The 'urgent call' that Palpatine had taken wasn't a call at all. Instead, he had called the Inquisitor and his apprentice to Dromund Kaas. With these new developments, he needed to confer with people that understood the magnitude of the issue.
He walked to his throne and sat in it. He let his apprentice and his asset know that he was there, and waited for them to walk in.
Tyrannus and the Sister, though still quite tense with each other, had both felt a change in the Jedi Order even from the distances that they had been at. The Sister had been fairly close, running around the Inner Rim as much as she could. Tyrannus had been overlooking one of the Separatist Council meetings out in the Colonies. They could not deny that they felt a shift on Coruscant, although they wanted for Sideous to tell them himself and did not want to anger him by asking.
One of the things Tyrannus had done at the Council meeting was to get their input on the conquering of the Republic. Sideous had asked him to bring back military viewpoints only, so Tyrannus had done the best he could. It was difficult, especially when speaking to politicians, to get such answers but it was possible.
The Sister knew that she was being called for a different reason. Since Tyrannus was being replaced soon, she was the only one Sideous dared talk to about long term plans. It appeared to the Sister that Sideous may or may not be planning on letting her live, provided that she did not screw up. The Inquisitor said nothing but did all the more to gain his trust.
They walked in, and Tyrannus took a knee. The Inquisitor bowed her head, although it wasn't necessary for her. She needed to be on his good side right now, especially when the day was drawing closer.
Instead of staying seated on his throne, he stood up and walked down to his disciples. "I assume you have felt what I am about to tell you." They both nodded.
"There are details that you do not know, so pay close attention.
"Yesterday, another Jedi was meditating. This is normal, but she was joined by six other consciousnesses, all of them much weaker than herself. Somehow, these consciousnesses managed to find that we are influencing them through the Senate. They saw through the shadow I have cast over their minds. After I forced them out of their vision, the younger six started talking, as children do, but they deducted who was influencing the Order and almost spoke my identity aloud. The Jedi Master almost heard it, but I wiped the children's memories, and the Jedi Master is now insane, and all seven are now in the healing ward."
The two listening did not speak, but their minds began turning, and they glanced at each other from the corner of their eye.
"I have looked into our tip problem, the list had been run down. Skywalker just took the last mission this morning, and after this, the Jedi will have nothing to go off of. I want you two to discuss this. I am going to gather food, and I will be back, and I want to know what you think of this."
Sideous walked to the doors and left without another word.
As soon as the doors closed behind him, Tyrannus stood up and faced the Sister. She did not face him but stared after the Sith Lord.
"This was not accounted for in my master's plan," Tyrannus began. "And I don't see how children could have seen such things, even through the Force."
"Even if it was not accounted for," the Sister mused, "we ought not to change the plan. This does not affect it in any way. If anything it will make the Jedi weaker, and they will be less prepared for our attack."
"Are you suggesting that we forget all of this and just continue as if nothing happened?"
"If we act like something important happened, then the Jedi will know that what they did was important. If we act as though nothing happened, the Jedi will blow it off as well. They will blame it on a freak accident. Although," she muttered, "your master has already taken a risk with what he has done, in my opinion."
"What do you mean?"
"He had to prevent the six children and the Master from sharing their insights, but now the Jedi know that they saw something important, something so important that we had to take action to prevent them from sharing it. They know that we are aware and that we are hiding something, something big. Now they are on guard, and watching out for us."
"All the more reason to adjust the plan, and move the attack day closer," countered Tyrannus. "The council members are growing impatient. Even Grievous has complained about so many of his missions being ruined by those meddling Jedi. Those tips are certainly becoming a nuisance." He glared at the Togruta. He still didn't trust her.
"Believe me, I know," she growled. "That mission, that Skywalker took, on that last tip? That was my mission. I barely managed to make it out with those raw materials."
"It is the opinion of the Separatist Council that we hurry the attack date and take Coruscant now, instead of in four weeks."
The Inquisitor shook her head. "If we let this fester, it will break the Order apart. They will be all talk and no action. Can't you feel it, even now?"
The Sister did not wait for an answer, but stretched out an arm and focused on the Temple in the distance. "The Order has lost its harmony. There is frustration, anger, fear, all of it festering even amount the Jedi Masters. One of their own has been driven to insanity, and six of their Younglings, the future of the Jedi, have lost their memory. Where there was once unity, there is now discord. Where there was once peace, there is chaos."
"And will that last?" Tyrannus doubted. "Should we not attack now while we know they are falling apart?"
"We can, but if we wait, the chaos will grow, the discord will spread. When we attack in a month, there will be nothing to stop us. The Jedi will have done the hard work for us."
"Which is?"
"Tearing themselves apart. They will be fighting each other so we don't have to."
"Will they not notice? Will they not counter it?"
"No. They will be so busy worrying about what your master's power is doing to actually worry about the source itself. The only people who know are bedridden. We should let it fester." The Sister set her face, settled with the case she had made.
"And do you agree with her, my good and faithful apprentice?"
They turned around and saw that Sideous had returned. He was already reseated on his throne, looking down at them.
Tyrannus thought for a moment, then answered his master. "It is a good plan, but the longer we wait, the greater risk we run that Skywalker or someone else should find out about our plans. If it will fester, let it fester, but if it hinders us, we must act quickly."
Sideous nodded. "I will speak with you in a minute, my apprentice. I want to talk with the Sister, alone."
The Sith apprentice had no choice but to nod and leave the room. The Sister watched him go, and she felt his hatred towards her.
"What of Skywalker?" Sideous asked her once he had left. "What do you sense from Skywalker, through the thread I connected you with?"
The Sister closed her eyes and focused. She felt his emotions: his anger, his sadness, his fear, his regret, his pain, his confusion, his hurt. Most of it did not come from the events that had taken place with the Younglings, but it was similar.
"The chaos of the Temple is feeding his emotions," she reported. "He is becoming desperate for answers, though. He may act rashly if we do not keep his fury at bay."
Sideous drummed his fingers on the armrest of his throne, then stood up. "Walk with me," he told her, and she obliged.
"I am a patient man, Sister," he began, speaking in a low voice. "I have waited many decades for my plan to finally come to its fruition, and now the day is less than a month away. I want to rush it, but I dare not, not when we are so close."
"I understand, Your Excellency."
"I know you do. You still know your role, your part in my plan?"
"I do."
"Then I must ask for another service from you. How can we stall Skywalker's anger without rushing my plan, my glorious and careful plan?"
The Sister thought for a moment. Skywalker wanted answers. What answers could she give him?
"Let me go to him, your Excellency. I will draw him out and talk to him."
"What will you say, child?"
"I will insult the Republic. If someone he detests so much dares to insult the Chancellor, I believe that will make him a little more protective of said Chancellor."
Sideous smiled. "You are manipulative, Sister, so smart, and yet, so manipulative."
She returned his smile. "The future apprentice of the future emperor will fall right into his place."
"And what of the one who currently occupies his place?"
The Sister looked towards the doors before speaking. "I know Skywalker will kill him when given the chance. They have fought before."
Sideous nodded, then pointed to the door. "Go, talk to Skywalker. Stay away from Coruscant. We must hold out for my plan."
The Sister nodded and left. She went to her ship and took off, not saying a word on the way.
Skywalker wanted answers? He was about to get some.