I do not own the characters, except any new ones I add or create. The plot twists are mine, yet the story belongs to George Lucas. Also, I do use many, many lines from the movie, and I do not take credit for them.

Vataloni's Veiw

The Opera had to have been one of the loveliest sights Vataloni had seen. The colours were somehow so soothing, and didn't seem to suit the corrupt world of politics and battles from which she lived in. She glanced over to Palpatine gingerly, who had a tranquil smile on his face as his eyes followed the flowing lights. Masses of blue, purple and green flew out, letting a delicate hum move effortlessly to the ears of anyone listening.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Palpatine inquired, tearing his eyes away from the show for a moment, "This does seem to be one of the better shows."

"It's most entertaining, your Excellency," Vataloni replied politely.

"Come come," he chuckled, waving his hand casually, "Enough with the formalities... There is no need for you to say my title at the end of everything."

Vataloni felt herself flush slightly, "I apologize Chancellor, but it's merely out of respect. I'm of a lower rank then you are, and it comes naturally to me to keep to that respect."

"A lower rank?" Palpatine repeated, his tone hardening a bit, "You are almost a Jedi Master..."

"But you are still a higher ranking member in society," Vataloni stated, her eyebrows raised slightly, "Are you not?"

Palpatine stared at her for a moment, and then turned back to the Opera, a slight smirk on his face. Vataloni wasn't sure whether she had just buttered his ego, or outwitted him. Either way, she knew she hadn't insulted him. She moved back to the Opera, watching the colours move flawlessly. Her keen ears, and her sense of the Force, picked up suddenly, and she knew instantly someone was approaching. An instinct to protect the Chancellor kicked in, and she rose to her feet. Palpatine, however, grabbed her arm firmly and pulled her back down into her seat. She looked over at him curiously, yet he didn't look back. No one else in the balcony noticed the slight interruption, and continued to watch the Opera. Frowning, Vataloni wished she had kept her cloak close by, since it held her lightsaber in one of the pockets. She felt foolish to simply leave it with some attendant.

"You wanted to see me, Chancellor?"

Vataloni jumped. She had been so tuned in to scolding herself that she had not noticed Anakin stroll into the booth and bend down beside Palpatine. She made eye contact while pair waited for Palpatine to respond. In his eyes, Vataloni knew Anakin was curious as to the reasons of her being there with the Chancellor, but she mouthed Later with as much subtlety as she could muster.

"Yes, Anakin," Palpatine said cheerfully, not looking away from the Opera, "Come closer, I have good news."

Anakin kneeled down beside Palpatine's seat and the Chancellor leaned down towards him, speaking loud enough for Vataloni to hear the conversation, "Our Clone intelligence unit has discovered the location of General Grievous. He's hiding... in theUtapau system."

"At last," Anakin said happily, a sly smile moving over his face, "We'll be able to capture that monster and put an end to this war."

Palpatine smiled and made a deep, dramatic breath, "I would worry about the collective wisdom of the Council to put you on this assignment... You're the last choice by far."

Anakin frowned and Vataloni knew it hurt for him to hear it, but Palpatine went on, "But I think by far the best."

A smooth recovery, Vataloni mused, fiddling with her dress slightly when Palpatine looked backover to her and the rest of his guests in the balcony seats, "Anakin... sit. Leave us."

The woman beside Vataloni and the rest of the company rose and left, so she took is as her cue to leave also. Palpatine clutched her arm again, "Not you... Vataloni. Sit and watch the Opera."

She shot a confused look over to Anakin, who watched her blankly. Nodding, Vataloni did as she was told and settled back into the chair, watching the second act of the performance. Anakin moved to the seat beside Vataloni, and she knew there was no way she would be able to tune out of the conversation if they simply talked over her.

"Anakin," Palpatine started, "You know I am not able to rely on the Jedi Council...If they haven't tuned you into their plot, they soon will."

Vataloni tried not to show her surprise at the easy tone of the Chancellor as he discussed the flaws in the Jedi Council, and she wondered why Anakin was not defending his Master's with more vigor then he was.

"The Jedi Council wants to control the Republic," Palpatine stated, not looking at either Vataloni or Anakin, "They're planning to betray me."

"I don't think-"

"Anakin," Palpatine cooed, cutting him off swiftly, "Search your feelings. You know... Don't you...?"

Anakin swallowed hard and stumbled over his words slightly, "I... I know they don't trust you."

Vataloni's eyes widened as she tried to look over at Anakin, hinting to Shut Up.

"Or the Senate, or the Republic, or Democracy for that matter," Palpatine sighed. Vataloni knew that was completely blown out of proportion, and only felt it right to say something, "Now both of you know that is utterly untrue. The Jedi Order stands for Democracy... Democracy runs our lives. They serve this Republic and the Senate."

"Hush, Vataloni," Palpatine said calmly, shooting her a look. She raised her eyebrows; he was treating her like a child. She cleared her throat, "I cannot pretend not to hear this, and I won't if I am asked... So to avoid it, I'll go."

She got to her feet quickly, but Palpatine, for the third time, grabbed her arm and yanked her back down, "You are my guest, Vataloni, and it would be rude to leave. Sit. And. Watch. The. Opera."

Vataloni looked at Anakin, who made a half-hearted shrug, and she felt herself alone between the pair of men, "If you insist, your Excellency."

"I have to admit," Anakin said suddenly, returning to their previous conversation before her brief interruption, "My trust in them has been... shaken."

"Why? Have they asked you to do something that you feel... dishonest about?" Palpatine prodded, "They've asked you to spy on me... Haven't they?"

Slowly, Anakin nodded his head. Vataloni was outraged; he was giving away all his SECRET assignments without so much as an argument or a protest. Anakin looked frustrated more then anything, "I don't... I don't know what to say..."

"Remember back to your early teachings," Palpatine murmured, his voice slowly growing stronger as he spoke, "All who gain power... are afraid to lose it. Even the Jedi."

Vataloni felt her insides quiver when he said the last part of his sentence. Anakin, clearly, had noticed nothing, but Palpatine's voice had changed. It went cold and eerie, far too familiar for Vataloni's liking.

"The Jedi use their power for good," Anakin said strongly. Vataloni rolled her eyes; he was finally defending his title.

"Good is a point of view, Anakin," Palpatine said honestly, "The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest for greater power."

"The Sith... The Sith think only inwards," Anakin said harshly, deliberately not looking at Vataloni, "They think only about themselves."

"And the Jedi don't?" Palpatine retorted, turning to face Anakin. Vataloni felt awkward between the two, and felt herself lowering down in her chair as they stared at each other.

"The Jedi are selfless," Anakin said firmly, "They only care about others."

Silence settled over the entire group, and Anakin looked away towards the Opera, scowling slightly. Palpatine smiled, "You ever hear the tragic tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise?"

The abrupt change of topic started Vataloni, yet she knew Anakin would be pleased to talk about something else other then his view on the Jedi.

"No..." he answered truthfully, looking back over to Palpatine, who smirked, "I thought not."

Vataloni perked up. She had heard of the Sith lord long ago, when she was maybe less then five. Her master was only a hint more kindly then, and he would tell her stories about Sith from the past.

"Have you, Vataloni?" he inquired; Palpatine knew she was listening more to the conversation then enjoying the Opera. She turned her head, "Yes I have."

"Well, obviously this is a tale they would never tell a Jedi," he said coyly, looking at Anakin, "It's a Sith legend. He was a Dark Lord of the Sith... So powerful and so wise, he even used the Force to influence the medichlorinans... who credit life. He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying."

Vataloni knew Anakin's mind was immediately rushing to his beloved Padme, even though his skilled facial expression showed nothing on the outside, "He could actually... save people from death?"

Anakin was interested now, Vataloni could tell. He was usually never curious about a topic, unless he asked questions about it. Palpatine turned away, "The Dark Side of the Force is the pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural."

Vataloni shifted again; her previous Master would constantly refer to the Dark Side as something unnatural.

"What happened to him?" Anakin asked. Palpatine smiled again, "He became so powerful that he was only afraid of one thing... Using his power... Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything, and his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Funny... he knew how to save others from death, but not himself."

"Ironic really," Vataloni muttered to herself softly. Anakin looked up at Palpatine with dead seriousness, "Is it possible to learn this power?"

"Not from a Jedi," he responded slowly.

Anakin did not linger much after the conversation ceased. He excused himself politely, and Vataloni figured he was off to either meditate, or pay Padme a visit in their lovely apartment. As soon as he left, the rest of the Senators joined Vataloni and Palpatine in the booth to finish off the remaining minutes of the Opera. They all looked rather disgruntled with having to wait outside, but none of them said a word to Palpatine about it. The conversation was always light and friendly. After a very long applause, the Chancellor rose from his seat and motioned for Vataloni to stay near by.

"Did you enjoy the show?" he asked, walking at a leisurely pace through the halls. Vataloni watched the Senators lean in a little closer from behind the pair, clearly hoping to catch a bit of what happened when they had been asked to leave.

"It was brilliant," Vataloni said warmly, a hint of false cheeriness, "And I do hope I shall get to see it again when I am not working."

Palpatine smiled kindly and held out his arm, waiting for her to link hers with his. Vataloni swallowed and gingerly took it. Conversations settled around the group of politicians, all who seemed eager to please Palpatine as they walked. An executive decision was made to go for some dinner, though Vataloni would have rather gone back to Obi-Wan and relaxed. Her shoes were high heels, and were giving her blisters even after the short amount of time she had spent in them. The group turned into an empty hall that led to the food court, but they were cut off almost immediately by a gang.

Vataloni cursed herself for not sensing anything. The gang was made up of about four members, all robed in black with facemasks. As Palpatine's guards reached for their weapons, they were shot to the ground; one of the Senators screamed.

"Easy nooow..." one of the gang members laughed, waving his gun around. His accent was almost human, and he sounded like Obi-Wan, but his accent was much heavier then Vataloni's master, "No need to panic. Just hand me your goods and we'll be on our way... And fancy that... We're in the company of the Chancellor. I think we should show our faces in dim respect boys."

The gang members removed their masks and bowed low, all with arrogant smirks on their faces. Palpatine looked disgusted more then anything else. The creatures were human, but they moved with such speed that it was almost disturbing. Vataloni studied the ringleader's face as he pulled some rings off one of the Senator's hands.

"Well I was wondering when I'd run up with you," she said loudly, "Timothy Billionson... Do you realize how far you've gone out of your parole area?"

Everyone, including the man she had addressed, turned to her with shock. Timothy's eyes widened, "V-Vataloni... Heh. Fancy m-meeting you here. Almost didn't recognize you all dolled up... You look very um... nice."

"My master and I granted you clemency, you bloody Space Pirate," she snarled, "Attempting to hijack a ship that had our markings on it is an offense, and we set you off with a parole... Is this how you thank us! You're practically mocking us!"

Timothy and Vataloni had met once before. She, Anakin and Obi-Wan were on their way back to Courasant and he and his crew tried to take over their ship. It was a fruitless attempt, of course, since Timothy was nothing more then a coward with a gun.

"How... How's ol' Obi doing?" he asked nervously, tenderly shoving the rings back onto the woman's hand, "Don't need to tell him about this... Or get the uh.. Council involved."

"You shot six guards!" Vataloni shrieked, taking a step closer, "I don't know why I'm not sending Yoda a message now!"

Of course, there was no need to contact Yoda about a stupid Pirate, but it was always an advantage to put some fear into her enemies, especially ones like Timothy Billionson.

Timothy stared at her, fear in his eyes; she could sense it coursing through him. After a moment of silence, he tore off down the hall, his comrades running the opposite direction. Vataloni groaned, "I wasn't in the bloody mood to chase him! URGH!"

Leaning on Palpatine for support with one arm, she pulled off the painful shoes she had been wearing and stuffed them in his hands, "Hold."

"There's no need to run after him-"

"Yes, for me there is..." Vataloni stated. She felt it was her fault the guards had been killed, and it was her duty to find the killer. The one problem was that Timothy moved with lightning speed, and it would be close to impossible to keep up with him. She took off in his direction, sensing he was just ahead of her. Shutting her eyes, she let the Force guide her feet. Eyes only deceived those who trusted them, and she found them useless.

Vataloni ended up chasing the pirate through a restaurant, and she was always so close to catching him, but she wasn't used to running in the dress she was wearing. Timothy did lead a rather daring escape, and several times he looked over his shoulder, fearful that Vataloni was still on him, which she was. Finally, he ran out of space to run. He had run down a hall that merely lead to a balcony.

"Timothy Billionson," Vataloni said in a clear voice as she moved towards him slowly, "You are under arrest by the Jedi Council for breaking parole, murder, attempted thieveryand resisting arrest... Now come here."

Timothy looked at her with large brown eyes, ones that usually won him pity from anyone who gazed into them, but Vataloni had enough of him. Shaking, he moved closer to the balcony, laughing, "You know why I was sent here? The robbery was a cover up... I'm a assassin... Vataloni... He... the Chancellor was my target. The poorer people of the Republic are losing more and more rights, and HE'S taking them away! I was giving people liberty! He should be taken from power, he-"

As Timothy went on with his speech, he backed into the rail of the balcony and toppled over, screaming. Vataloni's eyes widened and she ran to where he last stood, watching him fall into the black backstreets of Courasant.

"Did you catch him?" Palpatine inquired as Vataloni approached the seated group of politicians. They were all sitting at a round, plush red booth near a window in the very restaurant Vataloni had ran through earlier in her pursuit to apprehend Timothy.

"He..." Vataloni paused, trying to sum up what happened, "He... fell to his death, actually."

She could have sworn she heard many snatches of approval from the Senators, but Palpatine did not look as pleased, "Sit, Vataloni, I ordered you a drink."

As far as she was concerned, Palpatine had done a fair bit of ordering for her tonight, and it was starting to get annoying, "I really think I should return to my Master and inform him of the night's events."

"I think you would be doing more for your master if you went back to see him," Palpatine chuckled, a hint of mockery in his voice, "And I would feel wrong to let you do it. Now sit, it would be rude to refuse a drink."

She sighed and knew it would be rude to leave, "Alright, but I really, really must go after one drink."

"I don't see why," Palpatine chuckled, leaning back as a droid waiter set the drinks down on the table, and more softly, he added, "I'm sure you can keep Obi-Wan off your mind for one night."

Vataloni picked up her glass, trying to keep from lashing out at the Chancellor with the crude remarks that were slowly forming in her mind, "Of course."

The drink was delicious. It was warm... yet somehow cool as it flowed through her body, it was one of those drinks you could feel slide down the whole way. The Senators around her were all conversing with each other, and it appeared more had joined the group, since the booth was so full several were standing around it and leaning in.

"So this is what politicians do," Vataloni mumbled, "Sit around and drink..."

"You know that's far from the truth, my dear," Palpatine chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. Vataloni tried to keep her glare back, but it managed to slip out, making Palpatine laugh even more, "Relax Vataloni... I'm giving you a night off from the turmoil of the Jedi world."

"I think there is more turmoil in the Senate then in my world," Vataloni stated crudely, "And as pleased as I am that you took me to the Opera, discussing politics is never a matter I sink too deeply in to. Politics are for politicians... I am a Jedi, and I will stay on their side of this."

She knew what she had said; she had said that she disagreed with almost everything Anakin and Palpatine had spoken about earlier, and that she would side with the Jedi, no mater what the cost was.

"I don't think you should speak of loyalty," Palpatine clucked, moving a little closer to her and block out the other Senators seated around them, "Because I know you had different loyalties before the Jedi."

"My loyalty to the Sith was never binding," Vataloni hissed, "My Master left me, and I found there was nothing more for me to do but-"

"Wait, perhaps," Palpatine suggested, "How were you not sure your Master would not return to you at a later time."

"You never knew him," Vataloni growled, "Don't speak of him like you did. He had no feelings, no heart... I was not as useful to him as his other apprentice was, and I was discarded to the side."

"Did you ever learn his name?" he asked. Vataloni shook her head, "I addressed him as Master, nothing else. I was to not listen to his conversations with others, and I never once caught his name."

"His name was Sidious."

Vataloni stared at him blankly, her jaw hanging open slightly, and forgetting her manners, she stuttered, "W-What?"

"He was a Dark Lord that went by the name of Darth Sidious," Palpatine repeated, much more clearly this time, "And the apprentice he left you for is dead."

"How do you know this...?" Vataloni asked. No one knew about her Master, not even the Jedi. They had done a short search for the Sith when Vataloni came to them three years ago, but they could only locate dead or retired Sith, never one matching the description that Vataloni gave.

"I think another drink will aid with that conversation," Palpatine laughed, flagging down a droid carrying a tray of drinks. Vataloni hesitated when she was offered one, but she longed to know more about her former Master; Palpatine had hooked her. She gently took a glass and leaned in, waiting for him to speak.

A rather drunk Vataloni stumbled into Palpatine's apartment, leaning on a chair for support, "I think I drank a lil... little too much, Sir. Perhaps it would be best to talk about things another time..."

Though Vataloni was far from sober, she knew that the conversations that took place between herself and Palpatine were nothing interesting. He told her facts she already knew about her Master and a few ones about his life before he took in Vataloni. She wanted to keep asking how it was the Chancellor knew so much about her former teacher, but each time she started asking, Palpatine cut her off with another drink.

"You're in no state to go home alone," Palpatine chuckled, "So I strongly think it would be best if you stayed here tonight."

"I... I don't," Vataloni stated.

"And why not?"

"I do not trust you..." Vataloni slurred, pointing a finger at him, "You've already tried to bl-blackmail me once... If I stay then you h-have something else to use against me."

"I really don't think I am that kind of person," Palpatine said, raising his eyebrows, "I'm only lending you my room... You're a danger to yourself and others this intoxicated..."

"You got me like this," Vataloni snapped. Palpatine fired back, "Yes. But you were the one who took the drinks-"

"Because I wanted you to keep talking!" Vataloni answered back freely, "But you gave me nothing new that I didn't already know about my Master... So... You basciall-ly got me drunk for no reason!"

"There's a reason for everything, Vataloni dear," Palpatine said firmly, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her towards his room. She felt as though she was floating, for her head suddenly felt very light, though there was that nagging voice telling her to leave, now.

"I think I should go-"

"And I don't," Palpatine said curtly, "And as a higher ranking member of society... I order you to stay."

Vataloni tried to find the loophole around his order, but her mind simply would not work with her, "I...I..."

"Am very, very drunk," Palpatine said with delight, walking her into the room. Everything was so dark, and all Vataloni could see was the outline of a bed; her mind started to panic. Palpatine lifted her slightly and set her on the bed. Vataloni, however, felt her body cramp up, and before she could do anything, she had passed out.