Disclaimer: This story includes excerpts of the movie Star Wars. The characters and idea of Star Wars is property of George Lucas. I'm borrowing the characters as respectfully as possible, simply to entertain myself and anyone willing to read this fanfiction.
AN; My dear readers. I will apologize to you Obidala fans immediately for this chapter. But then, Anakin must have a place in this too... So just bear with me. Hate the characters, not me! (smiles) Let me know if the two are in character, and of course what you think. X, Mu-san

Peace of Heart

Wandering on or off the path

Palpatine had waited until Anakin had finished his desert before opening the conversation.

"Now your Geruvian pie is gone, perhaps you can tell me about Geonosis."

Anakin put down his fork on his plate, a little disappointed that the piece of his favorite pie was gone already. "Haven't you gotten all the reports?"

The Chancellor made a dismissive sweep with his hand in the air. "I've had so many reports that it would take a month to read them all. What I want to know is what happened to you, dear boy. The way I heard it you flew to Geonosis and executed a daring rescue attempt, one the Jedi council was unwilling to perform."

His pie now forgotten Anakin focused on the chancellor. "Well, in all honesty it was Padme who started it…"

Another dismissive sweep of his hand punctuated his words in a way Anakin liked very much. "Don't sell yourself short Anakin, you were the leading jedi. I don't believe Senator Amidala would have gotten very far without you."

He thought of Padme's feisty character and how she would disagree and say she could take care of herself, but he also reasoned he was the superior fighter, not her. So he took the chancellor's words as a compliment.

"Thank you."

"I'm merely telling you what I believe to be true, Anakin. Now tell me, how was Count Dooku?"

Anakin felt his blood slowly start to burn at the mention of the former elder jedi. "Dooku is a sithspawn," he spat out, "an old man who needs to fight with tricks and taunts in order to win."

Palpatine leaned forward in his chair, a genuine curiosity shining in his eyes. "Tell me about your duel, Anakin."

Unconsciously Anakin flexed his mechanical hand as he spoke of the duel, how Dooku had used Force lightning against him, how his master had been incapacitated, how he had fought with two sabers at the same time. At the mention of this Palpatine looked very impressed.

"Two lightsabers? My dear boy, I didn't even know that was possible! That would have been quite difficult for Dooku to survive, I'm sure!"

A small smile formed on his lips as he recalled the swift swordplay Dooku had to employ to avoid his sabers. "Indeed, I had the upper hand there for a while."

"And yet…," Palpatine's voice trailing away a bit, "he managed to take your hand."

His mechanical fingers flexed and formed a crushing fist. "Dooku relied on every trick he could think of, he dared not fight fairly against me."

The chancellor nodded his silent agreement.

"Instead of fighting fairly he used the Force to crush us beneath a powercoil. That is when Master Yoda was there too."

"Master Yoda, yes, I remember hearing he was there."

Anakin gave a small shrug. "I don't remember much of it, just what I heard afterwards. Dooku and Yoda fought, and Yoda saved us from the powercoil."

"And let Count Dooku get away…"

The chancellor's statement hung in the air. Anakin felt a swift need to affirm it, but decided to let it go in the end. Even though the chancellor had a point.

"Well, I think you fought like a true, brave and powerful jedi Anakin. Just not powerful enough to take down Dooku…"

Again it hung in the air, but this time it made him bristle and respond quickly. "I will become more powerful and show Dooku who is the better man."

A small smile graced Palpatine's lips. "Of that, I have no doubt my boy."

- ∞ -

The second Obi-wan stepped out of the lift he mentally smacked his hand against his forehead. 'Blast, I forgot all about Anakin! I told him we would meet for lunch if I was able.' A part of him reasoned he wasn't free at all, Padme was waiting eagerly to hear how his conversation with Yoda had gone. Then again, another part of him spoke up, they hadn't made any lunch plans for that. Both confronted with a hectic schedule right upon arrival on Coruscant, they had agreed to stick to dinner as the most likely time of meeting.

With the knowledge that Padme would not expect him at lunch, Obi-wan plucked the communicator from his belt.

"Anakin, this is Obi-wan, do you copy?"

After a small pause he was about to try again, when his padawan, former padawan he reminded himself, responded.

"Yes, master?"

"Anakin, my meeting ran a little late, but I'm free to meet you for lunch if you would still like to."

"I would have master, but I've already had lunch with Chancellor Palpatine."

He couldn't keep the surprise and slight frown out of his voice. "Chancellor Palpatine?"

"Yes, master. He called me this morning, after the healers fixed my hand."

Was their some resentment in his voice there? Obi-wan pushed it aside for now.

"Very well, Anakin. Perhaps we can meet for lunch tomorrow then."

"Yes, master."

He disconnected and put the comm-link back into his belt. Ever since Anakin had come to Coruscant to commence his Jedi training Chancellor Palpatine had been present in his life. In the beginning it was a short inquiry or pat on the back when they so happened to cross paths, but lately the chancellor had become more of a permanent fixture in Anakin's life. And not because Obi-wan had wanted it. Truth be told, he didn't like it one bit. He would have to admit that it was his distaste for politicians that colored his opinion somewhat, but Palpatine just…well, he just didn't like the man. A gut feeling mostly, but one he was willing to listen to.

Shaking off his thoughts on the chancellor and Anakin he strode towards the great marble stairs that would lead him outside. Anakin was a jedi knight now, no longer in need of his constant attention. Which brought relief and concern to him at the same time. With a quick wave a public transport stopped, and Obi-wan told him to go to the Senate building. Perhaps Padme was free for lunch after all.

- ∞ -

With an angry push Anakin stowed away his comm device. Some nerve he has, Anakin thought, to call me and expect me to jump at his beck and call. Why does it all have to be by his convenience?

"If I knew you would be meeting Master Kenobi for lunch I would have called at a different time."

Seemed like the chancellor had read his very mind. "No, we didn't have any plans. I'm glad you called me."

Palpatine leaned back in his chair and studied him for a moment. The scrutiny would have made him uncomfortable in the past, but he had learned that the man was only trying to figure out what was best for him, so he stood firm under his gaze.

"Has your relationship with Master Kenobi changed, Anakin?"

Instantly two images came to mind. One where Obi-wan was correcting him on his hand to hand combat on Naboo during his short visit, and the other of Obi-wan saying goodbye to him when he and Padme went to board the refugee shuttle. After his first solo mission his status as a knight had been established, which meant that Obi-wan technically was no longer his master. Yet even during his first mission he was right there to correct him, showing him he still had so many faults. It chafed at him that Obi-wan still acted like his master in so many ways, when he was a full jedi knight now.

"I will see less of Master Obi-wan when I receive more missions now I'm a jedi knight."

Palpatine nodded. "I've said it before, I think you are quite ready for it. To show how much you can do for the Republic."

Why, why couldn't Obi-wan and the council see what the chancellor saw in him? The elder man knew him well enough to see his potential, yet the jedi always questioned him. Held him back…

"And I want to do it, go on missions for the Republic. I just wish…"

He trailed off, unsure whether he could say it. But a small nod and encouraging look from the chancellor convinced him he could speak his mind freely here.

"…I just wish the Council would trust me."

The other man frowned. "Why would they not trust you, Anakin?"

Suppressed frustrations found their way to the surface now they suddenly found the freedom to be heard.

"They still think I'm not ready, not enough in control of my emotions. Obi-wan, the Council, they all think I'm some kind of weak fool."

Anakin brought his hands down back to rest on the table, having gestured animatedly during his outburst without even realizing it. Palpatine rose from his chair, walked over to Anakin and put a hand on his shoulder. The gesture felt very reassuring to Anakin. The chancellor sighed.

"I have always thought highly of the jedi before I came to office here. But having seen and met them my opinion has changed somewhat."

Anakin looked up with a slight frown and a questioning look. The older man squeezed his shoulder again in reassurance.

"Oh I still think they are amazing warriors, the best of the Republic. But I found their emotionless ways to be…arrogant."

"Arrogant?" 'Arrogant?' Anakin weighed the word in his mind and found it oddly pleasing.

"In a way, yes. They think emotions are to be controlled, obliterated. But we all have emotions, and they cannot go away. I would advocate an understanding of emotions, rather than suppression or ignorance of it. Know yourself, and you become a wise man."

Anakin found himself in total agreement with this statement. "It is very hard to suppress emotions."

Palpatine let out a soft laugh. "My boy, I'm astounded you have done it so much already! I would have burst under the pressure, to be sure."

To have a strong and balanced man say something like that made his internal struggle seem justified. "I try."

With a soft pat on his shoulder Palpatine left his side and walked over to his desk. There he picked up a thin datapad, and looked intently at it for a second. Then he turned back to Anakin.

"My dear boy, would you consider doing a small mission for me? For the Republic?"

Surprise bloomed inside of him, along with a faint sense of pride. "A mission, for you?"

Another dismissive wave of his hand in the air. "Off the records, consider it more a request than an official mission. After all, I'm not the jedi Council."

For a second he reminded himself that the day after tomorrow he was getting his skin graft, and then the Council would most likely call on him. But, he reasoned, wasn't doing a favor for the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic in line with the mandate of the jedi? His duty to the Republic?

"What kind of mission?"

The chancellor smiled proudly at him for his apparent choice.

"Last week I received a report of some underground youth movements. They roam the nightlife of Coruscant's lower levels, causing trouble in the nightclubs. Now it is standard practice to send in the official police force, but that way it may never be resolved. Short time confinement does not discourage them, I'm sure."

It sounded very rebellious to him. He had known a few padawans that had done some clubbing, but Obi-wan always had kept him on a short leash, so he had no real experience on the matter. He wondered what it would be like, and what he could do about it.

"What I would like you to do, Anakin, is search for these gangs, and get to know what they are about. Learn the reasons behind their behavior and feelings, so I can take far more appropriate and effective measures to ensure the trouble stops."

If he was honest, it sounded alluring. Exciting even. But the question was if he had the time, or the permission, to do this 'request' for the chancellor. Normally any knight needed clearance from the council to embark on a mission. But this wasn't a mission, not really. And the Supreme Chancellor was asking it personally. How could he refuse that?

Apparently Palpatine saw through his concerns once more.

"If you would prefer I could clear it with Master Kenobi, or even the Jedi Council first."

This convinced Anakin the chancellor was on the level with him, and that accepting to do this favor was the right thing to do. He stood up and walked up to the front of the desk. There he looked straight at the chancellor with his right hand offered to take the datapad.

"I will do this request for you. The Council might give me a mission soon, but I shall finish this first."

Palpatine smiled broadly at him. "Excellent, Anakin, you're doing me and the authority here on Coruscant a great favor. It shall not be forgotten." He gave Anakin the datapad. "Now, as I understand it, it's a large group, consisting of several species in the age of 16 to 21. If you can successfully reach them and make contact you'll be one of the older ones."

Anakin nodded his agreement.

"Perhaps…perhaps it would be wise to have someone accompany you. Someone slightly younger, to make it easier to connect to the group. A female perhaps…"

This certainly surprised him and piqued his curiosity. "A female?"

The chuckle Palpatine let out sounded amused and slightly suggestive. "Yes Anakin, a female. I believe you do know what a woman is?"

On instinct he gave the chancellor a sarcastic smile. "Yes, I do."

Again this was met with a chuckle, this time in good-natured amusement. "I'm sorry my boy, allow an old man his jokes."

Anakin smiled, accepting Palpatine's eccentricity like he would humor a favorite uncle.

"Now I believe," Palpatine said, quickly rummaging amongst some files, "ah yes, here it is." He pulled a small datasheet out. "Jazela Fenris, daughter to commander Fenris, the head of the Coruscant police force. I've met with him once, and he keeps me up to date on the workings of the police force. Now two weeks ago his daughter joined the force, no doubt eager to step into her father's footsteps. She fits the profile perfectly to act as your…companion."

With equal measures of curiosity and hesitation Anakin accepted the datasheet. The first thing that attracted his attention was the photo in the upper right-hand corner. And unconsciously he held his breath for a split-second. A delicate face, soft brown eyes, and long rich, chestnut brown hair greeted him, instantly reminding him of the image he held of Padme in his mind. The resemblance seemed uncanny in that instant. Then it receded, and she looked different. But not much. He couldn't describe her in any other way than beautiful.

"So perhaps you can meet her? Take on this assignment together?"

Still fixed on her image Anakin nodded. The chancellor's words had only reached his mind dimly, but one word rang like a bell. Together. 'Yes, together with Padme on an assignment, just like on Naboo.' He shook his head lightly and reminded himself that the woman on this datasheet was not Padme. Yet again, he couldn't help but see how much she resembled the woman of his heart. And he couldn't help but wonder how she would be in person…

Vaguely he could remember leaving Palpatine's office, saying goodbye to the man in a haze. Now riding down in the lift he couldn't tear his eyes away from the picture.

'My Padme…'

- ∞ -

After ushering Anakin from his office Palpatine calmly walked back to his desk and sank into his chair. With a casual flick of his wrist a private comm channel was opened. From the other end a cultured, slightly haughty voice greeted him.

"Yes, Lord Sidious."

"Have the girl contact the boy. They will meet tonight, in one of the clubs close to her apartment. Make sure she knows what to do."

"Right away, my lord."

With another flick the channel closed and the office was silent. A faint smile graced the chancellor's lips. This would be a test to see how Anakin's obsession with Padme had grown. To see what he would do to get her. And he hoped it would be everything he suspected, and more.

'Like molding clay…'

A soft chuckle escaped him. With just a lot of patience and the right words here and there, Anakin would be standing on the edge of the abyss, willing to jump in at his merest command. Of that, he would make sure.

- ∞ -