AN: "aaaa" - talking through a holocommunicator or comlink. 'aaaa' - talking through a bond
Chapter Four
After Anakin and Obi-Wan arrived at the Senator's building and parked in the parking bay, they got out and headed towards the lift that would take them to Padmè's penthouse.
"That was some nice flying Anakin," Obi-Wan said.
"Thanks," Anakin responded.
Once the lift had arrived and both Jedi were inside, the doors closed and it began its accent up the side of the building. The view of Coruscant was certainly something to behold, but Anakin had seen the city's sprawling vistas too often in the years that he had been on the planet to be truly amazed.
Both Jedi were silent as they stood side by side.
Anakin thought back to the conversation that he had with his mother before he and Obi-Wan had left the Temple. When he told her that his old feelings for the Senator were beginning to resurface, even though he hadn't seen nor talked to her over the past ten years, all his mother told him was to remember Qui-Gon's teachings as well as Obi-Wan's and he would do fine. He told her that he would and then they hung up. As he looked at his reflection in the highly polished steel of the lift doors, he realized that his robes and cloak had gotten a little ruffled during the speeder ride over. He reached up and began to adjust his clothing as he didn't want to look unprofessional in front of Padmè and her staff when they arrived.
Obi-Wan noticed what his younger brother was doing and reached out into the force to get a sense of how he was faring. Feelings of nervousness floated across their bond and the Jedi Master softly smiled. "You seem a little on edge Anakin," he remarked.
"Not at all Master," Anakin replied, before subtly checking to make sure his padawan braid had no loose hairs showing.
"The last time you were like this was when you fell into that nest of gundarks," Obi-Wan slyly commented.
Anakin softly smirked and responded, "If I remember correctly Master, it was you who fell into that nightmare. I had to come and rescue you."
"Oh yes, now I remember," Obi-Wan replied. Then he softly chuckled.
Anakin shook his head as he quietly laughed and then all was silent once more as the turbolift continued its accent.
Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin. "You're sweating. Relax. Take a deep breath," he told him as he could actually see tiny beads of sweat clinging to Anakin's forehead.
"Obi-Wan, I haven't seen or talked to Padmè in ten years," Anakin said as he turned to look at his older brother. "Do you think she still remembers me?"
"Don't worry," Obi-Wan replied as he placed a hand on Anakin's left shoulder. "I'm sure she still remembers who you are."
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After Padmè, Dormè, Jar-Jar and Typho had eaten, they all made their way back to the sitting room. While the Senator headed out to the balcony for a little fresh air, with both Dormè and Captain Typho accompanying her to make sure she was safe, Jar-Jar left, rounded the corner and walked up to the turbolift as it came to a stop at the entrance to Padmè's penthouse.
As the doors opened, Anakin let his fleeting thoughts about Padmè drift away into the force and followed Obi-Wan out into the foyer where they were immediately greeted by the enthusiastic Gungan.
"Obi?" Jar-Jar asked upon seeing Obi-Wan. When he realized that it was indeed Obi-Wan, he got excited. "Obi! Mesa so smilen to seein yousa!"
"It's good to see you too, Jar-Jar," Obi-Wan replied, smiling at the Gungan's energetic greeting as he shook his hand.
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"Senator Padmè!" Padmè and Captain Typho turned around as they heard Jar-Jar's voice. The Senator couldn't help but softly smile as she saw Obi-Wan and Anakin follow the Gungan into the room. "Mesa palos are here! Lookie, lookie Senator. Desa Jedi arriven."
Padmè turned away from the balcony and walked inside, Captain Typho on her left and Dormè on her right. Obi-Wan bowed as the trio approached them.
"It's a great pleasure to see you again, milady," Obi-Wan said as he reached out and shook Padmè's hand.
"It has been far too long Master Kenobi," Padmè replied. Then she caught a glimpse of Anakin over his shoulder and smiled in his direction. "Ani? Is that really you? You certainly have gotten taller since the last time I saw you."
Anakin straightened up when he heard Padmè say his name. Obi-Wan glanced in his direction and stepped out of the way as he took a step forward so he was standing next to him. The teenage padawan nodded his head in greeting.
"Thank you Padmè. It's good to see you," Anakin responded, a small smile on his face. "I..um..heard what happened to your bodyguards and wanted to offer my condolences to you and your staff."
"Thank you, Anakin," Padmè softly replied as she returned the smile and then turned around. She led the group over to two couches that were placed on either side of the room facing each other. A small table sat in between them. Behind one of the couches were some large windows, as well as the still open balcony, that lined the walls and went from the floor to the ceiling. If one were to look outside, all they would see is the typical Coruscant skyline view.
"Don't worry Padmè. Our presence here will be invisible, I assure you," Obi-Wan told her in a calm voice as he and Anakin took a seat on one of the couches while Padmè, Dormè and Jar-Jar sat on the other one.
"I'm Captain Typho, head of her Majesty's security service," Typho said as he introduced himself from where he was standing, which was beside the couch Padmè and her entourage were sitting on. "The Queen has been informed of your assignment. I really am grateful that the two of you are here. I know the Senator doesn't seem to think so, but this situation is far more dangerous than she would care to admit."
Padmè sighed. She knew that the situation was indeed dangerous, but she had been in far worse situations before. She thought back to when she had taken back her planet as Queen or even when she had almost been killed when she had first come to Coruscant as the new Senator. She turned from looking at Typho to looking at Anakin and Obi-Wan. "While I am glad that our paths have crossed again, I really think your presence here is not needed. I tried to tell the Chancellor earlier that I didn't need more security, but he insisted on it. What I need are some answers as I want to know who is trying to have me killed," she said.
Obi-Wan frowned a little. "We have only been assigned to protect you Senator, not start an investigation," he responded.
Anakin knew what he wanted to say, but didn't say it. As much as he wanted to protect Padmè from the assassin and find out who had put the hit on her, he knew Obi-Wan wouldn't be happy with him. When he had come to the Temple after the Battle of Naboo, he had been prone to saying what was on his mind and not really thinking of what others thought of him. But after his mother had been freed and he had started talking to her every month, she - as well as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon - had helped him to look at things rationally, rather than going with what someone else - besides his master - told him to do. Now, as he thought about the situation that Padmè was currently in, he could tell that Padmè wanted to know that one of them was willing to break the instructions that they had been given. But that wouldn't be right, so he swallowed his pride. "Padmè," he said as he had finally thought of something, "I understand that you want to find out who is behind this, but right now, we have no leads and no witnesses to follow up with."
That was true. From what the Jedi had come up with combined with what had been reported on the holonet, it was clear that whoever had destroyed her diplomatic barge wasn't in the mood to be found.
"Well said Anakin. If there is another attempt, we will take whatever evidence we find to the Jedi Council and then figure out what to do from there," Obi-Wan responded.
Anakin breathed a small sigh of relief as he heard what Obi-Wan said. Along with learning to be patient during his training, he also learned not to argue with his fellow Jedi, mainly Obi-Wan. He saw the wisdom in what his master was teaching him and respected all that he was learning from the man.
"Perhaps," Padmè said, "with merely your presence, the mystery surrounding this threat will be solved." She stood up from her position on the couch. Dormè standing as well. "Now if you will excuse me, I believe I will turn in for the night."
Both Jedi stood up and bowed as Padmè and Dormè headed towards the hallway that led to the Senator's bedroom. Then Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin as he headed over to Captain Typho and noticed that he was transfixed on both of the women. Softly shaking his head, the Jedi Knight turned his attention to Typho as the man started speaking.
"I know that I'll feel better now that the two of you are here," he said. "There will be an officer stationed on every floor and I will be in the control center downstairs."
Obi-Wan nodded and walked with the Captain over to the elevator.
Anakin, who had followed them, suddenly stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
Jar-Jar looked over at the teenage padawan. "Mesa busten wit happiness seein yousa again, Ani," he said happily.
"She hardly recognized me, Jar-Jar," Anakin quietly told the Gungan as Obi-Wan came back into the room and headed over to the balcony. "I've been keeping up with what's she's been doing almost every day since we last saw each other. Now it seems as if she has completely forgotten who I am."
"Shesa happy," Jar-Jar insisted, knowing that he was referring to Padmè. "Happier than mesa been seeing her in a long time."
Obi-Wan came over from where he had been checking out the balcony. "I sense that you are focusing on the negative Anakin," he said. "I want you to be mindful of your thoughts." He glanced at Jar-Jar, then lowered his voice. "During our conversation, I sensed that she was pleased to see us. Now come on. Let's go check in with the security that Captain Typho has put in place."
Anakin followed his brother, letting all his negative and doubtful thoughts fade away into the force like wilting leaves on a tree. Protecting Padmè came first. Everything else could wait until later.
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As soon as Padmè and Dormè were in her bedroom and the door was closed, the Senator sat down at her desk, allowing her handmaiden to remove her hairpiece while she removed the necklace from around her neck.
"I'm surprised that they didn't start arguing over what they had been assigned to do," Dormè said while she was untangling the Senator's hair from the tall yellow hairpiece.
"I suppose Anakin has really taken to his Jedi training since coming to the temple after the celebration that we had on Naboo," Padmè responded as she laid the necklace down on the table in front of her.
Dormè smiled at Padmè's reflection as she finished and let the Senator's hair down, watching as it flowed over her back and shoulders. Then she came around to Padmè's right side, picked up the necklace and carried both it and the hairpiece to the closet where she put them away, grabbed a white nightgown and returned to Padmè's side.
As soon as the Senator had finished brushing through her hair, she stood up and allowed Dormè to assist her in the removal of her dress. Once the entire outfit was gone, Dormè handed Padmè her nightgown and picked up the outfit, again carrying it to the closet and putting it away. When Dormè had emerged from the closet, she saw that Padmè was dressed in her nightgown and knew that her services were no longer needed for the evening.
"Thank you for your help, Dormè," Padmè told her.
The woman gave a slight bow. "You are welcome milady. I shall leave you be for now," she said.
Padmè nodded, walked over to her bed and sat down as the door opened and slid shut behind her friend as she left. She was exhausted, but knew that the day was not over yet. Then she came up with an idea. One that would surely help them find a lead or maybe even catch the assassin if they were lucky. She got up and walked over to the door, letting it slide open. As she stepped through it and made her way down the hall, she heard the door slide shut.
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The last thing Zam Wessell wanted to do was tell the man who had hired her that she had failed her mission. As she got out of her speeder which she had parked on a platform that was hidden and out of the way, she somehow knew that her job wasn't finished yet.
She made her way over to a man who was waiting for her in the shadows. He was clad from head to toe in sliver and blue Mandalorian armor, even though the man himself wasn't from Mandalore. Zam knew very little about him and she knew that was the way he liked it. "I hit the ship, but they used a decoy," she reported.
Jango kept his helmet on and his arms at his sides and Zam knew that he wasn't happy that she had failed to take out her target. It was a well-known fact that some of the high-ranking people of Naboo liked to use decoys as bodyguards when they knew that it was necessary. She should have known that the former Queen would keep up with the practice even though she didn't like it.
Jango sighed a little. "It looks like we're going to have to try something a little different this time as my client is getting impatient. I want you to take these," he said as he handed her a tube containing a pair of wiggling insects. "Be careful with that tube as they're highly venomous."
Zam took one look at the tube that he had given her and immediately recognized the creatures that were inside. They were Kouhuns. One bite from them carried enough poison to kill a person. She was glad that Jango had thought to put them in the tube.
Jango waved his hand. Zam knew a dismissal when she saw one so she started to leave.
"Zam," Jango said. The female bounty hunter stopped in her tracks and looked back at the man who had called her name. "There can be no mistakes this time. Make sure you get it right."
Zam nodded and reached up, grabbing the loose end of her veil and hooking it to the other side of her mask so that her lower face was concealed. She knew all too well what would happen if this attempt failed.
Jango watched her go and then turned to leave. He knew what he had to do if she failed.
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As Padmè arrived in the doorway that led to the common area, she saw Anakin sitting on the couch by himself. She softly smiled as the last time she had seen him; he had definitely been shorter than her. She figured his hair must have darkened in colour while he had been here, because she clearly remembered it being a light sandy blonde when they had first met on Tatooine.
Anakin knew that Obi-Wan had sent him back up here to check on the Senator while he finished going over the details of Padmè's security plan with Captain Typho. He was just about to go check on her when he heard footsteps heading in his direction. He lifted his head to see Padmè standing in the doorway that led to her bedroom. "Senator? Did you need something?" He asked.
"I was hoping to discuss something with you and Master Kenobi," Padmè said as she walked into the room and looked around. "Where is he?"
"He's still downstairs with Captain Typho. He told me to come back up and check on you while he spoke to Captain Typho about your security detail," Anakin responded. Even now, he could hear Obi-Wan in his head telling him to stay focused while on a mission and that his duty came first. He wondered what she wanted to discuss with them. "You said you wished to talk about something?"
"Yes," Padmè said with a nod as she took a seat across from Anakin. "I'm assuming that you both have come up with a plan for tonight?"
"We have Senator," Anakin responded. "Obi-Wan spoke with Dormè earlier when she left your room. She has agreed to sleep in your room tonight while you sleep in hers. R2 will be guarding her."
"Absolutely not!" Padmè said in a forceful protest.
"I take it that you don't agree with this plan?" Anakin asked, clearly surprised by the Senator's outburst.
"No Padawan Skywalker, I do not agree with that plan," Padmè said, clearly not happy that she had been left out of the loop. "I do not want anyone else to lose their lives just to make sure that I am safe. Losing both Cordè and Versè was more than enough for me."
Anakin sighed. "We might not like it Senator," he said, "but sometimes such a sacrifice must be made. Bad things tend to happen to good people whether we want them to or not. Besides, it's our jobs as Jedi to protect you and keep you safe, no matter what."
"But I don't want to lose any more of my friends whether they are my bodyguards or not!" The words burst forth before Padmè could even stop to think about what she was going to say. As she looked up at Anakin, she could see that he looked somewhat flattered that she had just called him one of her friends. She quickly backtracked, knowing that it was too early to let Anakin know just how she felt about him. With the different paths that their lives were taking, she didn't know when she would ever get the chance to tell him. "Besides, whomever destroyed my diplomatic barge this morning should know by now that they killed my decoy. I suspect that will make them even more cautious in whatever they do next. They might even call off the whole thing or wait until our guard is down before they strike again."
Anakin hadn't thought of that and ended up running a hand through his hair. "So, what do you think the plan should be then?" He asked.
"I'll pose as the bait for tonight," Padmè told him.
"I can't allow you to do that Senator," Anakin replied.
"Why not?" Padmè asked. "You and Master Kenobi will be here in this room. I have that security camera in my room that Captain Typho insisted I keep active for my own safety. I'll bet that you can program R2 to run surveillance then alert you both if anything goes wrong."
Anakin sighed, knowing that it was futile to argue with her and ran a hand over his hair again. "I'm guessing that you won't stop until I agree to this right?" He asked.
"Nope," Padmè responded.
He sighed and stood up. "Fine. Although I'm not very happy about this and I know Obi-Wan won't be either," he said.
Padmè stood up as well and Anakin followed her as she led the way to her bedroom.
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When they arrived in Padmè's bedroom, R2 was sitting in the corner. Anakin walked over to the blue and white astromech and knelt down in front of him. The droid happily beeped and chattered as he recognized his old friend. Anakin smiled and began to set up the program that Padmè had requested. Once he was finished, he turned around, bid the Senator goodnight and left.
Once he was gone, Padmè fell back onto her bed. Seeing how much Anakin wanted to keep her safe had made her feelings for Anakin only grow more. Then she quickly dismissed the thought as she had her career to focus on, not her steadily growing feelings for a Jedi padawan.
Sitting up, Padmè glanced up at the camera that was in the corner of her room. Another thought crept into her head. Getting up, she made her way to her closet and discreetly pulled out a scarf. For now, she would let Anakin watch her while she was in her room. As soon as she got tired, she was going to cover up that camera. Even though it was for security purposes, she thought it was a little creepy having both of the Jedi watching her while she slept.
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It was now nighttime and the sitting room was now dark, aside from the light coming in from the nearby buildings and passing traffic. Anakin was standing at the end of the room, near the hallway that led to Padmè's bedroom. He was meditating, focusing on Padmè and her surroundings, making sure that she was in no danger while she slept.
Just then Obi-Wan walked into the room as he had finished his discussion with Captain Typho. "Captain Typho has assured me that no one will be able to get in from downstairs as he has more than enough men on hand," he said as he took his robe off and tossed it on one of the large couches. "How's it going up here?"
Anakin opened his eyes. "Padmè and her handmaiden have retired for the night and all is quiet Master," he reported. "I don't like it. All this waiting around."
"I know, but it will make our job easier if nothing happens to her tonight," Obi-Wan responded as he pulled out his security reader that gave him access to the camera that had been installed in the Senator's bedroom. He turned it on and frowned when all he saw was R2 near the door. "What is going on?"
Anakin shrugged his shoulders. "She covered the camera," he said. "I don't think she liked the idea of either of us watching as she slept."
"What in the world is she thinking?" Obi-Wan said in a frustrated tone as he put away his reader and walked towards the hallway that led to her bedroom.
"Don't worry. She had me program R2 to let us know if anything is wrong," Anakin told him. "Besides, there is no way that droid wouldn't notice anything that doesn't belong in there."
"It's not an intruder that I'm worried about," Obi-Wan said as he kept his eyes trained on the hallway that led to the Senator's bedroom. "There are a lot of other ways to kill a Senator."
"Don't we want to catch whomever is doing this Master?" Anakin asked.
"Of course, we do," Obi-Wan replied. Then his head snapped up as he turned around and walked towards his apprentice. "You're using her as bait?"
"It was her idea," Anakin sheepishly responded. "I tried telling her that it was risky and that you wouldn't like it, but she told me that she was going to keep asking until I agreed to it. So, I did. Don't worry. No harm will come to her as I can sense everything going on in that room."
"That's one thing we can both agree on," Obi-Wan told his brother as he turned and looked at the hallway again. "I don't like this plan of hers. Besides, I doubt that your senses are that attuned to the force, my young apprentice."
"Oh?" Anakin asked as he raised one of his eyebrows. "And yours are?"
"Possibly," Obi-Wan replied as he glanced back at the younger male then back at the hallway. "Try not to become overconfident Anakin."
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Zam knew that she was living on borrowed time. If she failed yet again, she knew she was going to die. There was nowhere that she would be able to hide that Jango wouldn't be able to find her. She had to get this right. She was going to make sure that the Senator was dead.
The female bounty hunter pressed a button on her wrist com, summoning her probe droid. Once the droid was in front of her, she programmed it with its instructions and then carefully shoved the canister of Kouhuns into the open compartment.
Zam watched as the droid flew away. She smiled as the droid wasn't given a single second glance as it looked like all the other probe droids that blended into the Coruscant night.
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Time seemed to pass by, but the world remained quiet. The only sounds that could be heard was that of the endlessly passing traffic outside. Anakin sighed as he leaned against the railing. He was standing on the balcony, watching the traffic fly in both directions. Then he looked over his shoulder as he sensed Obi-Wan's presence, which was warm and comforting like a blanket.
"You look tired," the older man said from where he was standing, which was just beyond the open door to the balcony. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"
"I've been trying to, but I keep having that dream," Anakin responded. Ever since he had volunteered to help teach one of Master Drallig's lightsaber classes two years ago, he had started having dreams of the female who he had helped, as she was having trouble with her defence moves for Djem So, which was his preferred lightsaber form. As soon as he was able to, he told Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan about them. They both said the same thing. The girl was going to be his apprentice someday.
"I'm telling you Anakin, Initiate Ngaire is destined to be your padawan," Obi-Wan told him.
"You really think so?" Anakin asked as he hadn't really given the idea much thought. To him, the idea of teaching was something that he didn't really like doing. While he did like the younglings in the Temple, the idea of teaching one of them was not something he had in mind.
Obi-Wan nodded in confirmation. Then he asked, "Do you still have feelings for Padmè? It has been ten years since you last saw her."
"I won't deny that I have some sort of attachment to her Master," Anakin responded. "Even if we are destined for each other, I know that if I let my feelings or anything else distract me from our current mission, then it could cloud my judgement and prevent me from doing my duty to the best of my ability."
"I'm glad that you have come to that conclusion Anakin," Obi-Wan responded.
"Thanks Obi-Wan," Anakin replied. Then he remained silent, thinking about what would happen if Padmè were to reject the feelings that he had for her.
Obi-Wan remained silent, not knowing if he should tell his brother that the Senator did indeed have feelings for him. He had sensed them when Padmè had briefly spoken to Anakin earlier that afternoon. There was a mutual friendship between them which did have the potential to become something more. What was even more surprising was that Anakin hadn't sensed the feelings himself as he was more sensitive to the force than Obi-Wan or any of the Council members. Whether Senator Amidala realized that she was attracted to the young man was another thing entirely.
Yet, he was glad that Anakin understood his importance to the Order and that was something that astonished Obi-Wan for his padawan had been given an opportunity that no one else in the Temple had been given. He had been allowed to remain in contact with his mother, who was now free and living on Naboo. The Jedi Knight was right to believe that his brother was ready to take the trials as he had once again demonstrated it by explaining that he could put duty above love.
Obi-Wan could see that the Order was changing and he honestly thought it was about time that it happened. When Qui-Gon had requested that Anakin be allowed to stay in contact with his mother, it had opened the door to a long line of changes that the Council had collectively decided to do all because Anakin had proven that his attachments were benefiting him.
It was partly because of that request that Obi-Wan had begun to hear whispers among his fellow Jedi. Apparently, the Council was not only considering Anakin for Knighthood but they were also considering him to become a Master.
When Anakin didn't hear a response from his mentor, he turned to face him and raised one of his eyebrows as he saw him silently standing there, looking lost in his own thoughts. "Master?" He asked.
Obi-Wan shook his head, jolting himself out of his thoughts to find Anakin staring at him, one eyebrow raised in amusement. "Yes?" He said in response.
"Are you alright?" Anakin asked. "You were looking a little lost there." His lips slowly curved upwards in a sly smirk.
"I'm fine Anakin," Obi-Wan responded as he walked out onto the balcony. In truth, he had been thinking about Satine and what they had almost shared between them when he had been a Padawan learner. Now that attachments were allowed within the Order, he wondered what would happen if they were to meet again. Turning to his younger brother, he reached for the bond that he and Anakin shared and wasn't all that surprised to find that Anakin was now thinking about the prophecy. The one that Qui-Gon had told him about as soon as he had been old enough to fully understand it. "Thinking about the prophecy again?"
"I can't help it," Anakin said as he pushed himself away from the balcony railing. He glanced at Obi-Wan as he headed back inside. "I'd much rather not think about it, but Master Qui-Gon wanted me to be aware of it."
Obi-Wan fell into step beside Anakin as they passed through the open doorway. As soon as they were on the other side, the glass door slid downwards back into place. "I'll be honest with you Anakin," he said, "you have really astounded me in how far you've progressed in your training. You have done well as my padawan and you have wisdom that far beyond exceeds what someone of your age should know. I can tell that you are committed to the Jedi Order despite your personal attachments. You haven't broken that commitment as of yet and I can see that you are trying your best not to view your attachments as shortcomings, but as potential barriers."
Not knowing what to say to the praise, Anakin reached out with the force and brushed his Master's force presence with his own. It was his way of saying thanks.
"I do hope that you are not forgetting that Senator Amidala is a politician. I'm not saying that she can't be trusted, but do be careful about what you tell her," Obi-Wan told him.
"I'll be careful Master," Anakin responded. "But you do know that she is not like the others in the Senate, right? She actually cares about the people that she represents."
"I see that Anakin, but I can tell you from my own experiences that many of the other Senators who are here are only here to please those who are willing to fund their campaigns," Obi-Wan said.
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While Anakin and Obi-Wan were still talking outside the hallway that led to Padmè's bedroom, they were unaware that the probe droid that Zam had sent out had reached it's destination.
The gears within the probe barely whined as it created an opening within the shield allowing it to get close to the window. A thin metal arm extended from the sphere and cut a perfect circle in the window.
With its opening created, the compartment on the front of the droid opened and the canister with the pair of Kouhuns slid into the room. The lid opened and both of the tiny creatures crawled out and fell to the floor.
Then, once they sensed that it was safe, both of the creatures crawled on the floor of the bedroom as they made their way to the bed where Padmè lay sleeping. As the first of the two deadly creatures made its way onto the wooden frame, it was unaware that R2 had turned on for he had sensed that there was something in the room.
As the astromech gave a soft beep and switched to his searchlight so he could scan the room, both creatures hid with the first one clinging to the side of Padmè's mattress and the other one crawling underneath the bed.
R2 conducted his scan of the room and when he came up with nothing, he softly beeped to himself and returned to his half-powered state.
The Kouhuns remained where they were for a few minutes just to make sure the coast was clear. Then they moved on, with their tiny claws creating rips too small to be seen in the blanket as they made their way inch by inch to their victim.
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"Besides, I can tell that you're generalizing Master," Anakin said. "Even though the Chancellor doesn't seem to be corrupt, I can't help but feel that there is something off about him. It's as if being elected has changed him and not in a good way."
"Chancellor Palpatine is a politician," Obi-Wan told him. "I've been able to see that he is very clever at following the passions and prejudices of the Senators that he meets with on a daily basis."
"I think he's a good man," Anakin said.
Obi-Wan nodded, showing that he agreed with what Anakin had said. "Just promise me that you'll be careful if you do decide to pursue Senator Amidala since the both of you come from two very different worlds and while your paths are similar, they aren't the same."
"Yes Master," Anakin said, smiling a little as he trusted Obi-Wan's wisdom and guidance. Then he tensed and glanced at the hallway that led to Padmè's bedroom.
"I sense it too," Obi-Wan said.
They both took off for the bedroom.
AN: My OC has finally arrived! Even though she will be mentioned a few more times and make an appearance at the end of this story, she won't be fully introduced until my rewrite of the 2008 clone wars movie. If anyone has a thought for a title, please feel free to include it with your review. Thank you and see you all in the next chapter!