"Don't take too long." Ahsoka pleaded as she leaned against the wall outside Chancellor Palpatine's office.
"I won't." Anakin sighed, before knocking on the office door.
The last thing Anakin wanted to do between missions was report to the Chancellor. On any other day, he'd be happy to visit his friend, but all he wanted to do right now was relax. Palpatine's voice called Anakin inside, so the Jedi let himself in.
"Chancellor." Anakin greeted with a bow as the door closed behind him. He then made his way to Palptaine's desk.
"Anakin. It's good to see you." Palpatine looked up from a holopad, smiling, "How have you been?"
"Fine. I haven't had a day off for a month now, but at least we're still winning." Anakin shrugged.
"At least. Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you something." Palpatine raised, his smile fading, "Have you noticed the Jedi making any counterproductive plans or decisions at all?"
"No, I don't think so." Anakin answered, "Why?"
"You see, some of my peers in the Senate have been clamouring for the war to end. They don't support it. Ever since General Krell betrayed the Republic, I've somewhat turned my attention to the Jedi too." Palpatine explained.
"The Jedi are trying to end this war as quickly as possible." Anakin assured him.
"Do you trust them?"
After a second of pause, Anakin responded, "Yes."
Palpatine's smile returned, "If you trust them, then so do I. Thank you for your time, Anakin."
"Of course, Chancellor." Anakin bowed, before making his way back outside.
"What did he want?" Ahsoka asked as Anakin let out a lungful of air.
"Just political stuff." Anakin shrugged. As the two headed towards the elevator, he continued, "Sometimes when I go in there, it feels kinda... I don't know - tense?"
"I could feel it from outside." Ahsoka shivered, calling the elevator.
"Anyway... Dex's?"
"Sure."
"Nothing beats this." Ahsoka grinned as she took a huge bite out of her sandwich, sitting in a booth at Dex's Diner.
"I'm hurt." Anakin placed his hand on his chest.
Ahsoka shrugged, "It's the truth, Skyguy."
Anakin laughed at her joke, "Fair enough."
"I wonder wha-" Ahsoka began, only for her attention to be caught by a Fire Team speeder racing passed, "Huh. I wonder where he's rushing off to."
"Someone's Loth-cat probably climbed up onto a roof or something." Anakin dismissed, biting into his own sandwich.
"Hang on..." Ahsoka leaned closer to the window, trying to get a better look at where the speeder was going, "Do you sense that?"
Anakin swallowed, before focusing with the Force. The two Jedi suddenly shared glances and rushed outside. "Look!" Ahsoka pointed up into the sky. Dark smoke clouds were billowing from somewhere in the city.
"It's... the Temple! Has to be!" Anakin called. Him and Ahsoka hurried to their speeder and rushed to the Jedi Temple.
Anakin stopped the speeder at the base of the stairs leading up to the Temple. There was a huge crowd forming on the steps, held back from the entrance by Plo Koon and a few Clones. Anakin and Ahsoka jumped out of their speeder and pushed through the crowd. "What happened?" Ahsoka asked Plo.
"There was an explosion in the main hangar." the Master replied, "We've gotten everyone to the medical bay. I'm not sure what happened - I've been out here. The Council did ask for you two though."
The two Jedi exchanged looks. "An explosion?" Anakin pressed.
"Like I said, I don't know what exactly happened. You'll have to ask the Council."
"Uh, alright. Let's go." Anakin shrugged, before hurrying inside.
"How could someone bomb the Temple?" Ahsoka thought aloud, following Anakin, who just shook his head.
As the two made their way to the Council Chamber, they passed countless Clones and Jedi helping the injured out of harm's way. Ahsoka's shoulders fell even more at the sight of each victim she saw.
Only half of the Council members were present. Ki Adi Mundi, Yarael Poof, and of course Plo Koon were missing from the room, each one helping downstairs.
"Where were you two?" Mace Windu barked as the two Jedi let themselves in.
"Reporting to the Chancellor." Anakin countered.
"Fighting there is no time for." Yoda interrupted, "Calm we must remain."
"Right. How could the Separatists invade the Temple?" Anakin spoke.
"Worse than that it is." Yoda replied solemnly.
"Like what?" Ahsoka gulped. The Council shared looks, nobody ready to address the Padawan.
Obi-Wan finally spoke next, "There is a... a reason we wanted to see you two specifically."
"Play recording one-three-three-five." Windu ordered.
A hologram appeared in the middle of the room - footage from the hangar. Ahsoka's eyes widened as the explosion sounded, engulfing half of the entire room. She looked away from the footage as she felt the eyes of the Council on her. "What?"
"Replay recording one-three-three-five, half speed." Windu ordered.
Ahsoka watched closer this time. She gasped as she noticed the source of the explosion - her own ship.
"You can't be serious." Anakin eyed the Council as the hologram faded.
"Sorry I am." Yoda sighed, "Our only lead this is."
"So just because the explosion came from Ahsoka's ship, you think she bombed the fucking Temple?" Anakin demanded.
"Calm yourself, Skywalker." Windu commanded.
"No! I won't sit by while you jump to conclusions. I refuse to believe that my Padawan would do something like this." Anakin countered.
Their arguing went unheard by Ahsoka. She was in shock - trying to process what was happening. What brought her out of her trance was Anakin reaching for his lightsaber. "Don't." she whispered to him, and his hand immediately froze, before dropping to his side.
"Attachments." Windu glared at Anakin, "Time after time, you prove that you cannot ignore them."
"Fight we must not!" Yoda shouted. Anakin had never heard the Grand Master raise his voice before. His voice lowered now, Yoda continued, "Get us nowhere arguments will. Right Skywalker is - of evidence there is not enough."
Obi-Wan nodded in agreement as Anakin let out a sigh of relief.
"Investigate we will get someone to." Yoda added, "Wanted Skywalker to I did. But suitable for it he is not. Go you may."
Neither Anakin nor Ahsoka bowed to the Council before they left.
"Thanks." Anakin said quietly out in the hallway.
"W-we didn't pay for our food." Ahsoka managed a joke. Anakin laughed, but it sounded forced. "You're kinda scary when you're mad. I'd have hated to be Mace Windu back there."
"I'm sorry." Anakin sighed.
"It's fine. I'm just glad you stuck up for me." Ahsoka smirked, "Let's go home."
Ahsoka slowly sat on the sofa in their dorm. Anakin didn't. Instead, he paced around the living room, his head in his hands.
"Hey, come sit down." Ahsoka said softly.
"The vultures were representations of the Dark Side." Anakin spoke.
"What?" Ahsoka shot up.
"The more there are when you meditate, the closer you are to the Dark Side." he explained, "There are... a lot right now."
Ahsoka raced over to him, pulling his hands away from his face. His sombre expression hurt her to look at. "They have no idea what they're talking about. The Council. Fuck them."
"The second the war ends, we're leaving the Order." Anakin stated, "I said last month that we have to choose between each other and the Order. I know which one I pick."
"Me too." Ahsoka beamed, hugging his waste. Then she pulled him closer, locking her lips onto his. As she pulled away, she repeated, "Me too. But what if the Jedi do find enough evidence to suspect me?"
"They won't" Anakin insisted.
"I hope so. Were you gonna attack Master Windu earlier?" Ahsoka asked as Anakin walked over to a coffee table between the sofa and the hologram-projector, before reaching for a holopad left inside a drawer.
"If you weren't there, I probably would have." Anakin said matter-of-factly, fiddling with the pad.
"Oh... What're you doing?"
"Sending Dex some credits." he chuckled.
"I take it back." Ahsoka spoke with a mouthful of roasted Porg, "Your cooking is better than Dex's."
"Faster too." Anakin added.
"It's... weird that we haven't heard anything about the attack yet." Ahsoka stabbed at her food.
"No it isn't. After I went off on the Council like that, they're probably too scared to talk to us. Don't worry, Snips." Anakin smirked.
"Thanks." Ahsoka smiled, "Hey, it's my birthday next week. I expect a cake."
"Baking's not my strong suit. I'll try though." Anakin shrugged.
"Just buy one. Be lazy." Ahsoka suggested.
"Will do." Anakin laughed.
Ahsoka dropped her fork onto her clean plate, then looked up at Anakin, "Can we do that link thing later?"
"Yeah. I'd like that."