"This is where the fun begins."

Anakin and Ahsoka's fighters soared high above Coruscant, chasing Count Dooku's freighter - where the Sith was holding the captured Chancellor Palpatine. As them and their squadron of Clone pilots flew, they weaved between fire from enemy vulture droids and freighters. "They could jump to lightspeed at any second. Get ready to follow if they do." Ahsoka warned over the comms.

"There's not enough room for a jump." Anakin dismissed, "They'd end up taking their entire fleet down with them."

"General Skywalker, we're taking fire!" one Clone pilot called.

"I'm gonna go help them out." Anakin said, "Focus on reaching the Chancellor."

"You got it, Master." Ahsoka tightened her grip on the controls of her ship. Half a dozen or so vulture droids swooped down in front of her, but she managed to destroy them before they could fire. Her fighter suddenly shook as a bolt from a freighter made contact. "R7, how we doing?"

Her astromech droid beeped, looking around the outside of the ship for any damage. It then beeped again, spotting no serious damage.

"Good. Keep me posted."

"I saw that hit, are you alright?" Anakin asked, his ship flying up beside Ahsoka's.

"Yeah, I think so. How are the Clones?"

"Fine. Just a few vulture droids, nothing serious."

"Good. That's Dooku's freighter coming up, isn't it?"

"It is. Aim for that shield generator."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, her thumbs stationed over the triggers of her cannons. Having lined up the shot, she fired at the shield generator. The shield across the hangar bay door faded. "Oh great." Anakin remarked as a thick metal door began sliding across the only entrance to the ship, "Speed up!"

The two Jedi's fighters took on speed as the door grew ever closer to closing. Just before it did, they broke through and into the hangar. Their ships screeched against the floor, throwing up a torrent of sparks. "I thought you were a good pilot." Ahsoka joked, their ships coming to a halt.

"I like to think I am." Anakin jumped out of his cockpit, rolling as he hit the ground. Ahsoka followed his lead.

"Jedi!" a few attack droids yelled from across the room, each at the same time. Drawing their lightsabers, Anakin and Ahsoka deflected each blaster bolt back at the droids.

"Not for much longer." Ahsoka commented, "Hey R7, if there's any trouble, use the cannons on my ship."

"And R2, we're gonna need some help with that elevator." Anakin called. Anakin's astromech lifted out of his ship, beeped, then rolled over to join the Jedi as they headed over to the closed doors of the elevator shaft.

"Where would Dooku be holding Chancellor Palpatine?" Ahsoka wondered as R2-D2 drilled into the elevator controls.

"The top floor probably." Anakin answered.

"What makes you say that?"

"It's the most dramatic place for a fight." he smirked.

"Alright then. We need to be going up, R2."

R2 beeped, opening the doors for the two Jedi to step inside.

"You shouldn't have risked your lives for me." Palpatine scolded as Anakin and Ahsoka rushed over to him. He was tied to a mechanical chair that had been overlooking the battle outside, only turning once the Jedi had entered the room.

"It's our job." Ahsoka shrugged as Anakin began working on removing Palpatine's plasma restraints.

"Count Dooku." Palpatine gasped. Ahsoka looked back, spotting the Sith Lord standing on an elevated platform above. He jumped over the railing, landing seamlessly.

"Your lightsabers, please. We wouldn't want to make a mess in front of the Chancellor." the Count said, unclipping his own lightsaber handle. Ahsoka drew her twin lightsabers in response. Anakin did the same. "I've been looking forward to this."

Anakin and Ahsoka nodded to each other before charging the Count. Anakin struck first, only for his attack to be blocked. With one of Dooku's sides open, Ahsoka swung with her primary weapon. Dooku shifted quick enough to block her attack too. Then, Ahsoka sliced with her shoto lightsaber as Anakin stabbed with his. Dooku was forced to jump back to avoid them both.

"My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count." Anakin said.

"Good. Twice the pride, double the fall." Dooku taunted.

The two Jedi kept attacking the Count. Ahsoka tried attacking with both of her blades, but Dooku deflected her and pushed her away with Force Lightning. "Snips!" Anakin called, watching her slam into a nearby wall. Anakin gritted his teeth, his grip on the handle of his weapon tightening. With a newfound surge of energy, he sliced at Dooku over and over again, not letting the Sith counter. "Good. Use your hate!" Dooku grinned as he blocked Anakin.

Anakin raised his lightsaber over his head, bringing it down on Dooku's lightsaber until the weapon slid out of his hand. Then, Anakin swung again, cutting Dooku's hands off at the wrists, before using the Force to grab the handle of the Sith's discarded weapon. Dooku fell to his knees as Anakin ignited the crimson blade of the Count's weapon and crossed the blade with his own across Dooku's throat.

"Good, Anakin. Good. Kill him. Kill him now." Palpatine ordered. Dooku looked over to the Chancellor in shock.

One part of Anakin wanted to protest; to bring the Sith Lord to justice the proper way. But another part of him clamoured for him to cross the two blades and behead the Count. The sooner he was dead, the sooner the war would end. Anakin furrowed his brow as he cut the two blades against each other.

"What did I miss?" Ahsoka groaned, rubbing the back of her head. She found herself sitting inside a troop transport ship, with a Clone medic wrapping a bandage around her head.

"We won, for one." Anakin, who was sat beside her, smirked. Ahsoka noticed Chancellor Palpatine sitting aside a group of Clone Troopers.

She let out a sigh of relief, "What happened to Count Dooku?"

The Clone Medic chuckled at her question, tying off the bandage and moving to tend to another solider. "He doesn't have a... head anymore." Anakin shrugged.

"What?" Ahsoka exclaimed.

"I cut his head off, Snips." Anakin clarified.

"Oof, the Council's not gonna be happy about that one." Ahsoka joked.

"Oh well." Anakin rolled his eyes, "They're never happy about anything anyway. The point is, we're one step closer to ending the war."

Ahsoka sat back on the bench, her eyes drifting to the porthole on the wall. The ship was lowering down onto the landing zone at the Jedi Temple, giving Ahsoka a good view of the new hangar. After Anakin's outburst at the Council, she hadn't heard anything about the bombing. She wasn't even sure if the Jedi had caught the attacker or not.

The ship's ramp lowered down onto the landing zone. Palpatine was the first one off, followed closely by his guards. Anakin and Ahsoka went next. The sun was rising over Coruscant, with the windows of the countless skyscrapers reflecting the amber light of the sun.

"General Skywalker. Thank you again for your efforts today. If you have time tomorrow, I'd like to speak with you." Palpatine nodded to Anakin, before being hurried away by his guards.

"Anakin. I take it you succeeded." Obi-Wan jumped out of his fighter.

"We did, Master." Anakin smirked.

"How'd it go with General Grievous?" Ahsoka asked him as the three headed into the Temple.

"Not as well as we'd hoped. I did manage to plant a tracker on the Invisible Hand before he escaped though." the Master responded, "Now we just have to wait until he lands on a system to attack."

Anakin and Ahsoka shared grins.

"What's got you two in such a good mood?" Obi-Wan caught their infectious smile.

"Just happy the war's almost over." Anakin answered.

"I'm right there with you." Obi-Wan nodded, "I'm not sure I'll know what to do with myself after the end of the war. What about you two?"

They both shrugged simultaneously.

Master Windu raised his lightsaber to the scarred Chancellor Palpatine. "I am going to end this." the Jedi said as he stood over the quivering Chancellor.

"No... no!" Palpatine pleaded.

The scene quickly shifted to a hospital room. Ahsoka was gripping Anakin's robotic hand as medical droids performed some kind of operation on him. Anakin was groaning in pain, with Ahsoka doing her best to comfort him by running her free hand through his hair. Ahsoka's body was covered in cuts and bruises, and her uniform was singed and torn.

Anakin woke from his dream with a start, his breathing quick and sharp. He looked down to his side, letting out a sigh of relief as he spotted Ahsoka still there, sleeping peacefully with her back to him. Anakin silently climbed out of bed and stepped out of the bedroom, taking care to shut the door with as little noise as possible. He dropped onto the sofa, looking over Coruscant's nighttime through the large window in front of him.

"Hey." Ahsoka said softly, making Anakin jump.

"Snips? Sorry, did I wake you up?" Anakin asked.

"Kinda. It's fine, I usually wake up around this time anyway." Ahsoka dismissed, sitting beside him, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, of course." Anakin lied.

"Master. Don't keep me out."

Anakin let out a deep sigh, "I had a dream... like the one I had before my mother died."

"Your mo- Oh, Anakin." Ahsoka snaked her arms around his waist, "What was it about? I-If you don't mind."

"I think... Chancellor Palpatine was being attacked by Master Windu." Anakin deciphered, "And you and I were in some kind of danger. I don't know."

"That's not gonna happen." Ahsoka assured him.

"I hope you're right." Anakin leaned forward, resting his head in his hands.

"D'you wanna go back to bed?" Ahsoka asked, drawing circles on his back.

"Yeah, ok." Anakin smiled up at her.

"Anakin, I'm sorry for calling you in today." Palpatine greeted as Anakin let himself into his office. The Chancellor was looking out of the window along the far wall, "I'm sure you'd rather be soaking in the glory of defeating Dooku."

"Time away from the Temple is time well spent." Anakin answered with a smirk.

"Oh, what makes you say that?" Palpatine asked, turning towards Anakin.

"The Jedi have been difficult recently." Anakin explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Anakin."

"It's fine."

"Anyway, I've called you in for a reason." Palpatine resting a hand on Anakin's shoulder and lead him through his office, "I'd like for you to be my representative on the Jedi Council."

"They won't like that. I'm not even sure they'll allow it." Anakin raised.

"Well, you'd be quite suitable to be the voice of the Republic among the Jedi. I've been worrying about them as of late."

"How so?"

"I suppose it's just a hunch, but I... I find myself struggling to trust the Jedi as of late." Palpatine outlined, "Something about the way they've been acting - it's... unusual."

"I see what you mean." Anakin agreed.

"So you've noticed it too."

"I'm still not sure if they'd let me on the Council." Anakin shrugged, "They haven't been my biggest fans recently."

"Please, son. You must try. For the Republic." Palpatine said.

"Alright." Anakin sighed.

"The Council will pick its own members." Windu immediately shut down Anakin's proposal.

"Hold this appointment lightly the Council does not." Yoda said, "Disturbing is this move by Chancellor Palpatine."

"I understand." Anakin nodded.

"You are not on this Council." Windu leaned back in his chair. Anakin's eyes drifted to the ground. He turned to leave, but Windu stopped him, "Hang on, Skywalker. We're not finished."

Anakin turned back, "What?"

"It's about your Padawan." Windu said. Before Anakin could speak, Windu continued, "We're considering her for the rank of Jedi Knight."

"What about the trials?"

"Her participation in the Battle of Coruscant proved her skill." Ki Adi Mindu added.

"Maybe we should wait until the war is over for all of this." Anakin suggested.

"Ah, yes." Obi-Wan spoke, "Speaking of which, the tracker I planted on General Grievous' ship places him close to the Utapau system. If he lands on-world, we should send somebody after him."

"I'll go." Anakin said, "I defeated Dooku, I can defeat Grievous."

"We need to send someone with more experience." Windu denied him, "Master Kenobi, perhaps."

"I would be glad to." Obi-Wan nodded.

Anakin narrowed his eyes at Windu. At this point, he was just being petty.

"If you insist that you'd rather your Padawan be promoted after the war, then this meeting is over." Windu said.

Anakin bowed this time, although he made it fairly obvious that he was bowing to Yoda, not Windu. Then, he stormed out.

"Anakin, wait." Obi-Wan hurried after his ex-Padawan, "What is with you recently?"

"I'm just frustrated with the Council." Anakin dismissed, stopping.

"Listen, we can't send you to fight Grievous because the Council has another mission for you." Obi-Wan explained.

"Then why didn't they tell me back there?"

"Because they don't want this to be on-record." Obi-Wan sighed, "They're asking you to report on all of Chancellor Palpatine's dealings. They want to know what he's up to."

"They want me to spy on the Chancellor." Anakin corrected him, "That's treason."

"We are at war, Anakin."

"But if you're successful in defeating Grievous, then we won't be. Besides, we're not at war with the Chancellor. He's a good man - and a good friend to me." Anakin argued.

"That is why you must help us. Anakin, our alleigance is to the Senate, not its leader; who has managed to stay in office far longer than he should." Obi-Wan continued.

"The Senate demanded that he stay longer."

"Yes, but something is clearly out of place."

"You're asking me to do something against the Republic, against a mentor and a friend." Anakin turned to look at the speeders passing by the Temple outside, "Why are you asking this of me?"

"The Council is asking you."

Anakin shook his head, "I won't."

Obi-Wan watched Anakin go, sighing to himself.

Ahsoka cut into the last training droid, wiping the beads of sweat from her brow. She turned her head as she heard the door to the simulation chamber open. "Hey." Anakin grinned.

"How'd it go?" Ahsoka asked as he headed over.

"Not great." Anakin replied, "They want to promote you to Knight though."

"Great." Ahsoka sighed.

"It's fine, I said you weren't interested." Anakin explained.

"Thanks." she chuckled.

"They asked me to spy on Chancellor Palpatine too." Anakin continued. His words made Ahsoka jump.

"What? Really?" she gasped.

Anakin nodded. "It's not right. The Jedi are up to something."

"Look, it doesn't matter." Ahsoka said, as her and Anakin left the simulation room, "We'll be long gone soon."

"Still. I'm going to tell the Chancellor that the Jedi can't be trusted."