Chapter Eleven – Trial And Traitor
As night drew in, the clouds which had filled the sky had all drifted away and were replaced with a glowing sunset in bright reds and oranges. The glow from the fading sun made all the buildings of the vast city glow. Anakin watched the sunset from Padme's bed in her Penthouse. He had been granted permission by Obi-Wan to retire with Padme for the night. Obviously understanding what a difficult and emotional day he had gone through. With returning back, facing the Council, and playing Palpatine. He was very grateful that his master was allowing him this. Finally, he could escape the stress and worry and be somewhere familiar to relax his body and mind.
He didn't eat much at dinner but Padme didn't persist. She was just as understanding, but he was sure that she would insist on him eating something for breakfast in the morning. He tore his gaze away from the city to stare at his hands. His real one and his mechanical artificial hand. He had removed his shirt and gauntlet and was now just in his comfy sleeping pants. He was leaning up against the headboard with the bed covers up to his waist. Padme was busy changing in her walk-in wardrobe, and Artoo and Threepio were in the other room keeping each other company.
Ahsoka wasn't with them. Master Plo had invited her to accompany him on the mission to ambush and arrest the Separatists Council on Mustafar. Ahsoka was all but delighted to attend the mission with her old friend. The other Jedi who had also been assigned to the mission included Ki-Andi-Mundi, Luminara Unduli and Shaak Ti. Commander Wolfe and a cavalry of clone troopers also accompanied them to ensure not one of the Separatists escaped them. Anakin was concerned and hoped their mission would be a success. He had even offered his assistance. But Ahsoka had been very confident when she had left with Master Plo and said that Anakin needed some much deserved rest after all he had done that day.
It certainly had been a hard day, hearing that Obi-Wan knew the truth, telling him and the whole Jedi Council, listening to their disapproval and support. Then hardest part of all was facing Palpatine once again and deceiving him into thinking he would join him in the dark side, and finally finding out the location of the Separatists. He recalled the conversation, which had followed earlier on after Anakin had revealed his plan to Padme at the Jedi Temple:
"No, Ani you can't! If you go to him, he'll stop at nothing to turn you against us."
"That's the very reason why I have to go. Before he turns anyone else against us and the Republic. I am the only one who can do this Padme. I will make him think I am joining him and knowing how possessive the Sith are with power, he won't give my claim a second thought. His obsession with me will blind him of anything else."
"But you told me yourself that his tempting words were so strong that you almost fell into step with him. I can't bear the thought of you doing it again, Ani. You'll be putting your own soul in jeopardy. And he may even sense that you are lying to him."
"I won't be in any danger, Padme. Master Windu said so himself that Palpatine can't use the Force due to the measures they've taken to ensure he didn't escape or fight them. That way, he won't detect my lies or even that Master Obi-Wan or Master Windu will be right outside the cell. I believe that he relies on his powers too much to look at things realistically. And because of that, I have a good feeling about this. Trust me."
"I do trust you Ani and I know you would fight to the death to protect me and the baby. I just don't want to lose you, to death or the dark side."
"Then I promise you won't, my love."
Despite the fact that he had succeeded, he still felt unsettled. Even after Padme had joined him in bed and had fallen asleep in his arms, Anakin could not drop off because he could not stop wondering if there was something he'd missed. It was like the tense feeling you had when you could sense that a storm was in the air. But Anakin could not explain the reason for this. For ages he lay awake with his palm resting on Padme's belly as though he were also holding his child, which technically he was, and he breathed in the sweet scent of her soft hair.
Finally he looked out the window and watched the vehicles that were still driving through the air. Slowly he tried counting them as they passed, but they moved too fast for him to keep up and keep a rhythm.
In the end he closed his eyes and hoped then the Force would grant him a dreamless sleep. But he didn't; he had a disturbing dream. A pair of big, sickly yellow eyes were glowing in the darkness staring straight at him. He did not see the face of the being, just the eyes, which glowed like lamps, and the longer he looked at them, the scarier they became.
He jerked awake and gasped for breath.
"Ani? Are you alright?"
He looked down at Padme who was still laying down and looking up at him with concern, the early morning sun glowing off her face. He rested himself back down on the pillows beside her and she touched his cheek.
"Did you have that dream again?" she asked. Anakin shook his head and told her about what he had seen. She frowned. "But what do you think it means?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen those eyes in a dream before. This is something different. And I don't like it."
She reached up to brush his sweaty hair from his eyes. "Try not to dwell on it, Ani." He wanted so badly to believe her, but he just didn't have any answers.
Later, when both he and Padme had finished eating their breakfast they received a message from Obi-Wan saying that the Separatists had all been captured, and that all the Jedi had come back to the Temple safe and well, including Ahsoka. Palpatine's trial was to take place that evening. Anakin was still positive that he did not want to personally attend the trial, but there was no doubt that he would be required to. But he decided to save that for later, and half an hour later they left the apartment and flew to the temple.
Ahsoka was feeling great. Her mission with Master Plo and the Jedi had been no trouble at all and had gone just as the Council had planned. The whole of the Separatist Council were in custody and being transferred to prison. She was overjoyed at how things were going. She had apprehended Maul, Master Windu and Master Fisto had captured Darth Sidious, and now she and the Jedi had arrested the Separatists. It seemed that everything was mending itself. The only things left to come were Palpatine's trial before the Republic and Anakin's trial before the Jedi Council. She was confident that Palpatine's trial would end with him being sentenced to execution, marked as someone too dangerous to be allowed to live. Anakin's trial was another matter. That was one which could go in any direction.
"Ahsoka? Are you ok?" She turned to see that Katooni had come over to her.
"What? Oh, yes. Sorry. Please continue." She was outside the Temple and watching her Youngling friends who were showing her their new improved dueling skills against one another.
Katooni sat down next to her. "You looked troubled Ahsoka. Are you sure you're alright?"
The other five Younglings had stopped what they were doing and deactivated their sabers. They all came over to where Ahsoka and Katooni were and seated themselves in front of them. The Togruta looked at all the caring faces of the Younglings who had once rescued her from the clutches of pirates despite being under aged to possibly achieve such a feat.
"I was thinking about Anakin," she said.
"Oh yeah, we heard," said Petro, folding his arms.
Ahsoka was surprised. "How?"
"Word of it travelled round the temple," Said Zatt. "And most of the other Younglings and Padawan's heard all about it."
"So we all know that Master Skywalker is married to Senator Amidala and she is pregnant with his baby," Said Ganodi.
"Well actually, we'd heard about the marriage, but we sort of figured out the baby part on our own," Katooni put in.
"And how did you figure it out?" Ahsoka asked, still more surprised.
"Because of the other day," said Ganodi, "When we both saw you and the others in the corridor. Katooni and I noticed that Senator Amidala was pregnant and after hearing about her marriage to Master Skywalker the rest was quite easy to figure out."
Ahsoka smiled. It never ceased to amaze her at how smart kids as young as them could be.
Gungi softly asked a question and she met the small Wookie's eyes.
"I'm not sure what will happen to Anakin at this present moment in time, Gungi. But I'm hoping things won't take a turn for the worse."
Byph then voiced a question in his foreign tongue.
"The worst that can happen Byph," Ahsoka answered the Ithorian sadly, "is that Anakin could end up being expelled from the Jedi Order for breaking the rule of "no attachments" and keeping it a secret from the Order."
The six youngling's faces suddenly became shocked and disbelieving.
"No! They can't do that!" Petro exclaimed.
"Anakin is one of the best Jedi's here at the Temple," Katooni pointed out.
"Yeah, he's the hero with no fear," said Ganodi.
"If they expel him, they'll be losing one of their most gifted and courageous warriors," said Zatt.
Gungi sadly howled in a way of showing his own defiance and Byph lowered his large eyes and squeaked his own view.
"Yes, I agree it's not fair, Byph. But I, Master Kenobi and a number of the Council members seem willing to support Anakin. So I have hope that the odds might be in his favor."
"I wish we could give him support at his trial," said Petro.
Ahsoka nodded. "I'm sure Anakin would be delighted to know that he has your support, Petro. But unfortunately you're not old enough yet and not a member of the Council."
The young boy nodded and began fiddling with his lightsaber hilt.
A short silence followed until Katooni spoke up from beside Ahsoka. "I keep wondering what Anakin's child will be like."
Ahsoka met the Tholothian's eyes and replied, "I keep thinking that too. No Jedi has ever had a child, and already we can feel that the child is very Force sensitive."
"Will the child be brought here to be trained like us?" Ganodi asked.
"I don't know. That decision will be Anakin and Padme's alone to make." That sentence alone seemed to settle the matter and no one else questioned it.
"I wonder what will happen at Palpatine's trial?" Zatt asked.
"Yeah, that is something I wish I could see," said Petro with a hint of annoyance. Gungi growled softly in agreement.
Ahsoka's face became serious. "I'm afraid that you're also too young for that either. And even though I know there will be many necessary precautions taken to ensure the safety of everyone attending, the Jedi will not allow any Younglings your age anywhere near that man."
"We've been near people equally as dangerous," Petro pointed out.
"During our mission together we encountered Grievous and that band of pirates." Katooni frowned. "Need I remind you that they helped us escape from Grievous. Hondo kept his word and they fought alongside us then got us off the planet."
"Grievous was dangerous," Ahsoka agreed. "But Palpatine, Darth Sidious was the mastermind behind all of this. And if you think that Grievous was dangerous, you cannot imagine what Darth Sidious is capable of. And he was the one who taught Darth Maul, and I only just managed to capture him with the help of the Clone Troopers. But we lost two Jedi Masters when capturing Sidious, and he almost turned Anakin against us." Her gaze fell to the ground.
"I don't understand why or how any Jedi could turn against their own people. I mean when we saw Padawan Barris Offee fighting Master Skywalker with red lightsabers I could clearly see her rage and that she would have killed him then and there without mercy or hesitation," Katooni said sadly.
"It was as though every spark of goodness that had once been in her was gone altogether." Ahsoka closed her eyes. The memory of Barris's betrayal hurt more than a burn from a saber or blaster blot.
A small hand took hold of hers and she turned to Katooni. "We never believed that you were the one responsible for the bombing, Ahsoka."
"No," said Zatt. "We tried to explain to one or two of the masters that you were a good person, but one of them said we were too young to understand the situation. And the other said that our word would only remain opinions as we were too young for our views to be relevant."
Gungi howled, sounding annoyed.
"Gungi is right," said Petro. "The whole thing was unfair."
Ahsoka nodded, still holding Katooni's hand. "Let's hope the Jedi will make no more mistakes," she said, hoping to change the subject.
Byph then asked a question.
"Yes, Palpatine's trial is being held tonight," Ahsoka answered.
"If all goes well, what will you do Ahsoka when this is all over?" Ganodi asked.
She looked into the young Rodian's eyes and said, "Well if Palpatine meets his end and Anakin is cleared and allowed to stay in the Order, I will be remaining with him and Padme. They're going to need a trusted friend at their side especially to help care for their child if needed. Also to keep an eye on things and help protect them and the baby if any danger comes."
The Younglings exchanged glances then Perto asked, "So are you going to become Master Skywalker's student again? And return as a Jedi?"
Letting go of Katooni's hand, Ahsoka stood up taking a few steps away she stared into the distance at the tree which stood a few feet away.
"No, I will not be returning to the Temple as a Jedi. At least not right now. Because everything I went through when I was framed was bad enough, but what hurt me more than I could possibly explain was that the Council believed I was guilty and lost their faith in me. After all I had done for them, and for the Republic, they decided that I would willingly turn against them and murder innocent people heartlessly. I had even saved Barris's life more than once, and she turned against me. Anakin and Padme never doubted me. Padme defended me at the trial and Anakin found out the truth about Barris. So in a way, I owe them so much for clearing my name. I decided to repay them by becoming their family protector."
"So will you never come back here? Will we ever see you again?" Katooni asked, sounding slightly worried.
Ahsoka turned back round. "Of course you will. If Anakin wished, I will accompany him if he ever needed me on missions. Even if it was just to report back here to the Council, then I would come with him. And I'll often drop in to pay you all visit if I can. So don't worry. Besides, I enjoy your company and want to see what great Jedi's you will all become."
The rest of that afternoon with the Younglings was happy for Ahsoka. But hours later when night had fallen, the mood among the Jedi had become gloomy as a great number of them made their way to the building where Palpatine's trial was being held. It was in fact the same courtroom where Ahsoka's trial had been. But as she walked towards it with Anakin and Padme, she was determined not to show any sign of sadness at the memory.
Anakin felt no better. Obi-Wan had said that it would be a wise idea for him to be seen attending, but he didn't have to be in the actual courtroom when the time came for the trial. On the way there, many reporters had tried to get an interesting story from a number of the Jedi attending. And just as they were about to enter the building, one of them had stopped Anakin and asked what he felt about Palpatine being a Sith Lord.
And all Anakin said in response was "I feel betrayed." And then turned and went in with the others.
However, when they had come close to the building they all felt the Force disappear. Anakin instantly knew that Palpatine was already in the building and that his guards were keeping the Ysalamiri creatures close. It was odd and unsettling for many of the Jedi, but they all knew it was necessary to keep everyone safe.
Obi-Wan took Anakin, Padme and Ahsoka into a small office where Anakin confirmed that he had decided to stick to his original decision and not attend the courtroom. Obi-Wan said it was his choice and that was fine. Padme told the Jedi Master that she would stay with Anakin to keep him company. Ahsoka on the other hand, said that she would go in to observe the trial so that she could give Anakin the details later on if he wished to hear them. Obi-Wan said that she would sit with him and the rest of the Jedi, which she gladly accepted.
Now Anakin was seated with Padme someway down the corridor from the door to the courtroom. Padme was wearing the same dark outfit she had worn for Ahsoka's trial and Anakin was surprised that it still fit her while she was pregnant. The outfit itself was unlike Padme's usual dresses, which all seemed to reflect her beauty and goodness. This outfit gave people the impression that Padme was not a person to mess with.
For a long time they didn't say much to begin with. They just sat close, holding hands and letting the silence surround them. The voices which came from the courtroom were so blurred that they almost blended with the silence and the sound of the passing ships and speeders outside.
Finally Padme said, "Hopefully by the time tomorrow ends, this will all be over and we can relax."
Anakin shook his head slowly. "There is still my trial, Padme. And I still fear for your health. Even though I don't have the dream anymore, it still haunts me and I can't get the memory of it out of my head."
Padme leaned her head against his shoulder. "Will there ever be a time when your mind grants you some much needed peace?"
Anakin wrapped his arm round her and cradled her stomach. "I don't know," he answered, resting his cheek against her sweet scented hair.
The sudden sound of blaster fire came from within the courtroom jerking Anakin from the moment. And at the same time the whole world felt like it came crashing down within his head. The force had unexpectedly returned at the same time an explosion and many screams filled his ears a dozen of pained feelings and emotions filled his mind almost overwhelming him to the point of fainting. Before he could comprehend what happened he felt some kind of warning which was screaming in his mind. Without another thought he threw himself over Padme protectively just in time as another explosion came from right down the corridor making the room shake and their ears ring. The sound of multiple running footsteps followed.
When the footsteps faded into the far distance, he checked on Padme. "Are you alright?"
She nodded "Yes."
He touched her stomach and was relieved as he felt his child's Force signature still glowing bright. Looking down the corridor, he saw with shock that the door to the courtroom had been blasted off, and was in pieces all over the ground with the arched frame smoking and sparking from the damage.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan's voice came from the comlink on Anakin's wrist, but it sounded as though Obi-Wan was in pain.
Anakin quickly activated it, concern filled his voice. "Master, what just happened?"
"Anakin…Palpatine…escaped."
Anakin's eyes widened with disbelief. "What! No! But how?!"
"It was…Tarkin!" Came Ahsoka's voice which also sounded pained like Obi-Wan's. "He killed the…Ysalamiri and Sidious…electrocuted the whole room."
Author's Notes
Hello there my readers! Hope you're all well and keeping strong despite all that's going on with COVID-19.
I was stuck with this chapter for a while with a bit of writer's block. But over the weekend I managed to break it and complete the chapter. I am very grateful for your continued support and please keep it up with your lovely reviews.
I decided to give a surprise ending to the chapter along with another Cliff-hanger.
And I also decided to throw in some more of interactions between the younglings and Ahsoka, as their episodes in "The Clone Wars" were some of my favourites in the Show. I'm not sure if they'll come back in the story yet but we'll see.
Thank You Carrie2sky for your expert Beta Reading.
May The Force Be With You!
LouisaJane007