for over three years and I can say that he is an accomplished strategist. I, for one, trust his decisions."
The din seemed to increase in intensity once more, as Anakin smiled faintly in Obi-Wan's direction, thanking him for the vote of confidence.
Suddenly, a loud roar drowned out all other voices, as several Masters jumped up in fright. The source of the noise was the Wookie Chewbacca, whose black eyes were looking at Kolar with blazing intensity.
Although he wasn't very well versed in Shyriiwook, Anakin had understood what the Wookie was saying:
"I have heard of Anakin Skywalker. He is said to be one of the most talented military leaders of the Republic. Why do you criticize him when he wants to help? Shut up and mind your own business, Jedi!"
All of the Masters that could understand Shyriiwook looked thoroughly scandalized at Chewbacca's rude words. As for Obi-Wan, he appeared to be highly amused, but was hiding it rather well.
Before the tension and malcontent could escalate any further, Yoda raised his green, clawed hand. That managed to effectively reduce everyone to silence.
"Agree with Chewbacca, I do" Yoda chuckled, the apparent humor of the situation not lost on him. "Military tactics my strong point, it is not. Agree I do that young Skywalker should plan the defense."
"Thank you, Master Yoda" Anakin said, with a small bow toward the diminutive Master. Even though several Masters still seemed ready to object, they weren't eager to question Yoda's decision.
Waving a gloved hand in the air, Anakin activated a large holomap of the entire Temple, which bathed the dark room in a pale blue glow.
"Now then" he continued, pointing to the holographic structure, "the Temple's frame has a few key weak points. Points that can be destroyed with a single ground-air missile." His finger pointed to the base of each spire. "A precise hit in these areas will send the whole tower crashing down."
"Is there no way to protect ourselves against missiles?" asked Master Luminara Unduli.
"There is" answered Anakin, "but it will be difficult to set up. The missiles employed by the Fleet each have computer-based guiding system, which calculates the distance and exact position of the target. If said target has an electromagnetic field around it, it will be almost impossible to be hit. He magnetic charged would wreck havoc with the delicate control systems, sending the missiles off course."
"Is there a way to raise such a shield around the Temple?" inquired Shaak Ti.
"It theory, yes" Anakin said.. "It is possible that a Cruiser's hyperdrive could generate sufficient power. If harnessed properly, it could create a magnetic field large enough to cover the entire Temple. But, mind you, it would be effective only against computer circuits: the clones would be able to pass through unscathed."
"Too bad we won't be attacked by an army of droids" Kazuya said, but the somber atmosphere made her attempt at humor fall flat.
"And just what do you have in mind for the clones?"
"If they will come in large numbers, then it will be a battle that we can never win" he spoke, grimly. "Our best chance at survival is this: the Temple residents will have to split up in two: The Masters and Knights will face off the clones, holding them back as long as they will be able to: the Padawans and Younglings will be rounded up and taken out of the Temple and off planet with the cargo ships in the hangar bay."
"So that the Order may have chance at survival" nodded Yoda, deep in thought. "Much risk, this strategy presents. Many Jedi will die during the siege."
"Sacrifices will be necessary" Anakin said, keeping his voice neutral. "If the Order is to live on, many of us must be ready to lay down our own lives."
It was apparent by the stoic expressions on the Master's faces, that all of them were ready to die for the Order.
Obi-Wan leaned against the wall, as he watched his former Padawan explain what diversionary tactics might work best against the clones. The young man's features were hard and sharp, as he had rarely seen them, appearing to be chiseled in stone. The holomap's light illuminated his face from below, giving it a strange, almost ghostly appearance. When he raised both of his hands, to make a point, many Jedi gasped, as they saw that both of his arms were covered in black leather gloves. Another injury that would follow him for the rest of his life.
Watching him explain and the entire command center listen, with rapt attention, Obi-Wan finally came to understand just what made his brother special: he had an inner strength that didn't seem to leave him, even in the most difficult moments. He was a very passionate man, putting his heart and soul into all that he did, not believing in half-measure.
And he was a natural-born leader, drawing those around to him, like butterflies to a flame. He was very ambitious, never settling with little. This was, by far, his greatest strength and his fatal flaw. He could be a kind leader, but also, an intransigent tyrant. Obi-Wan had seen it all too clear during the war: Anakin was capable of acts of boundless kindness toward his allies, but, at the same time, the Master had seen him against the Separatists: a ruthless enemy, one that you did not want on your tail.
Looking at him, as he spoke, Obi-Wan had no difficulty of envisioning the Galaxy down at his feet. After all, the world did love him very much: very few where those that had not heard of Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with no Fear. Again his beguiling charm and charisma showed themselves.
Anakin's explanations and Obi-Wan's thoughts were suddenly cut short. when a disheveled Knight barged in through the doors.
"They're coming!" he panted, heavily. "They're still pretty far away, but it won't be long now!"
The entire room sprung to its feet. Anakin smiled darkly.
"So it begins" he spoke, in a whisper. The, raising his voice: "Master Unduli, take care of the evacuation of the Younglings! Master Ti, organize the Knights in the exterior perimeter!"
"What can we do, Master Skywalker?" Kazuya asked, overcoming her shyness.
"You two will come with me and help me find a functioning hyperdrive. You too, Master."
"I was thinking that you were about to leave me out of the fun" Obi-Wan said, smiling.
"I would never do that" Anakin shot back, with a look of mock-offense. "Let's go!"
At his order, the entire room emptied, as the various Masters headed toward their designated posts. As for Obi-Wan and Anakin, they walked side by side, followed by the two Padawans, feeling as if they were in the middle of the Clone Wars once again.
x x x
The inhabitants of Coruscant had never seen such a display of military force since the Separatists had invaded the planet, several weeks prior. Large gunships traversed the skyline, in a long, seemingly endless convoy. They could see military craft of all kinds, from light skiffs to heavily-armored missile launchers. No one dared venture out of their homes, ever since they heard that the Emperor had placed Coruscant under martial law and had scheduled the Jedi Order for termination. Although many people sympathized with the Knights, everyone knew that they would be killed without hesitation, should they interfere.
Seated on a bench in one of the gunships, C/704, commander-in-chief of the assault force watched the Coruscant skyline pass by. His mind was analyzing the order that he had been asked to fulfill by the Emperor.
The extermination of every single member of the treasonous Jedi Order is to begin immediately.
Even though he would not admit it to anyone, for fear of being stigmatized as a traitor, those words made a chill run up and down his spine. Understandably, he cared for the Order, for he had fought side by side with his members during the war.
But a directive from the Emperor could not be ignored.
Leaning more comfortably against the bulkhead, his thoughts strayed to the only Jedi that he had truly called a friend. The young man's face seemed to haunt him, as he did hs best not to think of him. He would kill, if that's what the Emperor asked of him. He would maim and slaughter.
But he was not sure that he would be able to pull the trigger of that Jedi showed up in front of him.
For both our sakes, Skywalker, he thought, I hope that you are not in the Temple.
I hope that you are somewhere at the ends of the Galaxy, where you will escape this purge.
Where you will be safe.