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"Come in, General Kenobi, come in," a distinctively female voice called over the commlink.

He looked at the commanding clone trooper apologetically and answered it, "Kenobi here."

"How are you, Ben?"

"We are fine. We are making good progress. Grievous' base camp must be near. We are on the right trail."

"That's very good, General Kenobi. The Chancellor wishes to know about the political situation," One thing about wireless communication was that they could never be sure who else was intercepting the signal. Aside from the people next to them, Finn and Obi-Wan had to speak professionally to evade the prying ears of their enemies.

"I want you to be careful, now, Ben."

"I will be fine. How are you, now?"

"I am fine. Things are going stiff between the Senate and the Jedi. The political atmosphere is intense on Coruscant. Oh, and Ben?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful of whom you align yourself with," Obi-Wan could imagine Finn's serious face as she spoke. He did not understand her concern about the Senate and the Jedi. Things were never smooth between the two bodies, especially during a war. One wanting to address all the problems but had no physical powers, the other pressed by the former to address all the problems although Senate limited all their resources. Even though things were particular bitter now, Obi-Wan had much more urgent missions in front of him to attend to.

"Whom I align myself with? You mean the Jedi Council?"

"Precisely."

"The Council knows the best. Don't be ridicules now, Finn—"

"I am not a child, Kenobi. I know what I am talking about. You have to stop defending the damned Jedi at every turn!" She sounded angry, "it's bad enough that Anakin doesn't take my warnings seriously, now you?"

"Finn—" the buzzing sound stopped on the commlink and he knew she had ended their communication. He replaced the commlink into his utility belt and furrowed his brow. It was best if he let her cool her temper for now, especially since he was so close on his mission. Obi-Wan went back calmly to examine the maps with Commander Cody.

Finn buried her face in her hands. She felt like crying. It was the first words they had exchanged in weeks, yet she had let her temper ruin it all. Nevertheless, it was difficult for her to cope with the situation now. The Jedi had been almost tyrannical in their ways with the war. Many star systems felt that they had used the excuse of the "sith" and the "dark side" in order to gather power for themselves. Finn didn't know if she agreed or disagreed with them. What was worse, her father had allured Anakin deeper and deeper into his side. She did not like the fact that Anakin should be under anyone's power. He was the Chosen One, after all. His path should not be polluted by the ambition and passions of others. She knew her father was looking for ways to weaken the Jedi: a remedy to the powerlessness of the Galactic Senate that came too late. Nonetheless, she did not trust his methods. Was he willing to risk the outcome of the war? It would only mean the destruction of more star systems and the delay of peace.

If only Ben wasn't so damned idealistic, she thought depressingly. If only the Jedi Council didn't push Anakin farther and farther away from their ranks. If only she had a way to control the situation. Finn paced back and forth in her room. She had to formulate a strategic plan before things got out of hand. Perhaps she was wrong to refuse her father of his rather generous job offer.

He may not be a great man, but he was a great politician. He had twisted every political situation toward his favor. It was not to his advantage to let the Galactic Republic to fall apart, was it? Finn took her cape from off a hook on the wall and got ready to go out. Perhaps it was time for a long overdue father-daughter talk.

Finn walked in brisk long strides down the corridor. Senators and their staffs were busily preparing for the next session. "Hello, Young Palpatine," a familiar voice reached her ears. She saw no one in her line-of-sight, until she looked down, "Good day, Master Yoda." She spoke politely to the holovid.

"Going somewhere, mmm? In such a hurry, too, young one." He shook his little green head. He must just have had a meeting with one of the senators or representatives.

"I'm going to see my father."

"Ah, your father, your father. Great politician, supreme chancellor. Much power, he has. But unlike many, seeking power, you have not come."

Finn was growing a little impatient at his cryptic remarks, "does it matter what I came for?"

"Oh," Yoda marveled, "it matters great deal. A good heart, Young Palpatine has. But even then mistakes can be made."

"Mistakes?" she badly wanted to just storm away. After all, how hard could it be to just push a button and shut him off? Finn batted the silly thought aside, and replied with forced respect, "I do not understand, Master Yoda."

"Of course not," he shook his hand again, "lack the foresight of Jedi, you do."

Finn almost scowled at his insulting remark. What did he know, anyway? "You shouldn't be the one reprimanding me. After all, you have made a few mistakes in your time, I'm afraid." The best defense was a good offense. "With all due respect, your old padawan could hardly be called a model Jedi."

Yoda narrowed his large green eyes. "Much like Dooku, you are. Anger and discontent. The Dark Side feeds on such outrages. Beware of the road you travel, Young Palpatine."

Much to Finn's surprise, she could swear she heard him muttering under his breath, "Such a rowdy child, you and Kenobi will have." Before she could check if the transmission was playing tricks, Yoda turned into a flash and disappeared. Great, she grumbled to herself. Things were getting much more complicated. Finn straightened herself. This was not the time to be hesitant, she thought as she entered the Chancellor's office quarters.

"Anakin," she was surprised to see his scarlet face. Spotting her, he seemed to make a sudden move to attack her, but then he checked himself and left hurriedly.

"What is wrong with Skywalker?" she asked her father, distrustful of Anakin's intentions as he sped away.

Palpatine was sitting with his back against her, behind his enormous desk. "Only the truth, my youngest one." He turned in his chair to face her, with a dangerously meaningful look in his eyes.

"Ah," she exclaimed, that explained the hatred in Anakin's eyes at her, "so he knows that you are a Sith lord." She began to smile rather bitterly. Now the Jedi would kill them regardless. It was not death she was afraid of, or the fight for life itself. This incident would cause such a scandal with the fragile Republic. She could leave for the Outer Rim immediately, but she could not leave everything in such a mess. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Do not worry, Anakin is not so stupid as to give up his own beloved wife for the Jedi. He will come around."

"So, is that what you have been threatening him with? The life of Padmé?" she shook her head, it was classically her father's strategy. "I have been watching you for years, Father. I have seen the things you do, in the name of the Republic. But this is probably the most awful thing you have ever done. You have been poisoning Anakin's mind with your false tales. You are turning him into you!"

Palpatine scoffed, "I have not been hurting him. As you can see, I am making him stronger. You know where the source of your own powers comes from. I am just giving him the same gift, young one."

"But you are making a disaster of everything," she clenched her fists, "General Grievous is still at large, at your orders. Now, the Jedi would kill you at sight, let alone trust you. And—"

"And I am jeopardizing whatever chance of happiness you may have with your Ben," he said derisively. Then his features softened somewhat and he clasped a hand on her slim shoulder, "my child, you have always known it would end like this."

A burning sensation came to her eyes, and Finn held back a sob even before it became a sob. "I— I couldn't help it. I'm sorry." She bit her lower lip hard to hold back her pains. She felt like such a complete failure. It seemed everything and everyone she ever came in to contact with will lie in ruins.

A rare moment of gentleness overcame the father and he embraced the only child of his who was still by his side. "There now, Fina. What's done is done. There is something I need to tell you," he stroked her pale blonde hair, the same her mother had, "I had not told you the truth when you asked me if I loved your mother." She held herself back to look at him straight in the face. "The truth is, I loved her. I loved her more than everything in the universe combined. I loved her since the moment I saw her and I love her still."

"But why were you never around?"

He gave a bitter laugh, "that damned Jedi of a uncle you had never thought I was good enough for her. He nearly took her away from me once. She worshipped her brother and never looked at me the same way again. In the end, she did marry me, rather reluctantly. I couldn't see her like that, fearing me secretly, never completely returning my love. The Jedi turned her like that and you know they are capable of it. After you were born, she grew even weaker," his eyes were deprived of the shrewd look he had always worn in the Senate. It was the face of a love-struck, romantic young man. "I couldn't see her like that. But—" he paused and released his daughter, "I made a fresh start with you. I have always wanted the best for you, Finn. You are much more powerful than you let yourself to be. Without the Jedi, we would be so powerful."

"But power isn't everything, Father." Finn remembered the twins of the Village. They had no power. They were helpless against the elements. But they had each other.

"No! Power is EVERYTHING! Have I taught you nothing!" he was the Supreme Chancellor, the politician, once again. "With power, we can turn things right again. We can end the tyranny of the Jedi and restore the glory of the Galaxy."

"But reformation—"

"Reformation be damned! The only way to fix everything is to start anew. What? Why are you so hesitant? Have you forgot your vows to your brother? Have you forgot your ties to your master?"

She shook her head at both questions. "But, what about Anakin?" She was afraid of his answer. If Anakin had to be eliminated, it would have to be done. But she didn't want to do it. This time was different; it was not another nameless, faceless Jedi. He was the friend of Obi-Wan and husband to Padmé. She could not bear to bring pains to the ones she loved.

"Do not worry, my child." he smiled dryly and fingered a few glass buttons on his control pad. His cold, light blue eyes regarded the young woman. "Anakin will be fine. He knows that he is the fourth product of my little experiment."

Finn's lips parted, she was unable to form an intelligible sentence. There were four files from that dingy little laboratory on Chandrila. The first was of Kyler, the abandoned one was of Kira. Finn recognized her own gene signature on one of the remaining ones. She had not find out anything about the last one. Now she knew whom it belonged to. "Anakin is my brother?" she asked incredulously. The Chosen One, born of virgin birth, who was designated to balance the university, was her brother? Just another fetus formed in a lab and implanted in an unknowing slave?

Palpatine smiled heartily, "close enough. You both derived your powers from the same source. You both have the same Force signature. I'm surprised that the Jedi have not noticed. Nonetheless, you were modeled after your mother and me. Jedi Skywalker, well, was fashioned after a more interesting source."

"A more interesting source?"

He flashed a crooked smile, "I will tell you one of these days."

"Then how did he end up on Tatooine?" it made no sense. It seemed too needlessly complicated that he should have been hidden so well while she was left in the open on Naboo.

"You'd think I'd let a treasure like him to be readily taken by the Jedi? It was easy to forbid you to enter the Temple, because of your mother's sickness." Since the disease was hereditary, it was not advisable for Finn to enter. Kyler and Kira were born during the War of Confederations. By the time the war ended and inter-planet travel was safe again, they were too old to be admitted by the Temple. He shook his head at her, "of course, I was a little too late to retrieve him. It was an unlucky coincidence that he should have been taken by Qui Gon Jinn. But all that will be remedied," he turned with a flourish of his robes. "It will not be long before he will join us. By then, my child, we will be invincible against the Jedi."

Palpatine stopped talking and circled to the back of his desk again. He pushed open a button and a drawer popped out. A shiny silver badge on black leather was revealed. It was the insignia of the Head of Senatorial Securities. "It's a thing of beauty, is it not?" he fingered the glittering object. "It's even more beautiful because of the powers it will give you. Think of the phenomenal things you will be able to accomplish." He placed a hand on her back as he placed the badge in front of her eyes. "You will be able to protect your friends and the Republic. You will be able to protect your ideals." She held out both of her hands timidly and uncertainly. He dropped it into her palms. With a approving grin on his face, Palpatine said, "welcome aboard, Captain."

Mace Windu bustled into the offices with three other Jedi, "in the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor."

"Oh? On what accounts?" Palpatine sneered.

"As the Supreme Chancellor's Captain, I cannot let you do this, Jedi Master." Finn stepped in between the two.

"Get out of my way, you. My business is with the Sith lord." They ignited their sabers.

"You," she emphasized, "are committing an act of treason."

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine spoke menacingly.

"The Senate will decide your fate."

Palpatine grew angry, "I am the Senate!" he drew out his lightsaber. It hissed with bloody rage.

"Not yet!" Master Windu hopped forward and engaged Palpatine.

The other three Jedi had moved in closer on Finn, each of them holding a lightsaber, contemplating on her next move.

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