Edited as of August 17, 2006

The Lure of the Dark Side: Chronicle 1-The Turning of an Era

Episode IV: The Clone Wars

Chapter 5: Year 1-Uproar in Palpatine's Office

The news of what happened on the outer rim planet of Hypori spread like wildfire throughout the galaxy via the HoloNet News that by the next morning everyone on Coruscant knew about it; everyone except Amidala and Antellica that is. When the Senator had returned to the capital the previous day, she'd demanded that Palpatine give her a few days off to recuperate from her mission on Labor. With the exception of getting her protocol droid, C-3P0, gold plating that day at a droid repair shop-to which the droid was quite flattered over-she hadn't done anything else except seethe with her handmaiden about the happenings of Labor.

How she found out about the events of Hypori was through watching the HoloNet's morning news with Antellica while they ate breakfast.

The program's famous anchor, Tom Norton, had said that four Jedi where murdered while the three other badly wounded at the hands of the Separatists' new Supreme Commander; a lightsaber wielding, Jedi-slaughtering assassin by the name of Arica Grievous. Baynetta spat out her mouthful of food while Antellica choked on hers. Norton continued speaking with the news of the Separatists Council no longer being on Hypori, but that their location was now known.

Baynetta angrily flipped the Holovision set off before he could say anything else. She turned to look at Antellica, who mirrored her exact look, shock.

So this is what Arica's been doing the past seven months.

Baynetta rose from her seat and proceeded towards the front door. "Come on Antellica. That beast Palpatine has a whole lot of explaining to do."

"I absolutely agree with you on that," Antellica said, her tone just as angry. "How could he let Arica do such a thing; join the Separatists and not tell us about it? We should not have found out about this through a Holovision box."

They took Baynetta's speeder to the Senate building, landed it outside and stalked to Chancellor Palpatine's office.

The Royal guard were stationed outside the door as usual.

"Out of the way!" Baynetta barked at them.

"The Chancellor is currently in a meeting Senator," one of the guards said.

Baynetta was already livid with rage and the royal guards' refusal to allow her entry inside the office made her even hotter. Force pushing the guards out of the way, and knocking them unconscious in the process, she burst into the Chancellor's office. "Chancellor! I need to speak with you now!" she roared.

Silence engulfed the room. Inside were Jedi Masters Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Aayla Secura and Anakin Skywalker were also there along with several Senators and Representatives including Jar Jar Binks.

"Senator Amidala of course," Palpatine said with a smile, looking clearly amused. "I was wondering when you'd turn up. I take it you've fully recuperated from the events of Labor? Wonderful, but as you can see I'm in the middle of a meeting and-"

"Now Chancellor!" she hissed before turning to the rest of the room's occupants. "Everyone out! You can continue your meeting at a later time!"

Palpatine took that moment to clear his throat, though he still looked slightly humored as he addressed his fellows in the room. "Obviously what our dear Senator Amidala has to say is much more important than what we were discussing. You may all see yourselves out."

They all filtered out silently, giving Amidala and her handmaiden nods of acknowledgment that were not returned. Anakin was the last to leave the room, but before he could speak, Antellica pushed him out and

snarled, "Don't even think of eavesdropping at the door," before slamming it in his face.

To Baynetta's fury, Palpatine was still wearing that amused smirk on his face. This only angered her more.

"Now Senator, what is this all about? Oh yes!" A sudden light came to his eyes. "This is about the Separatist's new Supreme Commander, isn't it?"

Baynetta yelled with rage and ran at him with the intent of causing him some sort of physical injury, but obviously foreseeing this, he struck her to the ground with Force lightning.

She yelled in rage and pain as he tortured her, in which time Antellica spat out curses angrily.

When he finally stopped, Baynetta picked herself off the floor, moaning in agony. Yet, despite whatever pain she felt, her eyes continued to blaze with fury as they gazed upon her father.

"That's all you care about isn't it? Yourself!" she roared. "You don't care about the well being a teenage girl. Do you realize what sending her out into the war will do? She'll end up being killed and you don't even care. If you wanted a Jedi slaughtering assassin there are plenty of other choices you couldn't choose from! Myself included! Why Arica! She's just a little girl!"

"I wouldn't call fourteen years old a little girl," he countered with a smile. "Besides, it's not like this was entirely my idea. She's the one who came to me about this after she ran away from Naboo. This is what she wanted to do."

"What she wanted to do!" Antellica repeated with rage. "Explain yourself old man!"

Baynetta allowed a sly smirk and looked at her father. For a brief second, she thought he was going to strike Antellica down, but he simply smiled and nodded.

"Sit down," he said quite cheerfully.

"I think I prefer standing," Antellica spat.

Palpatine nodded. "Very well. Padme?"

She stayed on the floor and merely glared. "Fine." He told them everything, right down to the very last detail.

Upon finishing, he was not surprised to find both even angrier then before.

"You've had her train with that scum Dooku for the past seven months!" Baynetta asked in disgust.

"But of course," Palpatine replied. "It was under his careful guidance that Arica was trained into a very deadly weapon. Better then anything I could've ever hoped from her." He laughed dryly. "But than how else would she be able to slice down four Jedi without even being able to use the Force?"

What disgusted Baynetta even more was how he said all this with pride and arrogance. Antellica however laughed.

"Listen, Padme." The Chancellor rose from his chair and went over to where she was on the floor. "This is what she wanted. And she's happy doing this. As such, you should be happy for her."

Baynetta slowly nodded and got up. "Is there any way we can see her again?" she asked softly.

"Perhaps someday. Once the war's over. Of course that's up to her. But not now. I just sent her on a mission to the Zug system in the Deep Core to slaughter one of its main planets, Aargaur."

Baynetta blinked. "Why?"

"Because they're one of the planets who refuse to join either the New Republic or the Separatists. We don't need rift raft worlds like that, now do we?"

"No," she said slowly, "I suppose not. And I think I might just know of another planet that deserves the exact same punishment..."