Chapter 9 – Infiltration
"So you want me to give Ahsoka control over the 501st without informing the Jedi Council? Padmé, that's…"
"Crazy?" she provided.
"Well… yeah."
"It's the best course of action, Anakin. You know Mandalore can't be liberated without Republic forces."
"Remind me why I can't go myself?"
"Bo-Katan would never allow it. You are a Jedi Knight and a general in the Grand Army of the Republic. Ahsoka is neither."
Anakin crossed his arms and gave his former Padawan a long look. "You're awfully quiet about this. What do you have to say?"
Ahsoka automatically looked at Padmé. She gave her a subtle nod, permitting her to speak. "I think… this is a good plan," Ahsoka said slowly.
"You don't sound too confident."
"I am," Ahsoka recovered. "I can do this, Master."
Anakin seemed unconvinced. "But what about your lightsabers? You don't have them."
"They're gone," Ahsoka said, her voice hollow.
"They're not gone. I held on to them for you."
"You did?"
"They're in my quarters in the Temple, but you have no way of getting them."
"Don't worry about that," Padmé said. "I'll find a way."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't worry about it," she said again.
Anakin placed his hands on his hips. "I should discuss this with Obi-Wan."
"By all means," Padmé said.
Concern was etched across his face, eyebrows knit together and lips pressed in a line. He spared one last look for Ahsoka. "I should get going," he said.
"Keep in contact, alright?" Padmé requested. "Bo-Katan should give me her decision soon, and I want to be ready to move when she does."
Anakin's frown deepened. He seemed to be confused why she was so involved in this. When he opened his mouth to ask that very question, Padmé cut him off.
"We should go too."
"Okay," Anakin said. She could see how dejected he was to be saying goodbye, so Padmé chose to give him a little surprise.
"Love you, Ani."
His mouth fell open and his eyes darted to Ahsoka. Padmé smirked, and before he could say anything, she cut off the feed.
"That went well," she said, heart fluttering. She hadn't anticipated how thrilling that would be. Never had they expressed their love for each other in front of another person. It was as if she had made their relationship more official in a way.
Ahsoka was giving her a strange look. "What?" Padmé asked.
"Nothing," Ahsoka said quickly, lowering her gaze.
Padmé bit her tongue. Why did it bother her so much that Ahsoka feared her? Wasn't that what she wanted?
"Now that that's out of the way, let me give you your real assignment."
Ahsoka's eyes darted up. "My real assignment?" she echoed.
"The reason I am sending you to Mandalore is to recruit Darth Maul to our side. Do you think you can manage this?"
"How would I recruit him?"
"By telling him your master seeks his assistance in destroying Darth Sidious."
Ahsoka rubbed her arms together and looked away. "Is Darth Sidious your master?"
Padmé stiffened. "Yes," she said.
"Are you ever going to tell me who he is?"
Padmé had yet to reveal her master's identity to Ahsoka despite having ample time to do so. It was irrational, but a part of her feared he would be able to detect her treachery if she divulged his secret; As if his very name were a taboo which when uttered would trigger her destruction.
"Perhaps another time," Padmé said.
Ahsoka was disappointed, but she didn't dare question her judgement. Instead she began tapping her foot, eyes still trained on the windows.
"I'll handle getting your lightsabers back."
"You will?" Ahsoka said. "How?"
"I have an idea that should work. If not, we'll have to figure out a way to make you a new one."
"Couldn't I just –" Ahsoka clamped her mouth shut, stopping herself mid-thought.
"Just what?" Padmé pried.
"Never mind," Ahsoka squeaked.
"Tell me."
Ahsoka swallowed hard. "I thought maybe I could… use yours?" Her voice was mousy and her expression wary as if she expected retribution at any moment.
"Use mine?" Padmé echoed.
"Forget it, it's a stupid idea. I didn't mean to –"
"It's quite alright," Padmé cut her off. "It's not a stupid idea at all, Ahsoka."
"It isn't?"
"I would be more than willing to offer you my weapon if I had one. But alas I do not."
Ahsoka seemed to be stunned by this. "You have no lightsaber? Why not?"
"I never had any need for one."
This wasn't strictly true. The real reason was because Palpatine had never wanted her to wield a lightsaber. He called it a primitive tool, and for most of her life, Padmé had agreed. Only when she met Anakin did she begin to understand how invaluable a lightsaber truly was. Now she realized why Palpatine hadn't trained her in lightsaber combat: He didn't want her to pose a threat to him.
"Maybe someday," she said.
"I don't understand. How can you be a Sith and not have a lightsaber?"
"I told you, I am not a Sith. Not in the strict sense."
"You sure act like one."
Once again, Ahsoka seemed to regret her tongue. She winced and reflexively bowed her head. The pang of sympathy Padmé experienced was now quelled by an overwhelming frustration. Before she knew what she was doing, Padmé grabbed Ahsoka by the chin and forced her to meet her eyes.
"You think you know the first thing about suffering? About torment?" Her fingernails dug into Ahsoka's cheeks as she pulled her closer. "You understand nothing! My master treated me a hundred times worse than I am treating you! He stole me from my family and raised me to be his slave! That's what the Sith do. That's who the Sith are. Don't you dare equate me with that monstrosity!" She released Ahsoka roughly and the girl staggered away. "I am not your enemy, Ahsoka. I am your salvation."
Her apprentice was a fool to think otherwise.
Δ Δ Δ
The Jedi Temple was an enormous monument to the Order's hubris; its blocky, uninspired architecture a testament to its inhabitants' lack of vision. It was a formidable fortress, there could be no denying that. But as with all things, the fortress was only as strong as its weakest point. And in this case, the Jedi Temple had one glaring weakness – and Padmé intended to exploit it.
Her master had told her that one must understand their enemies if they intend to defeat them. He taught her everything there was to know about them. She in all likelihood knew more about the Jedi than she did the Sith. That had always struck her as odd, but now that information would come to her benefit.
"You see, Paddy, the Jedi Temple was erected a thousand years ago by the Four Masters. It was they who defeated the Sith and it was they who decided to construct their Temple atop their enemy's former shrine."
"But why would they do that?"
"To symbolize their victory, I suppose. But you see, they were foolish to do so. The shrine may have been razed, but the power it commands still exists. This is the great irony of the Jedi Temple. The so-called bastion of the light side of the Force is situated atop a well of darkness."
The turbolift came to a stop and Padmé pushed through the crowd to disembark. She was wearing the same cloak as when she had last descended to Coruscant's lower levels to find Ahsoka. This time she hadn't gone anywhere near as far down, just a few levels below the surface. The difference was noticeable: the walkways were cleaner and the inhabitants even more so. Yet Padmé still felt uncomfortable down here. She was used to living on the upside where the sun always shined. Here in this concrete world the only light was artificial and the only warmth was accompanied by a faint reek of gas.
She quickened her pace, weaving in and out of the dawdling crowd. Although she didn't know precisely where she was going, she did know that it was close. She had spent the entire night meditating. It had been a tremendously difficult endeavor. Pure, untainted darkness tended to stick out, but Coruscant's multitudinous population obscured it from her view. Each person had a Force presence, and in spite of what the Jedi taught, most of them were dominated by darkness, which made her search all the more difficult. The pinpricks of mottled light drowned out the darkness she sought to find, like the canvas of space befogged by a dusty nebula or a black hole limned by a brilliant quasar.
But despite that, she had succeeded. The darkness had sought her out and she had embraced it. Now it guided her, wrapping its tendrils around her waist and belaying her forward to its destination. While her strides were confident and deliberate, a twinge of doubt continued to afflict her. Once again, she wondered whether the darkness she had invited into herself was tainting her children somehow.
What was her alternative? Resist the darkness and accept her fate? She would be sacrificing her children to Palpatine's whims if she chose to do that! There could be no passivity, no restraint. She had to do everything she could to defeat that man. Only then would her children be safe from him.
…But what about from herself?
She took a turn and stowed away this irksome question. The street narrowed and the crowds thinned. A light above flickered, the segment of street below suddenly bathed in shadow. Padmé began to slow, her eyes sharpening as she looked around for any sort of landmark. But there was nothing. The street was entirely inconspicuous. Was this really where the Force wanted her to be?
And then she saw it: a sewer vent in the pavement a few meters away. Dread set in as she stared at it. This was the entrance? Really? She didn't know what she had been expecting, but for sure she had figured it would be grander than this. Taking a few grudging steps toward the sewer vent, she peered down through its grated filter. It was too dark to see much.
Padmé looked around to see if anyone was nearby. Confirming that there was not, she sighed and knelt down by the vent. It was then when something caught her eye. There was an insignia branded into the metal: an indented circle surrounded by a ring of triangular flames. Padmé ran her finger over it and shuddered with anticipation. She knew this marking. This was the emblem of the Sith.
She retracted her finger and the vent opened before her, two panels swinging upward with a mechanical creak. Padmé tentatively poked her head down into the opening. It was still too dark to see, but Padmé noted that there was no smell that one might expect to find in a sewer.
Padmé stood back upright. The dark chasm beckoned her forward, but she hesitated. There was no ladder. How was she going to get down there? Or better yet, ought she?
Padmé shook her head vigorously. How many times was she going to have this debate? She was doing this, end of story! Steadying herself with a breath, Padmé closed her eyes and jumped into the hole.
Red lights flashed in front of her vision as she plunged downward. Her back hit something solid and she found herself sliding rather than falling. The gradient flattened out and she began to slow down, the friction of her cloak against the ground easing her to a gentle stop.
Sitting upright, she took a moment to acquaint herself with her surroundings. She was in a chilly, vaulted tunnel. Along the walls were antique floating candledroids which did a better job casting shadows than they did at providing light. The floor beneath her was made of two obsidian slabs which were separated by a thin red line. The divider glowed dimly, but as she looked at it, the red hue grew brighter and it began to pulsate in and out like a beacon. Padmé didn't hesitate. She followed the light which would guide her to the heart of the Jedi Temple.
Δ Δ Δ
Padmé was shivering. The cold hadn't bothered her much at first, but the longer she plodded along, the worse it became. She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders tighter, yet the fabric did little to keep her warm. The chill was deeper than the skin, seemingly uncorrelated with the environment around her.
Her steps echoed loudly. The hallway had been flat for much of the journey, but now it was steepening. Up and up she went, back to the surface of Coruscant, she figured. The turbolift ride had only lasted a matter of minutes, but she knew it would take far longer for her to traverse the same distance by foot.
And the cold only continued to grow more terrible. She clenched her jaw, arms wrapped tightly around her midsection. Her children wouldn't suffer like she did! She would protect them, shield them! She had to. She had to! She…
You can't protect them.
Padmé growled, the guttural sound especially ominous in this dark realm.
"I have to keep them away from you!" Her mouth frothed with fury as she staggered upward. "I have to destroy you!"
You are nothing. A pawn in my game. I will use your children and cast you aside.
"I won't let you! I won't!"
You are pathetic. I never viewed you as anything but, my dear.
A horrible cackle sounded around her, the vicious cacophony ricocheting inside her skull. Padmé screamed, hoping to drown out the sound, but she only managed to augment it.
"I hate you!"
No. You are me.
There was a dim light ahead. Padmé sought it out like a drowning woman seeking air. The grade of the pathway flattened, and with each step toward the light, the oppressive cold and jarring laughter turned fainter and fainter. She felt herself thaw, the warmth that the light provided comforting her like a soft blanket or a hot cup of tea. It was so pleasant that Padmé felt like succumbing to its embrace, but she forced herself to persevere. She had to make it to the Temple. She had to. She… she…
Padmé jerked back to her senses. What happened? Where was she? Her heart pounded as she spun about. She was still in the hallway, but everything about it had changed. The surface of the floor was no longer obsidian but marble, and the red stripe had been replaced by a velvet carpet.
The sound of approaching footsteps had Padmé panicking. Taking off in the opposite direction, she turned a corner and pelted down the hallway. It suddenly dawned upon her that she must be inside the Temple. How had she gotten here? At some point the darkness had simply changed into light.
She came to an abrupt halt. Swiveling her head, her eyes found a humble plaque on the wall next to a closed door. It read Anakin's name! Had she really managed to stumble across his quarters? She had feared that she would have to search for hours in order to find it, yet here it was!
The return of footsteps had Padmé scrambling toward the door. It opened and she slipped inside before anyone could see her. The door sealed shut and Padmé released a sigh of relief. Her fingers were quivering and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She took a moment to steady her breathing and calm herself down. In and out, in and out…
She had never experienced terror as raw as that. Not even her incident on Naboo had been as horrible. Not even close. Why had it happened? The dark side was supposed to be her ally, not her tormentor! She thought she would have been safe down there, but instead it was here in the center of the Jedi Temple where she felt more secure, as bizarre as that seemed.
The realization that she would have to return to the tunnels in order to escape had Padmé panicking again. She couldn't go back there! She wouldn't willingly put herself through that again. But what was her alternative? It wasn't as if she could just waltz out the front door. The dark side was the only way out.
She would deal with that when it came. For now she needed to maintain her composure and find Ahsoka's lightsabers. Taking a step away from the door, Padmé scanned the room. It was quite sparse. Three windows invited in copious amounts of sunlight, filtered by the partially closed shutters. A twin bed was in the center of the circular room, and around it at each cardinal point was a dresser, work bench, and display case. Padmé smiled to herself as she approached the latter furnishing. There was a shiny model starfighter in the foreground and behind it were some faded posters of Tatooine's most famous podracers. She noticed with some surprise that one of them was of his old nemesis, Sebulba. The Dug was smiling at her smugly from the cockpit of his racer as he completed a lap, practically parsecs ahead of his minuscule competition.
Padmé shook her head and turned away from the display case. It was time to return to the task at hand. She walked over to the dresser and opened each drawer to no avail. Her search of the work bench was similarly fruitless. Stumped, Padmé made her way to the bed and sat down. A great cloud of dust billowed up when she did this, causing her to cough. How long had it been since Anakin was last on Coruscant? Four months? Five? They had never gone this long without seeing each other.
A sigh escaped her lips and her head sunk into her chest. She did miss him, of course, but she also feared his return in equal measure. Feeling quite weary all of a sudden, Padmé canted over and rested her head on the pillow. She felt something hard pressing against her temple. Curious, she removed the pillow to reveal a circular fob. What could this be? Folding her legs underneath her, Padmé sat back upright and took a close look at her find. There was a small button at the base which she pressed with her thumb.
An image was projected and Padmé felt a sinking sensation in her stomach when she saw a hologram of herself looking back at her. Her smile was bright and her eyes shining. She was so happy and full of love for the man capturing her hologram, as if nothing in the galaxy mattered to her but him.
Padmé didn't know who that woman was.
She closed her fist around the fob and threw it as hard as she could against the back wall. Curling into a ball on the bed, Padmé covered her eyes and wept.