Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. It belongs to Disney. I make no money from this story.
Chapter 2: The End of an Era
=KoF=
Part 1
=KoF=
Jedi Temple
Coruscant
Vader felt strange. The last time he was in this location, was during the last days of the Republic when he led his 501st Legion. During the Jedi Purge.
Well, that wasn't quite true, he had visited the building itself, or at least the Imperial Palace Sidious built on top of it often enough. The Jedi Temple on the other hand? The building he just walked into was different. It was intact. There were no scars of battle, no ghosts behind every corner. Or perhaps there were.
The Temple was vibrant and full of life, a stark contrast to the maelstrom of the Dark Side it became at his hands in the future he remembered. Not to mention, the dozens of people that currently walked these hallowed halls, who Vader remembered killing himself in a future past. That by itself was disconcerting. The Jedi were the enemy, weren't they? At best, the majority of them were blind fools stuck into the past. At worst, well, he wasn't sure how much of it was spite over all that happened.
However, one thing was certain. If the Jedi hadn't been a colossal failure, Sidious would have been unable to build his Empire over their cooling corpses. They wouldn't have played in his hands at almost every turn. No, whatever else the Jedi might be, they were wrong. Just like Sidious was.
Vader kept walking deeper into the Temple, keeping his mental shields firmly in place. Once upon a time, this was his home. It was a place of safety and peace.
The Jedi Temple no longer felt that way, and not just because he was a Sith now and his "fellow" Jedi would be ready to turn upon him as soon as they figured it out. There was no peace here for him.
The less said about the Dark Side nexus Vader could feel stirring deep below his feet, the better. What had prompted the Jedi of old to build the Temple on this precise location, he would never know.
On top of everything else, even now, with the Temple bathed in gold by the morning sun, Vader could almost feel countless accusing ghosts staring at him. He expected to see one of them jumping at him at every corner he passed.
No, this place could never again be his home.
Vader might have forsaken much of Sidious' Sith philosophy, however one thing he was certain of beyond a shadow of a doubt. He was no Jedi. He could never be a Jedi again. Vader had to forge his own path, and find his own philosophy. One that was right for him.
While deep in thought, Vader's legs led him to his old spartan room. It was just like he remembered it. A small bed with a hard mattress, a plain stool, and a desk near the door. A data pad left forgotten on a little table with two not particularly comfortable chairs near it. This used to be his home. Now, it felt like little more than a prison cell with invisible bars.
Vader removed a black glove from his right hand and traced his fingers over the cover of the bed. It was firm and a bit rough.
A part of Vader wanted him to jump around while screaming with joy. It was something he had been suppressing ever since the Force sent him back to the past. It was probably a part of his younger self with which he had merged. He disregarded the wishes of the echo that had been Padawan Anakin Skywalker. That foolish, naive boy was, for most intents and purposes, gone. He had been absorbed by the older personality of Vader.
Yet, it left behind something different. The former Sith Lord could feel it in his being. He was no longer Skywalker the Jedi. Nor was he Darth Vader. Who he was now, well that was something he would have to discover.
He snorted at that. Even now, he was lying to himself. It wasn't just Skywalker's echo that wanted to cut wild like a youngling on a sugar rush. It was all Vader. After so long cut off from the world in that be damned suit… Without even thinking, Vader used the Force to pull out the storage compartment under the bed. He proceeded to levitate out a spare change of clothes and hurriedly strode to the nearby freshers. Once there, he ignored the few Jedi taking a shower, and all but threw himself into the closest empty stall.
The hot water hitting his skin made him bite his cheek to keep quiet. It has been so long since he had a proper shower, that Vader could scarcely remember the sensation, which was overwhelming. For what felt like an eternity, Vader merely relished in the sensation, while doing his best to keep his shields in place.
Eventually, he managed to tear himself out of the fresher and gingerly began drying himself. The brush of a good, old-fashioned towel on his skin nearly made him laugh like a careless youngling. Only remembering where he was and what kind of being surrounded him, kept Vader from letting his emotions run free without any constraints. And he resented that need, now that he could feel something beyond endless agony and rage.
Vader dragged himself back to his room, carefully nodding to the few Jedi he passed on the way back. Once there, he collapsed in his bed, struggling with an odd mix of frustration, half-forgotten sensations, and resentment. He needed time to get his head straight, to regain proper control of his emotions so he would be their master and not the other way around. That was one of the things he agreed about the Sith's teachings. While you were expected to revel in your emotions and indulge them, you had to be the one in control.
He looked around the room, searching for something to momentarily distract him. His eyes fell upon a wooden tabled hanging from the wall. Vader had forgotten about it – it was an old gift, yet he couldn't currently recall who gave it to him.
It was an ancient piece, with the Jedi Code carved in it. The carvings lacked the smooth precision typical for machine tools, hinting that someone had done it by hand, and thus making the piece that much more valuable.
There is no emotion, only peace.
Heh. That was the first tenet. One he had always been abysmal at. While it wasn't half bad starting point for indoctrinating the Jedi dogma to toddlers, it hadn't worked so well on his nine years old self. How could he discard his emotions and his love for his mother? That very thought sent a lance of boiling rage through his heart. Her loss was still fresh and called for bloody vengeance. Once upon a time, he regretted what he did to those beasts who tortured his mother to death. If it wasn't for his Padme, he might have fallen on Tatooine, disregarded everything else, and went back into the desert to purge it from the Tuskens. Force, he was still tempted to do precisely that! However, those beasts could wait for now. Their turn would eventually come.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
Vader's eyes focused back onto the wooden tablet. The second line of the code. The Jedi as a whole were ignorant, failing miserably at this. In the end, even Obi-Wan, his brother, didn't know him. Kenobi didn't see or understand what Vader went through, and that ignorance led to that fateful clash on Mustafar. When Vader needed his brother the most, when he needed someone who understood to help him get out of Sidious' net, Obi-Wan proved himself lacking.
It was the height of irony how ignorant the Jedi were, even their Councilors.
Even Yoda.
They all assumed that their indoctrination had worked with him. That Skywalker had become one of their emotionless drones. And instead of trying to understand, to help, they always blamed him for it. He could sense it then, and he could sense it now.
To hell with them! Skywalker had never been a good little Jedi. He had never been particularly loyal to the Jedi Order as a whole or their mission. He had been loyal to people, to certain missions and goals that he seldom had the opportunity to go for. Like riding the galaxy of slavery.
Once upon a time, he had friends in the Order, people who he would have gladly given his life for. Then there was his angel, Padme.
He would have placed the life of every single one of them higher on his list of priorities than the Jedi Order as a whole. That was something he would do again. However the number of people who he truly cared about, well now they could be counted on the fingers of a single arm.
Padme. Kenobi. Snips… a brief smile graced Vader's face when he thought about his former Padawan. It almost immediately turned into a furious snarl at remembering how the Jedi betrayed her. And he almost murdered her as a Sith Lord. That was a future he wouldn't allow to happen this time. He wouldn't let Ahsoka down. He wouldn't abandon her, much less turn on her, as the damned Jedi did!
When Vader's eyes fell on the third line of the Jedi Code, they shone in the dark room.
There is no passion, only serenity.
As a Sith, Vader had learned that this was a lie. It was an extrapolation of the first tenet of the Code, and put together they summarized what was wrong with the Jedi. They were trying to deny a fundamental part of what meant to be a living, breathing, person.
In the decades after the Order fell, he often wondered if the ultimate purpose of the Jedi was to turn themselves into unfeeling automatons akin to droids.
No. The Jedi's idea was to become something worse. In his years Vader knew at least a few droids that could experience the full scope of emotions a living being could, and a lot more who could process a more limited amount.
Vader shook his head. Such musings would lead him nowhere. Even now, when he was no longer a Sith, he believed that their Code was better. At the very least, the Sith Code took into account the reality in which the Force Adepts were living.
The Jedi Code meant that his love of Padme was something wrong, and to be avoided. That was something Vader would never accept.
=KoF=
Vader walked the ancient corridors of the Temple on his way to the Council chambers. With every step, he expected that the shades of Jedi he had cut down would rise to challenge him. Vader needed to finish the impending "interview" with the Jedi Masters and get out of the Temple while he still had control over his temper.
When he reached his destination, the Force Adept stopped for a moment. He took a deep breath and centered himself, making sure he had an iron grip over his emotions. It was time to face the music.
He opened the door and entered, just in time to hear Master Yoda
speaking.
"Victory, you say? Master Obi-Wan, not victory, Geonosis was. Begun the Clone War has."
Vader had to suppress a smirk. The tiny green menace had no idea what was coming.
"You summoned me, Masters. Here I am," said Vader. His tone was neutral, betraying nothing of his true feelings, which he had locked down under his strongest mental shields.
During his service under Sidious, Vader had committed countless unspeakable acts. Yet, at least half the reason for everything that happened to him, and the galaxy at large, could be traced back to the people in this room.
Granted, Sidious manipulated and betrayed everyone, making him as much to blame as the people inside the Council Chambers. As much as Vader himself. Strictly speaking, there was enough blame to go for everyone involved. Nevertheless, he couldn't stop resenting the Jedi for their failures. For how they failed him, and his mother.
Vader looked around the mostly empty chamber. Windu and Kenobi stood next to one of the windows to the left. The Grandmaster was sitting in his chair, flanked by Master Plo Koon, who was reading from a datapad and by all appearances, wasn't paying much attention to his fellow Jedi.
His gaze stopped on Obi-Wan.
That was the man who had raised him ever since he was freed all those years ago. Kenobi was the man Vader once considered to be his older brother. Someone to look up to.
However, Obi-Wan was also the man who had used Padme. He had tricked Vader's wife and placed her in the path of a brand new Sith, who had been drunk on the Dark Side. Kenobi had left him burning on the shores of a magma river. That was something he would never forget or forgive. However, that Kenobi was dead. This one might yet walk a different path. If not, Vader would deal with him.
Then, there was Yoda. The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. He was supposedly the wisest of them all. Yet, he had been as blind as the rest. When the short Jedi Master told him that he should let go of his attachments… That particular memory came close to shattering Vader's control. Only years of having to keep his emotions in check in front of Sidious and deceiving the old bastard allowed him to keep his composure, or at least the mask of it he showed to the Jedi.
The Jedi had betrayed him twice already. He wouldn't, couldn't trust them again.
Kenobi turned to look at him with a grave expression on his face.
"Anakin, your questionable display of passion towards Senator Amidala is a matter of a grave concern." Kenobi began.
"Indeed?" Vader barely twitched at the accusation.
Now, that their blossoming relationship was a public secret, neither Padme nor he were in a hurry on the eve the war started. Perhaps it was better this way. Padme always wanted a huge wedding, something he couldn't give her thanks to the need for secrecy. Well, that was no longer an issue…
Seeing that Skywalker wasn't about to immediately answer his master, Yoda and Windu glanced at each other.
"Dangerous, this attachment is," Yoda added.
Vader had forgotten how odd the little green juggernaut spoke. It was a blessing in disguise that he kept to short sentences at this time, because from what Vader could recall when Yoda decided to be long-winded, it was almost impossible to understand him. That was especially true if you had the fortune to spent some time away from the Temple and constant exposure to the Grandmaster.
"Padawan Skywalker, you will explain yourself!" Windu's words, while spoken calmly, were nothing less than an order.
Obviously, the Jedi Master wanted answers and expected the Padawan in front of the Council to provide them. Perhaps they expected him to grovel, to proclaim his regret and plead for their dubious mercy.
Vader frowned. He could sense what the Vaapad master felt, although Mace was doing a very good job at strangling his emotions. Windu was wavering between rigid self-control and subdued aggression. Ah, the dangers of being a Vaapad master even when you are out of combat and not using the style.
The Jedi Masters were about to make his decision much easier for Vader.
Master Plo Koon looked away from the datapad in his hands. He hadn't paid much attention to the proceeding so far. In his opinion, the whole interview was a waste of time, which was something that the Jedi couldn't really afford. Not when the Order was drawn into a real, galaxy-spanning war for the first time in centuries.
Skywalker should have explained himself to his master, being chastised for his brazen behavior, and then Kenobi should have reported any further irregularities to the Council. The real concern of the boy's actions was how they would influence the Padawans and young Jedi Knights who were on Geonosis and saw him with Senator Amidala. Add to that those who might be swayed by rumors of the event. After all, what fruit was sweeter than the forbidden one?
Say what you will about the Jedi as a whole, but in that regard, they were just like everyone else. A lot of them loved a juicy rumor, though very few would admit to it. Most of the time that was either harmless or even occasionally useful.
It was different today. If not for Dooku and his supposed shadow master, the so-called Darth Sidious, Skywalker's actions wouldn't be too concerning. When all was said and done, the Padawan was a young man, and as such, it was almost expected that he would have a youthful indiscretion or two. It wasn't a problem if when found such a thing was nipped in the bud. Those things tended to happen more often than the Council as a whole wanted to admit. Young Jedi would often act like the inexperienced hormonal youngsters they were. That was why they had the Code and their mentors to keep them in check.
"Padawan Skywalker..." Master Koon gazed at the young man. "Your attachment is an outright violation of the Jedi Code. Even worse, you made it blatantly clear by announcing it in the middle of a battle, demonstrating that it influences your judgment. You must end this affair with the Senator. Immediately."
For a heartbeat, what felt like dark flames washed over the Council Chamber, unnerving the Jedi Masters, before disappearing as fast as it erupted. The event struck the Jedi speechless for a moment, and they stared at the young man in disbelief.
"I must?" Vader demanded, barely keeping a sneer of contempt from his face.
While Vader expected something like this, a part of him, what was left of young Skywalker, still hoped he was wrong. However, typically, the Jedi already had their judgment ready even before they heard his side of the story. That was something depressingly typical.
It took him long moments to contain his bubbling rage and keep it from the Jedi. Vader was not the headstrong boy they knew. He was a man accustomed to wielding power, not someone's lapdog. That was something he would never be again!
He was no longer trapped in that kriffing suit. Vader was whole, with his connection to the Force undamaged. After two decades of living hell, he was able to make his own choices.
He was no longer a pawn in the games of the Sith, much less one belonging to a bunch of clueless Jedi!
"Anakin!" exclaimed Obi-Wan.
Skywalker's outburst surprised Kenobi most unpleasantly. The brief wave of pure Dark Side energy which washed over the chamber made him truly understand the peril hanging upon his student. At that point, Obi-Wan was certain that while Anakin hadn't fallen yet, he was in a precautions situation. A situation that the Council was busy making much worse for everyone involved!
Kenobi sent a brief glare at the Kel Dor Jedi Master, who had stopped reading and was staring at Skywalker. Obi-Wan cringed at what he saw and felt coming from his fellow Jed. He should have pressed the point more forcefully, made sure that the Jedi Masters knew Anakin's devotion to Padme not only intellectually but in their hearts too.
Windu and Yoda were handling Skywalker as they would another Padawan who had done the same indiscretion though at least they weren't outright demanding that he leave the Senator. Plo Koon on the other hand…
Under different circumstances, Koon's words would have been the natural response to a Padawan's indiscretion. However, here, today, Kenobi felt they were the sparks that were about to ignite an inferno. Despite his best efforts, Anakin wasn't like most other Jedi. That much Obi-Wan recognized, even if he wasn't always sure how to handle that fact. Skywalker was too old when he began his training. He had attachments, connections, and feelings he wasn't ready for, he couldn't let go.
What was happening with Anakin? Obi-Wan's frown deepened. His former Padawan hadn't given him the promised answers yet.
Skywalker's lips twitched in amusement at Kenobi's obvious frustration.
"Why would I do that, Master Koon?" Vader asked in grim amusement. His blue eyes stared at the Jedi in turn like two pieces of ice, daring them to contradict him. "Would you expel me from the Order because I fell in love?" he asked in a calmer voice.
"In shadows, you walk, young Skywalker," stated Yoda. "The Dark Side I sense in you. Fall to it you could. Easily."
"Anakin, what in the name of the Force is happening to you?!" asked Kenobi.
The Jedi Knight couldn't help it. The way his Padawan spoke to the Council was unnerving. There wasn't even the hint of respect
that one would have expected. Only calm indifference, until Senator Amidala was mentioned. Surely, Anakin knew that his attitude amounted to almost taunting the Jedi Masters! Chosen One or not, the Council simply couldn't let him break the Code and walk all over them without any consequences.
Vader smiled ruefully.
"What indeed. My eyes opened, Obi-Wan. The Code means that my love for Padme is wrong. That is something I will never accept!" he glared at each of the Jedi Masters in turn.
"Control, yourself, Skywalker!" Windu snapped at the blatant display of disrespect.
The only thing showing the displeasure of the Jedi Master was his voice, which was barely raised from his usual calm tone. Yet, for those who could sense him through the Force, the Vaapad master was painted in a slightly different light. Windu was frustrated by the way Skywalker acted. The brief, almost unnoticed tendril of anger that tried to flare within his chest and he promptly crushed, wasn't caused by wounded pride or some other emotion.
It was driven by cold logic. Skywalker had the potential of becoming one of the most powerful Force Adepts in the history of the Jedi Order. As such, he had to be held to a higher standard. The way he was acting ever since Geonosis had to be stamped down for the good of the Republic and the Galaxy as a whole.
To the Jedi, it appeared that Skywalker now walked down a path leading straight to the greedy hands of the Dark Side. His potential fall had to be stopped. The first steps toward achieving that were to get information about what happened to the boy and ending this dubious relationship before it could unsettle him even further.
"Or what? You'll expel me?" asked Vader.
He used the Force to levitate his lightsaber until it hovered in front of him. Anakin examined the weapon. It was one he had constructed as a spare a week before he was assigned to protect Padme.
It fell off. He was no longer the eager teenager who had built the weapon. The lightsaber was no longer his. The connection between the blade and its wielder, which made it an extension of one's will was no longer there.
This thing was just a tool. Vader needed to build himself a new lightsaber.
Yoda was staring at him with huge eyes. Vader smirked at the Jedi Masters, feeling their unease.
"Think about this, you should!" said the ancient being.
Windu stared at the young man. Something was shifting within the depths of the Force, and it was centered on Skywalker. Mace felt a sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach.
Finally, he could see it. Skywalker was a Shatterpoint which bound them all. And until now, when it was too late to do anything, but make the unfolding future even darker, Windu was unable to perceive it.
At that moment he knew it. They kriffed up by the numbers. Everything they said, despite being the right reaction for dealing with a Padawan who kriffed up by the numbers, was the wrong way to handle Skywalker.
"Oh, I have, Master Yoda," said Vader.
"He should be explaining himself," grumbled Plo Koon.
Something in the young man was unnerving the Kel Dor male. The sudden surge of anger and darkness emanating from the Padawan had been a shock.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. He remembered the conversation he had with his Padawan on Geonosis. Anakin couldn't mean to do that! Right? After all, the Jedi Masters hadn't really made him choose to break up with Senator Amidala. There was a huge difference between Master Koon saying what Skywalker should do and actually demanding that the Padawan went through with it…
"Anakin, you can't possibly mean to do this!" the Jedi Knight exclaimed. "And you don't necessarily have to!" He pleaded.
"I don't?" Skywalker raised an eyebrow at him.
Obi-Wan looked pleadingly at the gathered Jedi Masters.
Plo Koon leaned forward in his chair and was about to say something when Yoda tapped the ground with his walking stick.
"Too far we are going, too fast. Dangerous your attachment is. Influences you right now it does."
"And I'm proud of it." Anakin smiled happily, earning himself a scoff from Plo Koon.
"Listen to yourself, boy! This attachment, those emotions could be the end of you!"
"Let them go, Skywalker will not." Yoda's ears drooped and he frowned. "Expel you from the Jedi Order I will not. A foolish over-reaction that would be. Suspend you I would like to. Give you time to think it will."
Vader levitated the hilt of his lightsaber, so it was in front of Obi-Wan and let go of it. Kenobi snatched it before it could fall to the ground.
"Have a nice day, Masters." the former Sith grinned at the shocked faces of the assembled Jedi. "If you one day decide to change your opinion of me and Padme, I'm sure you'll know where to find me."
He could clearly feel their stunned disbelief at his simple words. It was delicious. Vader waved at them and cheerfully left the silent chambers. The doors slid behind him, cutting off the first shouts. For the first time, from even before falling to the Dark Side, Vader felt free.
=KoF=
Chancellor Office
Senate Building
Coruscant
Palpatine was sat in his chair and grinned like a maniac. He could feel the currents of the Force subtly changing, and knew that what his young friend feared had become a fact. Sidious didn't need to be present at the Temple to know it. Anakin Skywalker was no longer a Jedi. While the boy was far away from becoming a proper Sith, turning him just became so much easier.
The Dark Lord chuckled. Who would have thought it? Padme Amidala, one of the Chancellor's biggest political opponents, had bestowed him a priceless gift by ensnaring young Skywalker.
This was turning even better than his plans for the boy.
Palpatine retrieved a datapad from a drawer in his desk and started typing on it. With one fell swoop, he was about to deliver another strike to the Jedi.
"Let's see how you'll fare on the battlefield, General Skywalker." whispered the Sith Lord.
A few hours earlier, Anakin had contacted him with a request. The young man wanted a commission in the military in case he was expelled from the Order or was forced to quit. It was something Palpatine just granted.
This was a splendid week. The Clone Wars had begun, a lot of Jedi died in a single day, and now this.
"Now, let's see what else can I do for my Jedi friends..." muttered the Sith Lord.
=KoF=
Council Chambers
Jedi Temple
Coruscant
"Silence!" snapped Yoda.
The outburst was so uncharacteristic, that it was almost as shocking as Skywalker's stunt. The eyes of all present turned to the Order's Grandmaster.
"Blind we were," muttered Yoda. "Saw this, we did not," he looked at the assembled Jedi. "By the Dark Side, deceived we were. The Chosen One, we almost lost. We yet might lose him for good!"
Master Shaak Ti, who was now present via a hologram, frowned. She had been silent so far, trying to evaluate the situation. While surprised by the actions of the boy, and disagreed with the way he went about it, the Togruta woman couldn't say that she blamed him. Even if Skywalker was a full Jedi instead of a Padawan, in the end, it was his choice whether he would want to stay in the Order and sacrifice whatever he felt for the Senator from Naboo, or leave. Unfortunately, that was something with which some of her colleagues would disagree…
"Is this something we can afford?" asked Mace Windu. "We can't just let him flaunt his infatuation and walk disregard the Jedi Code! Skywalker's actions have consequences that spread beyond his future!
"Make Skywalker an enemy we must not. A disaster that way lays." declared Yoda. He had a troubled expression on his face. "Bring him back into the fold we must! Lose him we should not!"
"How? We just saw how compromised and irresponsible that boy is!" Plo Koon countered.
"Make him responsible we must. Give him a responsibility we shall…" Yoda smiled crookedly.
=KoF=
Part 2
=KoF=
GAR Headquarters
Coruscant
Vader allowed himself an almost content smile. It was done. For the time being, he was out of the Jedi's reach, and somehow he avoided burning all bridges. For the first time, besides the days between his release from slavery and induction into the Order, Vader was truly free!
He walked into the Army's Headquarters with a spring to his steps. Inside, he followed the instructions of a bored Twi'lek sergeant and filed the necessary paperwork. Thanks to whatever strings the Chancellor had pulled, it got processed almost immediately.
Only a few hours later, Vader was a new man. General Anakin Skywalker in charge of 501st Clone Legion. Now it was largely irrelevant what games the Jedi would play. He was a commissioned General in the Grand Army of the Republic, and among other things, his brand new rank would act as a shield against the Jedi's machinations.
Even when he hit the first snag of the day, Vader's mood remained high. There were no fitting uniforms for someone of his new exalted rank currently available, so he would have to wait a day for a few brand new sets to be manufactured and delivered. Until then, he would have to make do with gray fatigues, just like what the Clones wore when not clad in their armor. It was no issue. He had worn worse in the past, both as a Jedi and as a General. Besides, even the simple fatigues still felt orders of magnitude better than his accursed suit on a good day! Another point in favor of the fatigues was that while they were army issue, and technically belonged to the military, they weren't his traditional black clothes, which did belong to the Jedi Order!
Vader smirked at that childish thought and shook with silent laughter. That was another thing he had missed.
Now, that he had back in the army, with a rank reasonably close to that he had wielded for the last twenty
years, he felt even better. While there was a part of him, which desired to just get Padme and go away from the wider galaxy and the war, Vader eagerly looked at the challenges to come.
For all the horrors he had lived through during the Clone Wars and the Empire that followed, leading troops had become second nature to himself. Perhaps it was because being an officer gave him something to lean on, a familiar action to keep what shred of sanity he had still possessed before finding out that he had a son…
While that was true, there was another truth. For the past two decades, the only real home he had was the military. And if he had to be honest to himself, returning to the army, just like returning to Padme, it finally felt like going back home. While he was being all honest to himself, Vader had to grudgingly admit that leading the 501st during this war, those were the happiest years of his life.
During this war, he had become known as the Hero without fear, a title, which more than anything else showed how young, foolish and lucky he had been at the time. However, as a Sith, he had learned his lesson well. He knew both fear and anger very well and was determined not to let them control him again.
He couldn't afford to. Those two emotions, coupled with Palpatine's manipulations would cost him everything in the future.
Well, not this time. Vader would show his old master, both of them in fact, what he was made of. The galaxy was out there for the taking with only Sidious and few minor obstacles standing in his way... Ready for Vader to grasp it.
Nevertheless, that would have to wait. First, he had some explaining to do as far as Padme was concerned…
=KoF=
Republica 500
Coruscant
Vader stared at the closed door of Padme's apartment, feeling like an idiot. He had visited a few high-end restaurants, procuring some of her favorite meals, before passing through a flower shop, from where he bought a large bouquet he knew she loved ever since she was a little girl. Then he went to her home only to find out that Padme and her current bodyguards had left for Naboo for the next couple of weeks.
This was just what had happened the last time, however, then it was him who brought her back home. Vader groaned, feeling like smashing his head in the closest wall. Repeatedly.
This relationship stuff was going to be harder the second time around, wasn't it?
Vader took a deep breath to calm himself and shook his head in frustration. He needed to kill something. Another deep breath.
It couldn't be helped. Vader decided to call Padme and check if she was all right after he reached his temporary home. As a newly minted GAR General, he was entitled to a place within one of the buildings housing the army's and navy's officer quarters on Coruscant.
=KoF=
Ahsoka Tano's quarters
Jedi Temple
Coruscant
A young Togruta female got progressively more bored in her small room. She had been virtually under house arrest for the last few hours, ever since some great commotion had happened in a Council meeting. There was a sense of apprehension and foreboding in the air. It clung to the very Force itself. There was a hint of fear and insecurity as well.
It was strange, like nothing she had felt within the Temple's walls.
It had to be because of the war, right? Bad news obviously!
Ahsoka sat cross-legged on her small bed and closed her eyes, in a futile attempt to meditate. It was all for naught. Her mind bounced this way and that, wondering what in the name of the Force was happening. She was feeling restless, too wound up to rest or meditate.
An instinct screamed at her to move, to run.
Staying cooped in her small room with nothing to do was driving the energetic girl up the walls in frustration.
Suddenly a soft chiming sound could be heard. Someone was on the other side of her door. Ahsoka opened her eyes and almost smiled. She could sense the presence of Master Plo Koon on the other side of the door. However, the sense of foreboding increased to an almost unbearable degree.
Tano shivered, a ghost of fear worming itself through her heart before she ruthlessly suppressed the feeling. She jumped from her bed and hurried to open the door.
Sure enough, Master Koon waited on the other side. Ahsoka's smile froze on her face. The old Kel Dor looked grim.
"Master?" asked Ahsoka. She could feel the swirling tides of the Force trying to warn her about something.
"May I enter, young one?" asked the aging Jedi.
Ahsoka nodded eagerly and moved aside, leaving the path open. Plo Koon went in and when the door closed behind him he used the Force to place a barrier around the small room. When a Jedi Master desired to have a private conversation, he had a few ways to ensure that it stays that way.
Ahsoka's eyes widened in confusion when she felt what Plo Koon did. This was going to be bad, she just knew it!
Master Koon sat on one of the pair of plain chairs in the room and looked at the girl, while he was trying not to curse the foolishness of the majority of the Council. He couldn't afford to get angry. No matter how good a reason he had.
"Calm yourself, Ahsoka." He said with a forced smile. "Some, significant events took place earlier today," he spoke in a deceptively calm voice.
"I'm not going to like where this is going, am I, Master?" asked Ahsoka.
"Not necessary. Despite what some people think, you have the right to know what and why happened," grumbled the Jedi Master. "There was a Council meeting, in which Anakin Skywalker was called in to explain his actions on Geonosis."
"Oh!" exclaimed Ahsoka. She had heard so many interesting and scary rumors about those events!
While she and a lot of the younger generation of Padawans and Jedi approved of Skywalkers stunt with the Senator from Naboo, however, the same thing couldn't be said about the older Jedi. Who incidentally were the ones running the Order.
Ahsoka suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Skywalker was nearly expelled." he dropped the bomb. In another time and place, Koon would have found his former student's reaction amusing. Here and now, it brought him even more regret.
Ahsoka's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. To the Jedi Master, her stunned disbelief was something solid. He felt that he could touch it if he excreted himself through the Force.
"How? Why?!" blurted out the young girl. "Skywalker was supposed to be the Chosen One, even if no two Jedi could precisely agree on what that was supposed to mean.
"We treated Skywalker as your average Padawan who made such an n indiscretion..." the Kel Dor Jedi Master trailed off. He knew that his words contributed to Anakin's decision and on reflection, almost led him to quit on the spot. "It was a mistake. Oh, he broke the Code in such a way that consequences were warranted. However, young Skywalker perceived our words, my words, as giving him a choice between Senator Amidala and remaining a Jedi," Master Koon took a deep breath, his respirator hissing loudly in the quiet room.
"He chose the woman he loves, didn't he? As if he would do anything less..." muttered Ahsoka.
The Jedi Master chuckled. "Indeed, young one. It seems you are more perceptive than most of the Council put together."
"It gets worse, isn't it?" Ahsoka was sure of it. There wouldn't be such a foreboding in the Force otherwise.
"That's right, Ahsoka, after he left, suspended, for the time being, we had a few hours long recess before meeting again. The second meeting was obviously about Skywalker leaving." Plo Koon found it hard to continue, yet Ahsoka was his former student. He owed her the truth. "His actions shook the Council. The Chosen One leaving the Jedi Order, even if he hasn't officially quit… It was unthinkable!" he shook his head sadly. "I'm starting to ramble, young one. Let's cut to the chase. There was a vote, a very close one. The Council decided that with the war beginning, we can't afford to expose Padawans who are emotionally unstable to the pressures of combat. A not insignificant number of Padawans and a few Jedi Knights are being sent to the Agri Corps for the duration of the conflict. For their good of course. At least this is the official reason."
"No! They can't do that!" Ahsoka frantically shook her head. She felt scared, betrayed because there was only one reason why Master Koon was telling her all this. Under a privacy barrier too. She had done nothing wrong! Certainly, nothing to warrant being sent to the Agri Corps!
"What the Council shouldn't do and what it can't do…" The Jedi Master trailed off. "Unfortunately sometimes those are two very different things. Skywalker's actions shook a lot of the Council members. In the end, some of us overreacted. While I don't believe that this would be a long-term solution, especially after Master Yoda showed his displeasure at this course of action, it stands for now. You were among those who are to be sent away…"
Ahsoka moved like in a trance until she was near her bed and sat down, dejected. This had to be some sort of a bizarre nightmare. Right? She looked at her former teacher. Ahsoka could feel him being torn between his duty as a Jedi Master and this madness forced upon him by his fellow Council members.
"It's not fair!" she exclaimed. "We did nothing wrong!"
"Perhaps not," muttered Plo Koon. Surely this time the Jedi Code came back to bite them on their collective backsides.
A rift appeared amid the Jedi. Part of him wanted to blame Skywalker and his infatuation with the Senator about what happened. That was the easy way. After all, the Code told them about the danger of letting one's emotions run free... Yet, he couldn't help but feel that this whole debacle could have been easily avoided.
On one hand, it was easy to despise Skywalker's feelings
for Padme Amidala, which were now rending the Jedi Order asunder. On the other, was it so dangerous, so wrong, to let the boy pursue his love? Especially now, that they knew what would happen if they threw the Code in his face and declared his feelings wrong.
Plo Koon didn't have a good answer. Decades of upholding the creed of the Jedi were clashing with the consequences of the Order's rigidity.
Then, there was the second reason why he came to visit his former Padawan. After the second council meeting, Plo Koon has spoken with Masters Yoda and Kenobi. Those two had an interesting plan to start patching up the relations between Skywalker and the Order.
"I have a proposition for you, Ahsoka," spoke the Jedi Master.
She perked up at that. A bit of gloom and doom hanging upon her Force signature dissipating at his words.
"Instead of going to the Agri Corps, you are going to be allowed to study under a specific Jedi Knight, should both of you agree to it…" He trailed off. "Let me make this crystal clear, young one. I disagree with the intent behind this idea. It does both you and Skywalker a disservice. Master Yoda and Kenobi believe that a taste of responsibility and of handling someone as energetic as you could help ground Skywalker. While their plan might work, I believe that it unnecessarily imperils you both. However, in the end, the decision is yours. Will you go to the Agri Corps for the time being, or would you prefer to become Skywalker's Padawan?"
Ahsoka stared at Plo Koon with an open mouth and no words came out.
=KoF=
Dex's Diner
CoCo Town
Coruscant
Vader made his way to Kenobi's favorite dinner place, wondering why he agreed to meet his former Master. Perhaps it was the frustration he felt after failing to contact Padme, who by now should be in hyperspace, on some unknown transport en route to Naboo. After his plans for a romantic dinner with the woman he loved fell through, Vader didn't relish the thought of spending the evening alone in the officer's quarters. He was too wound up to rest or sleep.
So when Kenobi called him and proposed to meet for a dinner, he had accepted without much of a fuss. Besides, he quite liked Dexter's nerf steaks. Speaking about steaks, he couldn't even recall when was the last time he ate a proper one. He was sure it was some time before Mustafar…
When Vader arrived, Kenobi was already at the dinner. The Jedi Knight was sat at a corner table, sipping juri juice with a faraway look in his eyes. Sensing Anakin, Obi-Wan looked in his direction and raised both eyebrows at seeing his former Padawan wearing GAR fatigues with a general insignia on his chest to a booth.
"Well, well, my former Padawan. You have a story to tell. You've wasted no time I see." Obi-Wan didn't even try to hide his surprise.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin greeted coolly and sat across the table from Kenobi.
'This is going to be even more interesting conversation than I anticipated...' thought Kenobi.
Vader waved at a nearby server droid and listed what he wanted for dinner – a double steak with all the trimmings, along with a lot of juice. Once he had his drink in hand, he took a sip of it and spent a few moments savoring the taste, before finally turning his attention to Kenobi. In turn, Obi-Wan was looking at him with amusement written all over his face.
"What?" Anakin asked and shrugged his shoulders. "Did you expect me to be content with becoming a mechanic on some Force forsaken dust ball in the Outer Rim in case I quit?"
"Knowing you, Anakin... Not really. Perhaps an illegal racer on Nar Shaddaa or something equally hair-raising." quipped Obi-Wan.
The younger man snorted. As if he would willingly work for the damn Hutts! Nope! Not happening! He would see them all brought low when the opportunity presented itself. But those were dreams for the distant future.
He took another swig of his juice, reveling at the taste. It has been ages since Vader has tasted real food and drinks. Which in turn meant that the various aromas in the dinner made him light-headed for a bit before he could recover his composure. If Kenobi noticed it, he declined to comment.
"Eh. You know me. Ever since the troubles on Naboo, I've needed something more to get my blood running." Vader eventually conceded.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "That usually leads to situations that nearly gave me a heart attack, my former Padawan."
"What can I say? It's not my fault you are getting old, Obi-Wan!" Vader smirked.
"Hey! I resent that! I merely turn better with age! Like a good bottle of wine!" Obi-Wan boasted with a disarming smile.
"So one of these days you are going to turn into vinegar?" Vader innocently asked.
"You are impossible. I'm almost glad that I'm no longer responsible for your antics!"
"Why, thank you, old man!" Anakin smirked.
"So how did you become a general in a single afternoon?" Kenobi inquired.
"Just like the Jedi. Apparently, the GAR is so short on command grade officers so they will take in anyone with some reasonable credentials."
"Yet, you're suspended. Doesn't that matter or did you forget to mention it?"
"Obi-Wan, you must be aware that the GAR doesn't care who I'm in love with and might be dating unless they happen to be a subordinate of mine. Any relationship I might or might not have with Padme is not something the military concerns itself with. As far as credentials go, it's not like most Order members know how to command troops and wage war. After all, we were trained as peacekeepers, not soldiers. Despite that, most of the Jedi are getting a commission from Commander upwards no less. I'm no more or less qualified on that front." Anakin shrugged.
Kenobi sadly nodded. He didn't have a rebuff to that argument. After all, he agreed. Some new GAR officers were mere Padawans, with no real experience in the real world, much less than as leaders of men. In his opinion, the Council as a whole should have protested what amounted to the conscription of the Jedi. Yet, Yoda and the rest only grumbled and let it slide. At least for not the Council did agree to keep the younger Padawans as far away from the war as possible.
"Anakin, about what happened in the Council chambers…"
"Don't!" Vader waved his right hand in an abrupt slicing motion. "They made their point very clear. Even if most of the Masters didn't want to expel me, to them my love of Padme is something wrong. That much is obvious! An act that should be punished. A youthful indiscretion at best and an immoral violation worthy of expulsion at worst!" Vader ranted.
Kenobi winced. There were Jedi on the Council who saw Anakin's action as anything in between the extremes his young friend just described. Unfortunately, there were those who Skywalker's words pegged right.
"That is something I could never accept, Obi-Wan. If the Jedi Code means that my love is wrong, then it is no longer a creed I could follow. It's not that I want to turn my back on the Jedi Order, however as things stand, I'm not sure if there is a way that leads away from it becoming something permanent."
"Ah. That's... unfortunate given the circumstances."
Vader raised an eyebrow at that. He gave Kenobi a deadpan expression.
"Fine. Lay it out for me. What have you, damn fossils, cooked up this time?"
"Now, now, Anakin, you don't have to be so cynical. You are too young for that."
Vader's answered with an amused snort. He had missed the content banter with his old master as well as riling up the elder Jedi.
"Master Yoda disagrees with the Council's latest brainstorm."
"Which is?" Vader was almost afraid to ask.
"Well, according to some more... conservative elements of the Order, the Padawans who approved of your and Senator Amidala's display in the Arena, are emotionally compromised."
"Uh-huh. So the kids being typical teenagers is now frowned upon?" Vader wondered if him all but quitting the Order had led to the Jedi Masters losing their minds. "So what is their latest hair-brained scheme?"
Under different circumstances, Kenobi might have scoffed at the blatant disrespect towards his fellow Jedi Masters, though in this case, he had to agree. The Council's latest actions were questionable if you were feeling charitable.
"They decided to send the Padawans in question as well as Few Knights to the Agri Corps for the duration of the war. The younger Padawans have no business going anywhere near a battlefield as well. If it was only the latter group, or if it was the same reasoning used for them all, it might be different…" Obi-Wan trailed off.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Vader chortled. That had to be a joke! Such a stunt would drive most of those boys and girls in the hands of the first Sith who went on a recruitment drive. Their anger and resentment at the unjust treatment would be magnificent fertile ground for turning them to the Dark Side. They were very lucky that he wasn't about to start his own Sith Cabal or something.
"I wish!" Kenobi grumbled. The Jedi took a deep breath before continuing. "Master Yoda has a proposition for you, Anakin. One I hope you'll consider."
"Indeed?" Vader wondered what scheme the damn troll had in mind.
"You'll be listed as a Jedi on a long-term assignment outside the Order." Obi-Wan began.
"How interesting. Do go on." Vader waved at Obi-Wan with his juice.
"In brief, for the duration of your suspension, you'll be operating outside of the Order's strict supervision. Otherwise, right now, certain parties would force the issue and make you choose between being a Jedi and Padme." Obi-Wan grimaced. "We both know how that will turn out."
Vader snorted at that and made a 'do go on' gesture.
"As a consolation prize, you'll receive your promotion to Jedi Knight thanks to your field performance on Geonosis, your antics with
the Senator notwithstanding."
"So for the time being everyone gets what he wants? I don't have to deal with idiots who disapprove of me being in love, and the Order keeps their poster boy, while we stay out of each other's way?" Vader raised both eyebrows at that.
Such an arrangement sounded too reasonable to have come from the Council. Yoda, this had the troll's signature all over it.
"That's right. You'll also get a Padawan in the bargain," Obi-Wan smirked, expecting Anakin to be shocked.
"That's certainly unexpected," Vader thought aloud. It wasn't a bad deal. It could be useful to remain nominally as a part of the Order for the time being. Though, the Padawan part was concerning. To be fair, there was only one who he would consent to train right now... "Who is the lucky kid that would have the good fortune to learn from me?"
Obi-Wan shook with a combination of silent laughter and exasperation.
"I see that your modesty is as great as ever. To answer your question, Padawan Ahsoka Tano. She was one of the kids who most vocally supported your antics."
Vader had to suppress a huge grin. After all, he'll be able to get Snips away from the Jedi's influence without having to resort to underhanded methods. The fools were giving her to him on a silver platter!
"Hmm... Tano? A spirited Togruta girl?"
"The same. Though describing her as merely spirited is an understatement," Obi-Wan chuckled. "You'll have your hands full with her."
Don't I know! Dear little Snips, the troublemaker!
"I accept. It will be fun to have a Padawan on my own!"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "I hope that she won't give you nearly as many problems as you caused me!"
"Me? I was a model Padawan, Master!" Vader exclaimed with mock horror creeping into his voice.
"Anakin, if what I suffered over the years was your best behavior, I shudder to think what your worst is!"
'You don't want to know Obi-Wan...' the former Sith Lord thought darkly.
A mountain of a man arrived then, interrupting their banter. That was the Dinner's owner, Dex, who was followed by a slim waiter droid, which brought their steaming steaks.
"Obi-Wan, you're back in one piece, I see! Did you two find out what you were looking for?" rumbled the large alien.
Kenobi nodded and gave a faint smile to his old friend.
"Let's just say that I found more on Kamino that I bargained for."
"Yeah. A whole army..." Vader muttered in an absent-minded way. Most of his attention was concentrated on the juicy steak and the mouth-watering aroma coming from the well-cooked meal.
"So, that's how the Republic got an army so fast!" Dex exclaimed.
"Indeed," Obi-Wan deadpanned, making obvious that he wasn't particularly thrilled with the situation.
The proprietor looked over his friend and his former Padawan, paying attention to Skywalker's uniform.
"So, are you both generals now, or did they decide that you are too old for this mess, Obi-Wan?" Dex grinned.
Kenobi scowled. "Unfortunately I got roped in this mess too."
"Nonsense, Obi-Wan. You are at least reasonably competent," Anakin quipped between two bites of steak. "For an ornery old man anyway..."
"Anakin, your faith in me is astounding," Kenobi deadpanned. "Besides, there must be someone in the army who can keep you from getting into too much trouble."
"Nonsense, Obi-Wan! I only get in trouble when I'm bored! I'm awesome like that!" Vader took a swig from his juice and changed the topic. "Now, tell me when I'll be meeting my troublesome Padawan of mine?"
=KoF=
GAR Staging Area
Senate District
Coruscant
Dozens of Acclamator Assault ships could be seen near the Senate Building. The choice of this staging area for the GAR was mostly political in nature. It was both a show of strength and an attempt to assure the Republic's population at large that those in charge had everything in control, despite the civil war all in name that would soon ravage the galaxy.
However, those thoughts were far from the minds of the Clones who were preparing to board their ships. Legion after legion marched up the ramps of their designated ships in parade formations. They looked like a powerful, unstoppable juggernaut, ready and willing to crush the Republic's enemies. It was even mostly true.
Too bad that the Droid armies they had to face outnumbered them to an almost ridiculous margin.
In a temporary barracks, a few kilometers from the senate building itself, a Legion of Clone troopers waited to receive their marching orders. Among their numbers was Torrent Company under the command of a Captain Rex, who was lounging in a not particularly comfortable chair. He was within a small cubicle that passed for his office until they deployed. The Captain was trying his best to vanquish the paperwork associated with his men's stay in their temporary home.
All the training on Kamino hadn't prepared him for this mind-numbing part of his duties. He would rather face a company of droids while naked and armed with only a pistol rather than deal with this mess for another day.
The computer terminal on his desk pinged, informing him that he had received a new message. Rex idly pressed a few buttons, glad for any distraction.
Wouldn't you know, the bureaucracy had finally got around to sending him his marching orders! They were going to be under the command of General Anakin Skywalker, who would meet them in the morning. Further, the Legion should be ready for deployment in two days at the latest. That at least shouldn't be a problem. They were ready to go at a moment's notice.
Rex wondered about their new commanding officer. He hadn't heard a thing about this Skywalker…
=KoF=
Part 3
=KoF=
North Docks
Jedi Temple
Coruscant
Padawan Ahsoka Tano trudged towards an empty landing pad. Her new Master was supposed to arrive there shortly and get her away from the madhouse the Jedi Temple was busy turning into. Those like her, who approved of, or worse, openly supported, Skywalker and Senator Amidala's forbidden love, were expected to leave for the Agri Corps within the week. Most of their Masters were passively resisting the orders to ensure that said apprentices were ready to depart in time, but that was all they were doing as far as she could figure out.
If she didn't know better, Ahsoka would have thought that the entire Order was on the brink of a civil war, despite the efforts of Master Yoda to straighten up the mess. Last she heard, The Grandmaster and Master Koon were preparing to call a Council meeting at the end of the week, where the whole awful affair was supposed to end once and for all. Nevertheless, the young Togruta didn't hold her breath in anticipation of a happy outcome. Not when this insane idea shouldn't have made its way through a Council vote in the first place!
Ahsoka looked around, feeling someone watching her. She was barely able to notice a pair of Temple Guards, whose featureless masks were pointed her way. She frowned, wondering on whose side those two were. She shook her head, wondering how it all went to hell like that! This was the Jedi Order! Things like this weren't supposed to happen in the Temple! A Jedi wasn't supposed to have to watch their back in this place! This was their home!
Tano started walking in front of the landing pad, in a futile attempt to calm her strained nerves. She was moderately successful when she heard the whine of an approaching craft. She turned her head in the direction of the sound and saw a LAAT transport descending towards the Jedi Temple. The small ship proudly wore dark green and black colors, giving it a distinct bird of prey look.
The LAAT touched down gently and its side door slid open, revealing a pair of men. The first one was familiar to Ahsoka. Even now, when he was wearing a green General's uniform, there was no mistaking Anakin Skywalker. She would have immediately recognized him even without his signature burning in the Force!
The other one, another very tall man, wore a junior officer's uniform if she wasn't mistaken.
"Padawan Tano," Skywalker said in a level voice.
While his face was a blank mask, Ahsoka could sense Anakin's turmoiling emotions clear as a day. There was a wonder, a feeling of profound joy mixed with sadness. The Jedi Knight clamped on his emotions, veiling them behind a buzzing wall of Force. "Jump in. We have places to be. Is this all your luggage?" he asked, pointing to the small backpack slung over her shoulder.
Ahsoka just nodded, wondering what was up with her new Jedi Master.
"Figures. We'll have to spare some time to get you a proper kit. As you probably know I'm General Anakin Skywalker," the Jedi Knight introduced himself and nodded towards his companion. "And this rascal is Lieutenant Maximilian Veers. For some reason, he decided to abandon his peaceful career back on his homeworld and enlist in what passed for the Republic ground forces before the GAR was unveiled." There was no mistaking the approval in Skywalker's voice.
"Ma'am!" the Lieutenant gave her a sharp nod and saluted.
"By the way, in their endless wisdom, the Senate decided that the Jedi must have high ranks in the army and would be able to effectively command troops in the field without any military training whatsoever! So congratulations are in order, Ahsoka! You are a brand new Commander in the army!"
She winced. "Thanks... I think?" Ahsoka was sure she didn't put enough enthusiasm in her shocking statement.
"Good, you're no fool. Let's make something abundantly clear. When we're out on the field, facing the Confederacy, you'll be listening to an experienced officer who will be your XO. Until you know what you're doing, you'll follow their lead, offer support with your Jedi abilities, and most importantly, learn." Skywalker spoke bluntly.
Whatever Ahsoka had been expecting,
this wasn't it. One thing was certain, the Council was wrong. In love or not, Skywalker wasn't letting his relationship with Senator Amidala cloud his judgment.
=KoF=
Chancellor's Office
Senate Building
Coruscant
Palpatine sat behind his desk, lounging in his comfortable chair. The cunning Sith Lord had just read a report from Dooku, who in turn had received it from one of his sympathizers within the Jedi ranks. Sidious found it impossible to hide his grin after he read over the first couple of paragraphs.
In their blind ignorance, the Jedi Masters were doing a lot of his job for him. The fools were about to handle him on a silver platter a lot of their Padawans.
Ah, young, impressionable Force Adepts, whose hearts were full to the brink with resentment after the Council's latest brainstorm! The dark feelings coming in waves from the Jedi Temple were like delicious wine for the Sith. Currently, he was wondering how to use Skywalker's new position to sow even more strife into the Jedi's ranks. While it would have been even better if Skywalker had cut off ties with the Order completely, the current state of affairs might be ideal in the long run. It offered so many ways to increase the rift between his future Apprentice and the Jedi that it was hard not to howl with glee.
Palpatine glanced at a stack of datapads, that was threatening to overwhelm the left side of his desk. All those pieces of shielded and heavily encrypted equipment contained status reports about the critical events all over the galaxy. One of them was the answer to Palpatine's dilemma.
'Let's see how to drive the wedge between the Order and Anakin even wider…' He hummed to himself happily.
"Battles across the Outer Rim... Useful but not exactly what I'm looking for... Various sensitive missions that Special Operations command wants to be initiated, which need my approval... Perhaps later... Ah, that's interesting! The baby son of that slime ball Jabba got himself kidnapped! Good riddance, I never liked the damn worms anyway... Yet... Let's see... Helping the 'innocent' spawn of a crime lord, who is eyebrows deep into slavery... The Jedi will be all over such an opportunity..." Sidious smiled viciously. "Yes, this will do... I just need to spin it the proper way…"
He pressed a well-concealed button on his desk and his secretary answered moments later.
"How can I help you, sir?"
"I need to meet with Jedi Masters Yoda and Windu as well as General Skywalker and the current SBI agent assigned to brief me. As soon as possible."
"I'm on it, Chancellor!"
'Let's see how Skywalker would react when the Jedi and their precious Republic race to save the sun of a slaver crime boss. Especially, while they don't lift a finger about all the slaves suffering under Jaba and his ilk…' Sidious thought in amusement.
=KoF=
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