Avschick33 – I agree,we should all launch an attack on Sidious! That would take care of the problem once and for all! Thanks for reading – I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far.
Jedi Master Arie Skywalker – Padmé was pretty freaked out too! Poor thing – she was just trying to get some rest!
Eriks leadinglady – Yeah, if Anakin would just stop jumping to conclusions then most of this could be avoided. It's a personality trait that is not going to serve him well in upcoming chapters, to say the least. I hope you have a wonderful vacation – I look forward to hearing from you when you get back and settled.
Padawan Sydney Bristow – Welcome to the story; it's great to have you here. Unfortunately, I must warn you that the conclusion of this will be setting up for "A New Hope." Yikes!
meandmysharpie – Whew, you and your friend sure do know how to have deep conversations! I, too, find myself wondering how the outcome of RotS would have been different if only Anakin would have: listened, followed orders, thought things through a little further. Thank goodness we have fan fiction to sort it all out!
Hellish Red Devil – Oh dear, you thought you were annoyed with Anakin before? Well, hang onto your hat my friend because things certainly don't improve with this chapter. There are just some aspects to Anakin that get him into trouble and unfortunately, jumping to conclusions appears to be one of the big ones. Yikes! I really appreciate your kind reviews; thanks for always dropping in when you can.
ALL – See you back here soon with more. Thank you so much for leaving me such encouraging comments. You guysmake all the hard work worthwhile. :-)
Chancellor Palpatine was angry.
Of course, the emotion was not displayed outwardly - quite the opposite, in fact. For all intents and purposes, he appeared elegant, unruffled... the same demeanor that had always served him so well in the political arena.
But Anakin knew better.
A simple touch of the Force exposed the fury that was rolling off him in waves. Some of it was directed towards him, most likely for being so late earlier that morning. Yet something else had obviously piqued the Chancellor's ire in such a way that it was still upsetting him hours later. Anakin had made a discreet attempt to identify the source, but like most politicians, Palpatine had developed impressive shields and the result was unsuccessful.
He sighed in resignation. There was only one thing left to do and Force help him, he hated to do it.
He needed to apologize.
"Chancellor, may I interrupt you for a moment?" he asked politely.
The older man didn't even look up from his flimsiplast. "What is it, Anakin?"
"I would like to express my regret over my tardiness this morning," he managed. "As you know, it is a Jedi's responsibility to be punctual for his or her appointments and I failed to uphold that aspect of my duty."
Palpatine finally peered at him, evidently awaiting further explanation.
Anakin stifled the urge to roll his eyes and clam up out of spite - a tactic he often used whenever Obi-wan grew overly interested in his personal affairs.
But he knew if he was going to get anywhere in his investigation, he had to be on good terms with the Chancellor.
"I'm afraid I overslept," he finally admitted.
"That seems rather unlike you. Don't you usually have a difficult time sleeping?"
"Sometimes." He shifted from foot to foot and shrugged nonchalantly. "Yes."
"You had a nightmare then." Anakin noticed that it wasn't a question so much as an observation.
"I believe so; I cannot remember exactly what happened. All I know is that I was suddenly sitting up in bed, overcome by a sense of danger and loss. It was a few hours before I could get back to sleep."
Palpatine's uneasy expression relaxed into one of paternal concern. "And with Master Kenobi away and Senator Amidala too, such an experience must be resting awfully heavily on your shoulders. Oh I'm so sorry to hear it. Well, you must feel free to come to me whenever you need a friendly ear."
"Thank you, sir." He decided to go out on a limb. "I hope you know the same is true of me."
Palpatine smiled ruefully. "Ah, you have noticed my dismal mood. I should have known better than to think I could hide it, especially from a Jedi as perceptive as yourself. Well, to put it plainly, I have rediscovered the fact that running the Republic is certainly not the easiest career path I could have taken."
Anakin winced. "Apparently your meeting with the leaders of the Delegation did not go well."
"That's putting it mildly. One thing I've learned in politics is that there is no such thing as a solution that satisfies everyone." He massaged his temples and pushed several datapads aside so he could rest his hands on the surface. "I am already pursuing diplomatic measures but it seems I am not moving fast enough for their liking. I believe certain members of the Delegation will never be happy as long as I'm in charge."
Anakin found himself nodding sympathetically. No matter how many times Obi-wan argued to the contrary, he still felt that action was the key to winning the war; not debates and long-winded speeches. Such peaceful avenues should be pursued, of course - but not at the expense of progress.
"They will set their plans in motion soon," Palpatine began. "I fear their next step will be to go to the Jedi."
"What?" Anakin replied, aghast. "You mustn't believe the Council would get involved in something like this. They only strive to keep peace; they have no desire to wade into politics." He tried to ignore the part of his mind that recalled the conversation between Windu and Yoda.
"But at what point the cost becomes too much for the Jedi? So many have been killed since the conflict began." His tone was regretful, laden with sorrow. "Clearly, the Order has a lot to lose should this war continue. And who could blame them for wanting to put an end to it before it came to that?"
"Jedi do not think that way. We are trained to be selfless, to think only of others even at our own expense."
But Anakin knew if he closed his eyes, he would picture the empty seats in the Temple cafeteria, the cries of the wounded in the Healer's ward, the training salles that remained unused for months at a time.
Could such heartbreaking reminders really go unnoticed? Could it really leave even the Council unaffected?
Palpatine slumped in his chair and Anakin suddenly noticed how aged his mentor had become since the war's beginning. The once-vibrant statesman suddenly seemed frail and feeble, the enormity of his responsibilities sapping his strength and vitality.
"I do hope you are right, my young friend," he murmured tiredly. "I don't think I would stand much of a chance before a legion of Jedi."
"It won't come to that," Anakin vowed. "I would never allow it."
He never detected the undercurrent of lies that permeated Palpatine's machinations - or the seething satisfaction that stemmed from such a loyal declaration.
ONBOARD TRANSPORT SHIP - NEXT DAY
Padmé wondered how many more ways she could find to say "no." By her guess, she was already up to 25 or so.
"Is this how you earned your "Negotiator" title?" she finally blurted. "By nagging people until they agreed simply to shut you up?"
"It took me years to perfect such a mysterious technique," Obi-wan grinned. "Is it working on you?"
"Sort of." She smiled back at him, but there was already a hint of apology in it. "I know you think my people would understand, but I cannot bring myself to deceive them so completely. Besides, I'm not even convinced we're to that point anyway."
"Padmé, you were held hostage in your room last night!"
"And I broke free," she noted. "I can do it again, if necessary."
Despite her casual attitude, he knew the experience had shaken her more than she cared to admit.
"I'm not saying we have to implement it at this very moment but please take it into consideration. We are up against something that has incredible Force powers - and has identified you and your child as targets. You must understand why that makes me uneasy!"
"Yes, of course, and I appreciate the fact that you are taking your promise to Anakin so literally, Master Kenobi." Padmé stretched, massing her aching back. "But until I am given enough cause to believe that there is no other way, I cannot agree to it in good conscience."
He heaved a sigh, knowing he was not going to get any further today. "Fine," he acquiesced. "But I'm going to look into procuring the necessary supplies, just in case." He watched her continue to squirm uncomfortably. "And perhaps a med droid."
"I'm all right," she assured him quickly. "The extra baby weight is taking a toll on my lower back, that's all. I still have a few weeks to go before you need to fret over that." She glanced at him hopefully. "If this mess isn't resolved by then, will Anakin really be able to join us?"
"I hope so," he grumbled. "Maybe he can get you to see reason."
She was just about to respond rather flippantly when Artoo shot into the room, ricocheting off the far wall. He beeped frantically and Padme moved towards him, hoping he hadn't been damaged.
"Miss Padmé! Miss Padmé! Oh, there you are," Threepio gushed, toddling into the room. "We just heard the most dreadful news! I told Artoo to wait for me to interpret but you know how he likes to go charging headfirst into situations. I do wish Master Anakin would take a look at his programming-"
"What is it?" Obi-wan interrupted sharply.
The golden droid jerked at the Jedi's worried tone. "We just received the latest Holo-net report and scanned it as requested. They say Senator Amidala collapsed this afternoon. They're calling it another assassination attempt."
Breathless with fear, Padmé whispered, "Dormé!"
Sidious put a hand to his mouth, unable to stop the delighted smile that sprang to his lips.
The Holo-net continued to buzz with news of "Senator Amidala's" brush with death. Apparently, even outlying planets had received the transmission, if the stab of distress he had sensed from the 'real' Senator was any indication.
Wherever she was, she had heard the news.
And she was scared.
"Your move, my dear," he hissed. "Unless you want another decoy killed... and something tells me that soft heart of yours will want to avoid that at all costs."