Kiara increased her speed to keep up with Anakin's pace. She sensed that he was concerned but he had a calmer aura to him than he had before he went into the temple. Curious since they had a bit of a hike to return to the Shadow Chaser she asked, "How long did it take you? I think I was in there for more than five years the first time. This time, I remained there about the same."

Anakin chuckled, "Try a decade between the first chamber then the gateway that you told me about. It's a good thing you told me about how time works differently in the temple. Otherwise, I am sure I wouldn't have been able to be patient enough to actually stay there and learn what I needed to know."

She smiled as she thought back to her own time in the temple that first time. "I think knowing that time worked differently was the only thing that gave me patience for some of the lessons that they had me sit through, too. At times, it felt like endless lessons. I don't think I sat through that many hours of lessons at the Academy."

"Well, I can't say that since I think that's pretty much all that I did at the temple for the most part. Well, besides lightsaber training. And since I was told that I was the Chosen One, I think I was given even more lessons about the Jedi of the past than if I had just been plain Anakin. One who would have been found much younger than when I was at nine. At first, I was told that I was too old to train by the time Qui-gon discovered me."

"Too old at nine? No wonder the Jedi never came to Lothal no matter how hard my mother had me work. Guess that means that Ezra wouldn't have been trained at the temple, either. I think he was fourteen when Kanan found him and took him on as his apprentice."

"I know. From what they said, the older the child the more likely to have attachments that would cause them to go to the dark side."

"Wait a minute. Didn't you tell me that the Sith that the galaxy actually knows about, this Dooku, was a Jedi. Right? That means that he went dark and he had the same upbringing as the rest of the Jedi."

"I did. He was Master Yoda's Padawan and the master of the man who trained my master."

"Then it would appear the Jedi are just as likely to bring up a Sith as anyone else." Kiara snickered as she ducked under a branch of a nearby tree.

"After studying in there, and knowing what I do about the Jedi, I'm sort of surprised that more Jedi haven't gone to the dark side. And to be honest, if I really thought about it..." Anakin shook his head.

"I think nearly all of us have had a brush with the dark side at one time or another," Kiara placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Trust me. I understand the slippery slope. If Kanan hadn't pulled me back, I would have likely not found my way back and then eventually able to come here to find my balance."

"What did you do?"

Kiara let out a heavy sigh. "My father became a high-level Imperial. A Moff. He learned what rebel base I was at. He then led an attack on the base. Alex was in the group that was left behind during the evacuation. My father tortured him to the point of near death. When I realized what he'd done during the rescue I sort of... force choked him and was ready to kill him until my brother talked me out of it."

Anakin thought about how it had been his fear of losing Padmé recently that had been the driving force behind many of his actions lately. Such as seeking council from the chancellor. Little did he know at the time that the very man whom he'd sought assistance from was the one who had been the architect of his visions that had caused him to have so much fear regarding the impending delivery of their child.

The spirits in the Kwa temple had allowed him to see so much that he'd been blind to in the past. It had also allowed him to see what could happen to him if he didn't find his balance. He'd become what he hated the most; a Sith Lord. When he first saw that version of himself, he didn't want to believe it. But it wasn't the first time he'd seen it. He'd seen the same thing on the strange planet with the Mortis gods. He hadn't understood the meaning of the visions, then. But the Kwa helped him to see with clarity.

He still will protect his friends and family, but he would trust the Will of the Force. A hard lesson for a man who has had so much loss in his life. It was why the Kwa took so much extra time with him. He learned that he was dangerously close to crossing a line that he would never want to cross. A line that would be near impossible to come back from.

"Well, I'm glad you found your way to this temple, and all that it teaches." Anakin gave a smile then focused back on the trek to the ship. When they got there the others didn't waste time and got the Shadow Chaser up in the air before they had fully gotten all of the way into the living space of the ship. When the Jedi found the clone, Rex was quick to approach him.

"Sir, I contacted Jesse and he's on his way to the Senator's apartments, now. But I can give you a little bit of good news. She already has one person there who will be able to help protect her; Ahsoka Tano."

"Ahsoka's there?" Anakin asked in surprise and a bit of hope. "How?"

"I'm not sure of the specifics but I did suggest that it would be beneficial to have the commander around. Especially for the little one coming soon." Rex smiled as he saw the Jedi's reaction to hearing that his former padawan was with the woman whom he was in a relationship with.

"That's a good idea. Thanks for putting that out there." Anakin gave a grateful smile to the other man. "But she doesn't have her lightsabers. If something happens... I need to send a message to her. I wanted to give them to her myself. I made her some new ones in hopes that she'd come back to the Order one day. But now seems as good of a time to give them to her as any. They are at the apartment."

"The cockpit will be empty in a moment. It won't be long. You can go and use the transmitter up there to send out a message." Rex motioned toward the cabin that he'd been using. "Now, since we have two new passengers, you can either bunk in with me or with the other Jedi. He's just a little younger than you but I think that the two of you could drive General Kenobi crazy if given the opportunity."

"Is that so?" Anakin chuckled. "Should I send Obi-wan a message in warning, while I'm at it?"

"Might not be a bad idea." Rex snickered. "But it would be more fun to watch him without any notice."

"Rex, I like the way you think."


Ahsoka followed Padmé to her room where there appeared to be a hidden compartment in one of the busts that sat on a table near the bed of the room. When the other woman opened the compartment and pulled out a box, she handed it to Ahsoka. She looked at it cautiously before she spoke up.

"What is it?"

"Anakin made these for you. He hoped that he'd be able to give them to you one day. He had a vision that there will be an attack, though, he didn't go into a lot of details. When Rex told him that you were here, he insisted that you may need these in the coming days. He hopes that you'll stay to help protect me along with the clone troopers that he's sent here." The woman sat on the bed to rest her aching back. The closer she got to her time to deliver the more often she found that she needed to sit down.

"But I'm not a Jedi any longer." Ahsoka couldn't help but remove them from the box and tested the weight in her hands. They felt perfect. As if made just for her; and they had been.

"I don't think that matters to him. He wants you here because he loves you. You are part of his family, and these will help protect you and others that you care for, as well."

Ahsoka ignited the blades and saw that Anakin had given her blue blades to replace the green ones she once had. She had to smile since her new blades would match his.

"I suppose that if he's seen a vision that you may be in danger then I should stick around. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you or the baby. And it would be nice to see Anakin again. Though, the clones need to be aware of the fact that I'm not their commander any longer."

"I'm pretty sure that the men out there don't care that you aren't a Jedi or a commander. They respect you because of your years of fighting alongside them. The way you have treated them, served with them, took the same risks that they have; that is what they care about." Padmé placed a hand on the young woman's hand. "Regardless of what has happened, this is where you belong."

Ahsoka blinked back the moisture that wanted to form tears at the sentiment. She smiled and hooked the lightsabers to her belt. Since she'd left the Order, she'd felt lost without a place to belong. Yet here she was being told that she was still wanted here with Anakin and the woman that he loved.

"Well, since you and Anakin want me here, I'll stay for now. And nothing will happen to you, or your child, while I'm around."

"In that case, I doubt Ani will ever let you leave again," Padmé joked. "Now, why don't we go and see if our clone guards have any more information than we do about why Anakin is so concerned suddenly. And if they have a plan in place to keep him from worrying so much."

Ahsoka nodded and followed the woman out to the door that would lead to the corridor outside of the apartment. When Padmé opened the door, the corridor was revealed to be full of clones who lined it. One thing that caught Ahsoka's attention, however, was that they had all painted their helmets to resemble her Togruta markings. She knew the men well enough to know that they had done so to show their respect for her and appreciation that she was back. Even if she wasn't a Jedi or commander any longer.

Jesse stepped forward and gave his report and informed the women that half of the clones that he'd arranged for the first watch would be outside the balcony to ensure that no one snuck in to harm the senator from that way.

"I would suggest that we find a safer location for you, Senator. Rex suggested and I agree that a request to go to the Jedi temple may be the safest place."

"I'm not sure that they would approve of such a request. I'll be fine here in my home. Especially with all of you here to see to it."

"You have our word that will do everything possible to keep you safe." Jesse then turned to the younger woman. "It's good to see you, Commander."

Ahsoka smiled and withheld her correction. The man knew she wasn't a commander any longer but, as she had just been reminded by the other woman, he still saw her as one. "I'm glad to see you and the others, too." She stepped aside and asked the lieutenant to join them inside. "Perhaps you should come in and fill us in on what you have planned so far. And we can work together to see to it that we keep the senator safe."

Jesse nodded and joined the women inside the apartment. They had quite a lot to discuss.


Mace followed behind Chancellor Palpatine as he went to join many from the upper crust of Capital City at an opera. Mace stood back as the man and his retinue enjoyed the theatrics of the night. He couldn't explain it, but he sensed that something was different tonight. When the man asked him to join him at his side and sent his companions away, Mace approached a bit leery but was careful to not allow his distrust of the man to show.

"I have been wondering, Master Jedi. During the last couple of weeks of volunteering to be my Jedi guard," Palpatine turned in his seat as he spoke. "Have you learned anything? Have you found out why the Jedi will not win the war against the Sith?"

Mace's eyes darted to the man and narrowed. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Chancellor."

"Is that so? And here I thought that the Jedi had learned who I really am, and you were sent to keep an eye on me." Palpatine gave a wide smile as he spoke. "But answer me this. How far are you willing to go to save the lives of innocent people?"

"So, it is true? You are the Sith Lord that we've been looking for." Mace was immensely aware of the fact that they were having this conversation in the opera hall which was packed nearly beyond capacity. He was sure that the man had waited patiently for this moment to ensure that he couldn't react rashly without risking the safety of others.

"The Order has been so blind, and now it is time for the Jedi to be no more. When I'm through with you and the rest of the Order, there will be no Jedi left in the galaxy." Palpatine gave a predatory look over to the dark-skinned man. "And that starts tonight."

"Is that so," Mace said as he placed his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber.

"Yes, and you will be the lynchpin of it all." Palpatine stood to face the Jedi as the other man did the same and watched him in his private box at the opera. "You see, every person in its sights will die. I have instructed an admiral loyal to only me to seize control over the Jedi Venator overhead. The ship that is assigned to you, if I'm not mistaken. All it will take will be for a single transmission and the ship will fire upon this building."

"Effectively framing the Jedi for the deaths of all of these people."

"That, or you can choose to try to stop me from sending out that transmission." The Sith pulled out his lightsaber and smiled as he waited for the man's response. He then used his other hand to pull out his comm device. "Admiral, prepare to fire on my mark."

Mace narrowed his eyes. "You won't fire upon the same building that you are in. That would be suicide."

"Perhaps not. But were you not aware that an emergency meeting at the Senate building was called for tonight to discuss the war as well as whether or not I should be granted even more power."

"You would kill the entire senate, practically, in one blow?"

Palpatine gave a sinister smile as he pulled the comm back up to his mouth. When he went to speak Mace used the force and pulled it to himself. The chancellor then cackled. "It won't be that easy to stop me, Jedi."

Mace knew that regardless of what he chose to do, the Sith had made it so he couldn't really win. He still had his hand to his weapon, and he knew that the man was waiting for him to draw his lightsaber. "I can't let you fire upon the senate."

"Then you'd best stop me," Palpatine cackled and grinned when he saw the look in the other man's eyes change. He had him.

Mace ignited his lightsaber and waited for the man to do the same with his own.

The Sith muttered, "I've been looking forward to this. And I was hoping that I'd be able to kill you personally."