Avschick33 – I agree; there's nothing better than a Happy Ever After ending. So why is it that I am so drawn to angst? Yeesh! To tell you the truth, I am thinking about working up an Epilogue that flashes forward to ROTJ so that may help soothe some battered feelings. We'll have to see if it comes together though. My muse is awfully weird, after all! Thanks for reading!
Eriks leadinglady - Hee! I take it that you're not a big Palpatine fan, eh? I have to wonder – what is that dude's first name anyway? Wouldn't it be funny if it was something really nerdy and that's what actually led to his fall to the dark side? Oh dear, plot bunnies are biting! No, stay away! I have enough vignettes in the works for now! I always find myself LOL at your reviews – it's such a hysterical stream of consciousness and always makes my day to see such enthusiasm! Gives me a case of the warm-fuzzies!
Meandmysharpie – Hooray for passing math class! Congratulations! I was never a big fan of math – I always thought it was so outdated given that's calculators had been invented. Hee! I'm glad you are enjoying the story – and you're right; it's tough to know that certain doom is just lurking around the corner while being unable to do anything about it. And that's just how I felt during RotS so hopefully that means I'm doing something right! ;-) Thanks for reading, my dear!
Hellish Red Devil – You thought the seeds were being sown before? Well, you're definitely not going to like this chapter then! Palpatine is just way too slick for his own good and Anakin has always been suspicious of the Jedi Council and that combination just spells t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Thanks for your continuous show of support. It really helps to keep me enthusiastic about my writing – even when I'm struggling with a section.
ALL – Hope you have a great Fourth of July weekend. My next update may be a bit delayed because we are going out of town but I promise I'll post more as soon as I can. Take care of yourselves! See you back here soon!
ONBOARD TRANSPORT SHIP
Obi-wan pushed the strange green substance around his plate, eyeing it suspiciously. In all his years, he had never seen something with such an odd... consistency.
"Are you sure this is edible?"
Padmé rolled her eyes and waved her fork in the air. "Threepio went to a lot of trouble to make this meal, Master Kenobi. He will be disappointed if you do not even try it."
"But I told him I would be happy with a simple plate of steamed vegetables."
"I know," Padmé shrugged. "But Threepio's tastes veer to the gourmet and he assumes everyone else's do as well. I suppose it takes some getting used to."
"Maybe if I closed my eyes-"
"Really, Obi-wan. It couldn't possibly be any worse than some of that stuff you and Anakin have had to eat during your wartime excursions." She glanced at him knowingly over the rim of her water goblet.
"I suppose Anakin complained about the infamous nutrient bars, did he?" He grinned at her before setting down his utensil. "Dare I ask whether he also told you that he ate insects? Willingly, I might add?"
"What?" The reply was half-laugh, half-horror.
"He did. I was sure he was going to get sick, but the boy has a stomach made of duracrete."
She sat back in her chair and grimaced when the baby delivered a particularly sharp kick. "He'd better never tease me about my strange cravings again. At least mine have never sent me in that direction."
Obi-wan's eyes twinkled as he found himself unable to stop from adding, "Yet."
Laughing quietly, she pushed away from the table, movements slowed by the additional weight of the child she carried. "As fascinating as this conversation is, I hope you'll excuse me for just a moment. I have to check the messaging system."
"Already?" Obi-wan shot a glance at the rusty chrono hanging on the wall. "We only left Coruscant a little over five hours ago."
"And that will have given Senator Organa sufficient time to send a briefing on the Senate's morning session."
"I hope Naboo realizes what a dedicated Senator they have in you, Padmé." he exclaimed, noting the hard glint that had entered her normally-placid gaze.
"We must move quickly if we are to take precautions," she responded cryptically.
Before he could question her further, she had moved towards the front of the ship. He stared at the empty spot across the table, puzzled by the enigmatic woman his Padawan had married. Lost in thought, he took a small bite of his meal and tilted his head as the flavors flowed across his tongue. It actually wasn't bad - pretty tasty in fact.
A good lesson to remember, he mused. Things are not always as they seem.
CORUSCANT - OFFICE OF CHANCELLOR PALPATINE
Anakin noted the way the sky was starting to darken once again. Nightfall would arrive within the hour. He wondered how Padmé was doing... specifically whether she had taken his advice to find time to nap. She needed to keep up her strength; the stress of travel would be taxing enough-
The Chancellor's voice startled him out of his reverie.
"Oh, Anakin, I do hope you aren't angry over this assignment," he groaned apologetically, setting down a datapad. "I must assure you I had nothing to do with it. I know this isn't your idea of time well spent."
Anakin straightened and tried to recover his focus. "It is an honor to see to your safety, sir."
"You're not a very good liar, my young friend." The Chancellor chuckled, taking the sting out of his admonishment. "We've been friends for years, Anakin. I know you would rather be anywhere but here. Your feelings on the world of politics have been made quite clear."
Despite the impoliteness of it all, Anakin couldn't help the sheepish grin that spread across his face. "It is not my area of enthusiastic expertise that much is true."
"Yes, you and Master Kenobi seem most at home when you are working as a team to defend our great Republic." The Chancellor leaned forward, resting his forearms on the smooth metal surface of his desk. "I was surprised to hear that he had been sent on assignment without you."
"We follow the orders of the Council," he replied guardedly. "Even if that means going our separate ways every now and again."
"Of course," Palpatine agreed. "I simply wonder whether they always make the wisest decisions, that's all. It is difficult to be in such a powerful position. And to have control over Jedi with abilities such as yours, well - sometimes I think it may frighten them."
"They have nothing to fear from me," he protested. He waved his hand in what he hoped was a dismissive gesture. "Besides, nothing frightens a Jedi."
"Surely you remember my first lesson to you, Anakin: all who have power are afraid to lose it. A part of me doubts that the Jedi, as noble as they may be, are even immune to such a statement." He stood and shrugged, straightening his robes absently. "Well, we can only hope my cynical hypothesis is proved wrong. I daresay none of us would like to stand against them, would we? Those light sabers seem a bit too... dangerous for my taste."
Anakin watched through narrowed eyes as the Chancellor started for the door.
When he turned around, the older man's eyes were filled with regret. "I hope I did not offend you, Anakin. It has been a long day and the arguments in the Senate have gotten me into a bit of an ugly mood. The Jedi have been such steadfast guardians of the Republic; it is not right for me to speak of them in such a manner especially when I am spouting nonsense. It's probably best if I head home for the evening." When Anakin made no move to follow, he raised an eyebrow. "Are you charged with protecting my office, even when I'm not here?"
Anakin's eyes darted to the communications room. "No, sir, but I would like to make one final sweep before returning to the Temple."
"Very well then. I shall see you tomorrow and I promise I will be in a much better frame of mind."
"Good night, sir."
"Good night."
Anakin let out a deep breath as the Chancellor exited the room. He made a point of strolling the perimeter, pretending to check the functionality of the security checkpoints. In reality, he was estimating how long it would take Palpatine to clear the floor.
Ten minutes later, he could stand it no longer.
He strode to the office's main console and entered the command to open the communications system. The computer responded instantly, asking for the long series of codes required for confidential message retrieval. He entered the numbers with eager fingers, bypassing the Chancellor's cache of saved messages and heading for the secret files that only he knew existed.
"Enter special access password for A. Skywalker," the screen finally demanded.
"J-a-p-o-r." He smiled as he typed, relishing the well-worn memory.
"Code accepted. Quantity of new messages: one."
He activated the playback feature, his heart melting at the sight of Padmé in a robe that had once been far too oversized for her diminutive frame. She had knotted it loosely around her bulging midsection and the light blue neckline of her nightgown peeked out from above.
"Anakin, it's me," she murmured. He watched as she gestured to her surroundings. "As you can see, I'm in my private quarters and moments away from retiring. Yes, the hour is quite early for my taste but I promised I would get more rest so here I am."
She settled herself onto the sleep couch and cradled her belly. "We've taken temporary refuge on a rather desolate planet and plan to resume our journey in the morning. Master Kenobi has decided we should zig-zag from planet to planet as a normal transport would. He believes such an action will make our cover more believable and throw off any suspicion. The strategy will cause us to run out of supplies a bit faster than we had planned, but we will be able to stock up as we go along. " She smiled brightly. "Maybe if you're extra good, I'll bring you back a souvenir from one of our many stops along the way."
Her grin dimmed quickly and she fidgeted with the ties of her robe. "I do hope that day is soon, Ani. I know you believe that granting more powers to the Chancellor can only help end this war more quickly, but I cannot help but feel that the shifting sands of democracy are slipping through our fingers. I hate that I am not there to add my voice to those who share my views. Dormé will do what she can, but she cannot draw too much attention to herself or the public could discover our ruse."
She sighed and shook her head, backing away from the frustrating path her thoughts were taking. "This really is for the best and I do take comfort in knowing you are there to keep an eye on things. I only hope you are being as diligent with your own safety as you have insisted I be with mine. I know you don't want me to worry so I will just warn you to tread carefully, Ani. Something is out of place."
She leaned forward and a few rebellious curls tumbled over her shoulder. "I will send you another message tomorrow, my love. In the interim, be safe and know that your wife and child adore you and are already missing you desperately."
There was a soft click as she ended the transmission and the screen went blank. He saved her message out of sentimentality before recording a brief reply. Once that had been sent successfully, he closed down the system, dutifully returning it to its normal stand-by status.
The warm feeling that settled into his heart from hearing Padmé's voice was tempered by a cold chill that seeped into his veins. Indeed, something was out of place.
But now the question was - did it lie with the Chancellor? Or with the Jedi Order itself?