Author's Note: For those of you who read the ROTS novel, you'll recognize this chapter, though it's been slightly altered. As for those who didn't read the novel, sit back and enjoy the new material. I doubt anyone noticed, but the original chapter listed for 7 was 'A Humorous break from the War'. After reading it again this morning though, I deleted it. There was no real reason for it at all. On the contrary, it was a bit stupid. Because of that there are only 42 chapters in this episode now. The contents were changed in this episode's first chapter and I also added a Dramatis Personae. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a profile list of all the characters that make an appearance in this episode.

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

Episode V: Revenge of the Sith

Chapter 7: Revelations of the Sith

Obi-Wan Kenobi had been in his room meditating when he received a comm call from Master Windu asking to speak with him in his quarters. Getting up from the cross-legged position he'd been sitting in on the floor he proceeded to leave his quarters. Glancing down the hall at Anakin's own quarters told him his former Padawan still wasn't in the Temple.

But where could he be? Obi-Wan wondered. He was taking the day off, the transmission Anakin had sent him said, but taking the day off how? And where? He lives at the Temple. He had no other home or residence. Than the thought of Padme struck him. That's probably where he was. This disturbed him a great deal. No offense against the Naboo Senator of course, but Anakin's infatuation of her obviously still existed.

But Antellica lives there too, so it's not like they're at Padme's mansion completely alone.

And it was that thought that comforted him. If anything were going between the two of them Antellica would know and say something about it.

Obi-Wan was now outside Master Windu's quarters. Giving a gentle knock he heard the Master tell him to come in and so did so.

Mace Windu was in the same position on the floor that Obi-Wan had been in merely minutes before. He was cross-legged and appeared to be in deep meditation. Obi-Wan didn't want to disturb him but was rather confused as to why he was here. Clearing his throat slightly he spoke. "You wanted to speak with me."

The darker Master opened his eyes slightly and gestured towards the empty spot in front of him. Obi-Wan nodded and sat down in it. Another moment of silence went by before Windu finally spoke, giving a sigh as he did so. "It's Anakin. I don't like his relationship with Palpatine."

Obi-Wan sighed warily. "We've had this conversation before."

"There is something between them. Something new. I could see it in the Force." Mace's voice was flat and grim. "It felt powerful. And incredibly dangerous."

Obi-Wan spread his hands before him. "I trust Anakin with my life."

"I know you do. I only wish we could trust the Chancellor with Anakin's."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, frowning. "Palpatine's policies are…sometimes questionable. But he dotes on Anakin like a kindly old uncle on his favorite nephew."

Mace stared out a distant window. "The Chancellor loves power. If he has any other passion, I have not seen it."

Obi-Wan shook his head with a trace of disbelief. "I recall that not so long ago, you were something of an admirer of his."

"Things," Mace said grimly, "change."

Following his gaze out the window Obi-Wan saw various landscapes with smoldering wreckage where tall buildings once stood. And the temple was now filled with memories of so many, many Jedi who would never return from this war. Obi-Wan could not disagree.

After a moment, he said, "What would you have me do?"

"I am not certain. You know my power; I cannot always interpret what I've seen. Be alert. Be mindful of Anakin, and be careful of Palpatine. He is not to be trusted, and his influence on Anakin is dangerous."

"But Anakin is the Chosen One-"

"All the more reason to fear an outsider's influence. We have circumstantial evidence that traces Sidious to Palpatine's inner circle."

Suddenly Obi-Wan had difficulty breathing. "Are you certain?"

Mace shook his head. "Nothing is certain. But this raid-the capture of Palpatine had to be an inside job. And the timing…we were closing in on him, Master Kenobi. The information you and Anakin had discovered-we had traced the Sith Lord to an abandoned factory in The Works, not far from where Anakin landed the cruiser. When the attack began, we were tracking him through the down level tunnels."

Mace stared out the other side window that gave a clear, distant view of a vast residential complex that dominated the skyline to the west. "The trail led to the sub-basement of Five Hundred Republica."

Five Hundred Republica was the most exclusive address on the planet, with the exception of the Amidala Mansion. That was much larger, but it only housed two inhabitants. Obi-Wan never did quite understand why Padme needed such a large home. There was nothing wrong with her old apartment, but she was wealthy after all. Five Hundred Republica, her old address, was a very elite apartment building. Its inhabitants included only the incredibly wealthy or the incredibly powerful, from Raith Siener of the Sienar Systems to Palpatine himself. Obi-Wan could only say, "Oh."

"We have to face the possibility-the probability that what Dooku told you on Geonosis was actually true. That the Senate is under the influence-under the control-of Darth Sidious. That it has been for years."

"Do you-" Obi-Wan had to swallow before he could go on. "Do you have any suspects?"

"Too many. All we know of Sidious is that he's bipedal, of roughly human conformation. Sate Pestage springs to mind. I wouldn't rule out Mas Amedda, either. The Sith Lord might even be hiding among the Red Guards. There's no way to know."

"Who handling the questioning?" Obi-Wan asked. "I'd be happy to sit in; my perceptions are not so refined as some, but-"

Mace shook his head. "Interrogate the Supreme Chancellor's personal aides? Impossible."

"But-"

"Palpatine would never allow it. Though he hasn't said so…"

Mace stared out the window.

"…I'm not sure he even believes the Sith exist."

Obi-Wan blinked. "But-how can he-"

"Look at it from his point of view: the only real evidence we have is Dooku's word. And he's dead now."

"The Sith Lord on Naboo-the Zabrak who killed Qui-Gon-"

Mace shrugged. "Destroyed. As you know." He shook his head. "Relations with the Chancellor's Office are…difficult. I feel he has lost his trust in the Jedi; I've certainly lost my trust in him."

"But he doesn't have the authority to interfere with a Jedi investigation…" Obi-Wan frowned, suddenly uncertain. "Does he?"

"The Senate has surrendered so much power, it's hard to say where his authority stops."

"It's that bad?"

Mace's jaw locked. "The only reason Palpatine's not a suspect is because he already rules the galaxy."

"But we are closer than we have ever been to rooting out the Sith," Obi-Wan said slowly. "That can only be good news. I would think that Anakin's friendship with Palpatine, and Antellica's for that matter, could be use to us in this-they both have the kind of access to Palpatine that other Jedi might only dream of. Their friendship is an asset, not a danger."

"You can't tell him, or Antellica for that matter."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Of the whole Council, only Yoda and myself know how deep this actually goes. And now you. I have decided to share this with you because you are in the best situation to watch Anakin. Watch him. Nothing more."

"We-" Obi-Wan shook his head helplessly. "We don't keep secrets from each other."

"You must keep this one. Skywalker is arguably the most powerful Jedi alive, and he is still getting stronger. But he is not stable. You know it. We all do. It is why he cannot be given real Mastership. We must keep him off the Council, despite his extraordinary gifts. And Jedi prophecy…is not absolute. The less he has to do with Palpatine, the better."

"But surely-" Obi-Wan stopped himself. He thought of how many times Anakin had violated orders. He thought of how unflinchingly loyal Anakin was to anyone he considered a friend. He thought of the danger Palpatine faced unknowingly, with a Sith Lord among his advisors…

Master Windu was right. This was a secret Anakin could not be trusted to keep.

"What can I tell him?"

"Tell him nothing. I sense the dark side around him."

"And Antellica?"

"She's too young. I wouldn't want to get her involved. What with her sister and all. The dark side is around them both, Anakin and Palpatine. Though it isn't around Antellica, but than she isn't Force sensitive."

"And the Chancellor is?"

"No, but all the same, it's still around him."

"As it is around us all," Obi-Wan reminded him. "The dark side touches all of us, Master Windu. Even you."

"I know that too well Obi-Wan." For a second Obi-Wan saw something raw and haunted in the Korun Master's eyes. Mace turned away. "It is possible that we may have too…move against Palpatine."

"Move against?"

"If he is truly under the control of the Sith Lord, it may be the only way."

Obi-Wan's whole body went numb. This didn't seem real. It was not possible that he was actually having this conversation.

"You haven't been here Obi-Wan." Mace stared bleakly down at his hands. "You've been off fighting the war in the Outer Rim. You don't know what it's been like, dealing with all the petty squabbles and special interests and greedy, grasping fools in the Senate, and Palpatine's constant, cynical, ruthless maneuvering for power-he craves away chucks of our freedom and bandages the wounds with tiny scarps of security. And for what? Look at this planet, Obi-Wan! We have given up so much freedom-how secure do we look?"

Obi-Wan's heart clenched. This was not the Mace Windu he knew and admired; it was as though the darkness in the Force was so much thicker here on Coruscant that it had breathed poison into Mace's spirit-and perhaps was even breeding suspicion and dissension among the members of the Jedi Council.

The greatest danger from the darkness outside came when Jedi fed it with darkness within.

He had feared he might find matters had deteriorated when he returned to Coruscant and to the Temple; not even in his darkest dreams had he thought it would get this bad.

"Master Windu-Mace. We'll go to Yoda together," he said firmly. "And among the three of us we'll work something out. We will. You'll see."

"It may be too late already."

"It may be. And it may not be. We can only do what we can do, Mace. A very, very wise Jedi once said to me, 'We don't have to win. All we have to do is fight.'"

Some of the lines erased themselves from the Korun Master's face than, and when he met Obi-Wan's eye there was a quirk at the corner of his mouth that might someday develop into a smile-a tired, sad smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I seem," he said slowly, "to have forgotten that particular Jedi. Thank you for reminding me."

"It was the least I could do," Obi-Wan said lightly, but a sad weight had gathered on his chest.

Things change indeed.