I step apprehensively into Palpatine's chambers. He is sitting in his high-backed chair with his face towards the window.
In many ways, this feels like one of the times that I would come to his office on Corascant and tell him about Obi-wan or Padme or anything, really. And I would believe he was my friend.
It's different though. He doesn't look out onto speeders racing through the Corascanti atmosphere or the high, elegant buildings, but onto the vast emptiness of space. And when he turns to face me, I'm able to recognize the icy chill emanating from him. And when he speaks, his face is distorted and his voice is hoarse and cracked.
"Hello, Anakin," he says, in a feeble imitation of a kind voice, "I hope you were able to occupy yourself in my absence."
I shrug my shoulders and tilt my head. "I slept most of the time," I invent easily.
He chuckles a little. "There's no need to lie to me, Anakin. I can sense everything you do."
I ignore his comment, and hoping to change the subject, ask, "How did your purchasing go?"
His face darkens abruptly, and he frowns. "The man simply was not receptive to my attempts at persuasion."
Good for him! I cheer silently.
"I was forced to pay much higher than I should have," he continues. "I'm going to have to raise taxes to cover the cost of the death star."
Well…that's not good.
"On a different note," he continues coolly, "One of my clone-troopers has informed me you were…rather bored during my absence, and may have reverted to old habits. I must advise you Anakin, if this repot turned out to be true, I will be not at all pleased. So I've come up with a different plan. My end of the bargain still hold up, your dear family is safe, but I've decided that you would be more useful elsewhere. How would you feel about recruiting?"
"Excuse me sir? Recruiting for—what?" I stammer.
"The Royal Imperial Army, of course," he says smoothly, the edges of his mouth curving upwards. "The clone wars have shortened our supply of clones greatly, and we need new Forces to quell the remnants of the Separatist movements, and to prevent any rebellion. Your task will be to travel around the galaxy, visiting about one planet a week, and recruit a set number of citizens. I will expect you to meet my quotas, Anakin, or I need not hold up my end of the bargain."
"With all due respect," I say, thinking quickly, "wouldn't it be easier to just make more clones?"
"Nonsense," he says, his face rapidly darkening, "it would take much too long, and besides—we do need some proof of the loyalty of some individual systems, do we not?"
You need proof, maybe. Not me.
"But won't they recognize me?" I wonder aloud, "And I'm supposed to be a criminal—they won't understand the person you just publicly denounced is recruiting for your cause now, I don't think."
"No, they won't," he concedes, "and so I've had my clone technicians create a suit of armor for you to wear. It will mask everything about you, even your voice…its quite imposing, all in black, and will probably help you in your task. I'll have them bring it in now."
He presses a button on the seat of his chair, and it seems to be an intercom. He says, "JF471822, report to my office with the recruitment suit I had you construct."
He turns his chair around so the back is to me. I stand in place, fidgeting a little, but quiet. In about three or four minutes, the clone walks in, wheeling a table with him.
On it is the suit that Obi-wan showed me, the one Sidious was planning to put me in if he found me. The mask is hard and terrifying and the cape gives a menacing look to the outfit. It's slightly less bulky than the one Obi-wan and I saw, without the chest panel, but its undoubtedly the same design.
"There…I doubt you'll be recognizable in this."
I doubted it too.
He orders me to return to my chambers, change, and report back to him. I do so, slowly. The suit makes me feel horribly claustrophobic and weak. My senses are blocked. I see through a red tinted plate of glass, I breathe through a metal grid, I hear with the help of microphones.
I push into his chambers without knocking. He spins his chair around quickly to face me. "Ah, Anakin, it's you."
I nod my head. "Yes."
My voice is low and harsh. It's nothing like mine. I panic.
"What happened?" I ask furiously, trying to push my voice back to where it was.
He shrugs. "Your voice is recognizable. You've been on the holonet more than you realize these past few years. Anyway, here is the outline of your task."
He extends a hand with some file in it. Reluctantly, I stride forward and take it.
"This has all the information you'll need," he informs me matter-of-factly. "The order I expect you to visit the planets in, when you'll need to update me, how many people we need, where to put them, and so forth."
I nod my head in understanding, and without saying anything, march out of his office.
A/N:
Well….obviously this chapter didn't get up when promised. But I have the rest of it planned out, we have maybe six chapters and an epilogue to go, but they should go fairly fast. The next chapter might be up today, I'm about halfway done with it, but I'm worried things are moving too fast. I know nothing really happened in this chapter, but it was important, and I'd still like reviews. The incredible response last chapter made me very very happy. I know I'm not allowed to do individual review responses but someone commented on how it was all from Anakin's point of view? Yeah, I got really bored of him about chapter three, but for the sake of continuity I've stuck with him even though Obi-wan and Padme have some neat stuff to say, I think. But you know this was going to be a oneshot…it just isn't.
Sorry for the long and boring authors note. Please review even if you just type slkdjgsjdhg or something like that. Makes me very very happy. Yeah, I'll shut up now.