Chapter 64 responses:
G-Anakin 13: I'm sorry, but we will come across some sadness as this goes on. I'm one who usually prefers anguish over happy smiles when it comes to a long story's ending.
Sica Meni: Thanks. Obi-Wan and Arica's duel is in the chapter after next.
Twisted Words (): I know what it's like to come close to a computer crashing. Though my PC was half fixed, it's still in danger of crashing at any time. Not something I enjoy thinking about. Yes, Padme does die...eventually, but not in this episode. As I said before, details of her death are remaining unsaid...as of now.
The Lure of the Dark Side: Chronicle 1-The Turning of an Era
Episode V: Revenge of the Sith
Chapter 20: Rumors within the Senate
Chancellor Palpatine arrived back at his office with Mas Amedda and a few security guards after a meeting he had with a few legislators from a system in the Outer Rim Territories. He had sent word for Anakin to be waiting for him when he arrived and was quite pleased when he saw him waiting on his private landing deck as he did so. As he and Mas Amedda stepped out of the shuttle, Anakin moved forward to greet them.
"Chancellor," he said, bowing a greeting. "Lord Speaker."
Mas Amedda looked at Anakin with a curl of his blue lips that, on a human, would have signaled disgust; it was a Chagrian smile. "Greetings, Your Grace. I trust the day finds you well?"
Anakin nodded. "Very well, Lord Speaker, thank you for asking."
Amedda turned back to Palpatine, but he quickly brushed him and the others off. "So Anakin," he said as the others moved away," did you see your friend off?"
Anakin nodded. "If I didn't hate Grievous so much, I'd almost feel sorry for her."
"Oh?" Palpatine said mildly interested. "Are Jedi allowed to hate?"
"Figure of speech," Anakin said, waving this off. "It doesn't matter how I feel about her. Obi-Wan will soon have her head."
"Provided of course," Palpatine murmured as he took Anakin's arm to guide him toward the entryway, "that the Council didn't make a mistake. I still believe Master Kenobi is not the Jedi for this job."
Anakin shrugged irritably. Why did everyone keep bringing up things he didn't want to talk about? Palpatine heard Anakin think this before he said aloud, "The Council was…very sure in its decision."
"Certainty is a fine thing," Palpatine allowed. "Though it too often happens that those who are the most entirely certain are also the most entirely wrong. What will the Council do if Kenobi proves unable to apprehend Grievous without your help?"
"I'm sure I cannot say sir. I imagine they will deal with that, if and when it happens. The Jedi teach that anticipation is distraction."
Palpatine held back an eye roll. "I am no philosopher, Anakin; in my work anticipation is often my sole hope of success. In more ways than one. I must anticipate the actions of my adversaries-and even those of my allies. Even-"
He opened a hand toward Anakin, smiling,
"-my friends. It is the only way I can be prepared to take advantage of opportunity…and conversely, to avoid disaster."
"But if a disaster comes about by the will of the Force-" Anakin started.
"I'm afraid I don't believe in the will of the Force," Palpatine said, his smile turning apologetic. "I believe it is our will that matters. I believe that everything good in our civilization has come about not by the blind action of some mystical field of energy, but by the focused will of people: lawmakers and warriors, inventors and engineers, struggling with every breath of their bodies to shape galactic culture. To improve the lives of all."
They stood now before the vaulted door to Palpatine's office. "Please come in, Anakin. Much as I enjoy a philosophical chat, that is not the reason I asked you to meet me. We have business to discuss, and I fear it may be very serious business indeed."
Palpatine felt Anakin follow him through the Outer Chambers to his intimate private office. As he sat at his desk he saw Anakin take up a respectful standing position opposite his desk. He waved Anakin to a chair however. "Please Anakin, make yourself comfortable. Some of this may be difficult for you to hear."
"Everything is these days," Anakin muttered as he took a seat. Palpatine made no move that he heard him though. "It concerns Master Kenobi. My friends among the Senators have picked up some…disturbing rumors about him. Many in the Senate believe that Kenobi is not fit for this assignment."
Anakin frowned. "Are you serious?"
"I'm most serious, I'm afraid. It is a…complicated situation, Anakin. It seems there are some in the Senate who now regret having granted me emergency powers."
"There have been dissenters and haysayers since before Geonosis, sir. Why should it cause for concern now? And how does it effect Obi-Wan?"
"I'm getting to that." Palpatine took a deep breath and swung his chair around so that he could gaze through his window of armored transparisteel onto the cityscape beyond. "The difference is that now, some of these Senators-actually a large number of them-seem to have given up on democracy. Unable to achieve their ends in the Senate, they are organizing into a cabal, preparing to remove me by…other means."
"You mean treason!"
"I'm afraid so. The rumor is that the ringleaders of this group may have fallen victim to the…persuasive powers of the Jedi Council, and are on their way to becoming accomplices in the Council's plot against the Republic."
"Sir I- This just seems ridiculous."
"And it may be entirely false. Remember that these are only rumors. Entirely unconfirmed. Senate gossip is rarely accurate, but if this is true…we must be prepared Anakin. I still have friends enough in the Senate to catch the scent of whatever this disloyal cabal is cooking up. And I have a very good idea of who the leaders are."
He wheeled his chair back around and steepled his fingers pensively. "The Jedi Council, however, is another matter entirely. A secret society of antidemocratic beings who wield tremendous power, individually as well as collectively-how am I to trace the labyrinth of their plots? That's why I put you on the Council. If these rumors are true, you may be democracy's last hope."
Palpatine watched as Anakin let his chin sink once more to his chest and his eyelids scraped shut. It seemed that he was always someone's last hope, Sidious heard Anakin think. Why did everyone always have to make their problems into his problems? Why couldn't people just let him be? How was he supposed to deal with all this when Padme could die?
He said slowly, eyes still closed, "You still haven't told me what this has to do with Obi-Wan."
"Ah, that-well, that is the difficult part. The disturbing part. It seems that Master Kenobi has been in contact with a certain Senator who is known to be among the leaders of this cabal. Apparently, very close contact. The rumor is that he was seen leaving this Senator's residence this morning, at an…unseemly hour."
"Who?" Anakin opened his eyes and sat forward. "Who is this Senator? Let's go question him."
"I'm sorry, Anakin. But the Senator in question is, in fact, a her. A woman you know quite well, in fact."
Palpatine watched in pleasure as Anakin refused to believe this, but yet did. "You-" He must've been hearing this wrong. "You mean-" Anakin choked on her name.
Palpatine gave him a look of melancholy sympathy. "I'm afraid so."
Anakin coughed his voice back to life. "That's impossible! I would know-she doesn't…she couldn't-"
"Sometimes the closest," Palpatine said sadly, "are those who cannot see."
Anakin sat back obviously stunned. "I would know," he repeated numbly. "I would know…"
"Don't take it too hard," Palpatine said. "It may be only idle gossip. All this may be only a figment of my overheated imagination; after all these years of war, I find myself inspecting every shadow that might hide an enemy. That is what I need from you, Anakin: I need you to find the truth. To set my mind at rest."
Anakin suddenly threw himself to his feet. "I can do that," he said and Sidious was pleased to feel the anger radiating off Anakin.
"Good Anakin. I knew I could count on you."
"Always sir. Always." He turned to go and Sidious continued to hear his thoughts swimming rapidly inside his mind and becoming more and more angry.
He would go to her. He would see her. He would get the truth. He would do it now. Right now. In the middle of the day. It didn't matter who might see him. This was business.
"I know who my friends are," he said before he left.