A/N: Just and FYI, there is a lot going on in this chapter, so it jumps around a bit. Just a friendly warning. Enjoy!


Chapter 20: Revealed

Anakin was startled awake the following morning when he heard a faint, familiar voice murmur in his head, "Anakin, Anakin… Padmé… Senate Building." The voice was too soft to be recognized, so Anakin probed the Force to see if it could locate its source. Unable to find anything, Anakin figured he must have dreamt the voice.

Sighing resignedly, Anakin rose from the sofa he had been sleeping on and went to check on the droids. He had not slept in his own bedroom because of the broken window and he wanted to leave R2D2 and C3P0 instructions on getting it repaired. Once that had been taken care of, Anakin left his apartment and went to the Jedi Temple to see if Masters Yoda and Kenobi had any luck in locating the dark Force presence.


Sidious had not realized that in his latest control slip, Chancellor Organa had been able to project his own thoughts over Sidious' connection with the Force. Not being Force sensitive himself, the Chancellor was not very successful in his efforts, but due to their mental connection, he had managed to break into Sidious' powers momentarily. Sidious was completely oblivious to the risk of failure to his project this could cause if the Chancellor tried this again.

Sidious' inability to see the Chancellor's struggle for control as a problem left the Sith with a false sense of contentment and invincibility. Sidious merely smiled at himself and his own genius as he had the Chancellor stare out a window at the Coruscant cityscape. Long ago, the planet before him had been his. The Sith Lord had controlled the entire galaxy and he would only need to wait a few more months before he could reclaim it once more.


"Did you find anything?" Anakin asked as he walked into the Jedi Temple Archives and found both Masters Yoda and Kenobi sitting in front of a data console.

"Not Padmé or our mysterious presence. However, Master Yoda did locate an ancient data file on the dark side buried in the archives. Since nothing else had helped us reveal our answer, perhaps this will."

Anakin shrugged as he fell into a chair beside the Jedi Masters. He let out a long sigh as he rubbed a hand warily across his forehead.

"How feel you?" Master Yoda asked in response.

"Frustrated. I am worried about Padmé."

"Afraid to lose her, I think." Master Yoda acknowledged.

Anakin nodded as he closed his eyes and probed the Force for any signs of her or her captor.

"Strong she is. Trust that she can take care of herself, I do. Find her we will." Yoda stated reassuringly as he continued to meticulously study the data file before him. After Anakin's outburst the previous night, the elder Jedi Master knew he needed to instill a sense of hope in the young man in order to push back the desperation and darkness that was trying to consume his soul. Padmé had been Anakin's anchor to the light side of the Force and with her missing; the Jedi would have to help Anakin keep his focus. Anakin had changed his ways when he became a Jedi Knight, but the allure of the dark side could easily become a dominant player in his life given his current level of aggravation.

"I hope so." Anakin mumbled softly.

"Hope, there always is." Master Yoda stated and he turned towards Anakin with a slight smile. He watched Anakin smile back at him before both Jedi went back to their respective tasks in their current investigation.


Another five and a half months passed with no sign of Padmé. Periodically, the Jedi would catch a glimpse of the dark Force presence they suspected had kidnapped her. However, the appearance always disappeared before they could locate and identify it.

"It has been happening more frequently lately. I think it is having troubles cloaking itself." Obi-Wan commented to Anakin one evening.

"It seems so, I only wish I could lock onto it for a longer period of time. Last time it showed up I almost thought there was something familiar about it. I would have known had it not disappeared." Anakin replied with a bit of irritation. With as much time that had gone by since Padmé's kidnapping, he would normally have been a nervous wreck, however every time the dark presence appeared in the Force, he drew strength from the knowledge that the Jedi's search was working.

It also helped that both Masters Kenobi and Yoda were around to help counsel him and keep any encroaching darkness and anger subdued within him. He knew that falling apart would not help locate Padmé. He had done that once and could have killed himself or his good friend, Obi-Wan, and neither event would have got him any closer to rescuing Padmé.

Additionally, Anakin was able to hold the darkness within him in check with a feeling he gathered from the Force. Although Anakin could not feel Padmé in the Force, something told him that she was still alive and well.

Both he and Obi-Wan had searched every building in the capital district of Coruscant and were pulling up blue prints of the surrounding area to see if there were any hidden areas they had missed. Anakin knew of some secret passages. As a former Sith Lord, his former Master had used the passages to hide his actions, but Anakin had not found any sign of Padmé in the places he knew about.


"It will not be long now Senator. Soon you will be dead and your child will be mine." Sidious stated gleefully as he watched Padmé struggle into a standing position. A little over eight months pregnant, Padmé was very awkward on her feet.

"Anakin will find me." Padmé stated sternly. She prayed each night that her declarations would come true, but she was very quickly losing hope. Everyday her child grew larger and stronger and she could not help but wince, not in pain, but in fear every time it kicked and moved within her.

Sidious cackled manically, "You think so. Even after all this time. He has searched the entire capital district and has yet to find you. Master Yoda and Kenobi have been trying to keep him calm, but I can feel frustration and rage boiling within him." Sidious paused before he continued, "His powers with the dark side were always very strong, pity he will never know their power again. Your death will kill him. Your child will take his place and I will ensure it does not fall for the weaknesses of its father." Sidious' cackles grew louder as he finished.

With the Sith's attention diverted, Organa made another effort to fight the Sith's hold on him. "Now!" He shouted as he attempted to bolt towards the door and escape the Sith's clutches. Padmé had tried several times to run towards that door in the past, but the Sith was able to stop her with his Force abilities, and now running was not possible with the growing baby within her.

"Run Bail!" Padmé shouted before watching her friend's attempt fail once more. Padmé had not failed to notice the many times Bail had regained control over himself as of late. Her heart leapt in celebration during these attempts. However, all her celebrations were short-lived because the Sith Lord always regained his hold and influence over the Chancellor. With each of Bail's failed escape attempts, Padmé could feel her heart constrict with the fear that all may soon be lost.

"Oh no Chancellor. You cannot escape me that easily." Sidious stated menacingly as he subdued Organa once more. "You should know by now that there is no escape. You can never get away from me." With that final statement, Sidious had Organa turn towards Padmé and say, "Good evening, Senator. You should get some rest. Skywalker's child needs its strength."


Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Master Yoda were reading through files in the Jedi Temple trying to find something they may have overlooked. Suddenly, they felt the dark presence once more and Anakin quickly probed it to find its identity and location. To Anakin's surprise, the presence was visible for longer than usual and although he could not locate the presence in the short period of time he could identify it. Anakin gasped and opened his eyes with a look of shocked recognition on his face. Master Yoda and Kenobi's eyes were wide with understanding too as Anakin's eyes narrowed in anger and he vehemently stated, "Sidious!"