The hour had grown late, but despite the lavished comforts of his surroundings (which he was more than pleased to be in) Anakin could not sleep. His mind was restless. When he closed his eyes he couldn't keep images of the Bantku Tribe ambassador from flittering before him. He kept repaying the events of the evening. He saw her batting her entrancing green eyes, he heard her sultry voice whisper things in his ear, but mostly e felt her body twist, dip and grind on top of his. What had he done? Why had he danced with that woman like that? On all accounts it was inappropriate. He was Jedi he should be able to maintain a sense of decorum on the dance floor. It was disgraceful for a Jedi to behave in such a way, but fortunately, most of the senators and other officials were too far gone from over indulging in drinking to question his conduct. They were too busy misbehaving themselves to notice him. He was married and he shouldn't have been dancing with any woman, but his wife, his angel who was wonderful, kind, beautiful and trusting. She had thought that he was going on this venture to help the Chancellor, not to help himself to dance lessons from the Ambassador from the Bantku Tribes. She was about as mysterious as her people and she had a personality that concealed as much as her veils and yet left the imagination wondering.

He needed to take a walk. The more he lied there in that plush bed the more images of the night kept reentering his head. He tossed and turned, but the feeling of the ambassadors body still lingered on him. The dance they had performed was not one that was easy for the body to forget. It had been too heated, too passionate and too perfectly executed to be anything less than memorable. She didn't miss a beat when she anced and he had responded without any reservation to her erotic movements. He smiled absently as he considered the spins they had performed. He spun her around and she came slamming back into him. She'd slid to the ground wiggling her body like some type of serpant while her hand trailed down his chest and abdomen, before her tattooed hands to feel any lower he pulled her back up, forcefully and spun her again. The smile faded to a grimace instantly. He now wished that he had spent last night more intimately with Padme, but he had been too lost in his grief over Ahsoka at the time to proposition her in that manner. It had been a few months since they had made love. His search for Ahsoka had ended disastrously and on the eves of her death sex had been the furthest thing from his mind. Now he couldn't get it off his mind.

Maybe he should meditate. Obi-wan had once told him that he had to admit his attraction and then release t into the Force, but was admitting this attraction admitting his own infidelity. If that was the case he wasn't ready to admit that, so he decided to walk. Some Jedi could find comfort in spending hours in meditation when they were troubled, but he was desperate to find something to do. Anything to distract his mind from the guilt. Something to take his mind off that ambassador he hardly knew.

Anakin immerged from his room. The halls on the Imperial were quiet. All the senators had no doubt passed out from intoxication. He walked the halls he checked the security panels. He stopped in the galley and had a droid make him a sandwich. Still he was not satisfied. He figured he would head to the bridge possibly relieve a pilot of duty or at least make sure that none of the senate guards were sleep on the job. As he traveled down hall he happened upon Chancellor Palpatine.

"Anakin, my boy" the elderly man called jovially as he came from a room and quickly looked the door behind him. "What are you doing up at this hour?" he chuckled.

"I was just going to see if I could relieve the pilots," Anakin stated stretching a little.

"Well I'm sure they'd be most grateful for a moment of reprieve or just perhaps a piloting lesson from the best pilot in the galaxy," The Chancellor point out with a smirk. "But I'm sure the ship is on autopilot or they have a droid doing it… don't worry yourself about it my lad," the chancellor patted Anakin lightly on the back and stirred him down another hallway. Anakin nodded.

"I guess I'm a little restless," Anakin admitted as he and the Chancellor's strides fell into step with one another.

"That is the way of the young, always ready to be up and at 'em, so to speak," he chuckled.

"I think it's more of a forced habit sir," Anakin counteres, "since this war started hours of uninterrupted sleep are luxury that aren't often afforded." Anakin stated. It wasn't a statement filled with bitterness or resentment justa real explanation. The Chancellor said not a word, but nodded as they continued to go down the hallway, "Also when I was searching for Ahsoka…I hardly slept at all."

"I know you worked tirelessly in your efforts to find the young Togruta," Palpatine placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder.

Anakin responded by turning his head to look in the direction of this man he admired so. He gave a strained smile, "It didn't do much good," he shrugged.

"You know, Anakin, part of the reason I asked you to come was so that you could get the rest you needed. I figured that at the temple they would still want you to carry on certain durties without giving you the dispensation to recuperate from this loss," Anakin was overwhelmed by the Supreme Chancellor's statement. Someone was looking out for him.

" I appreciate your concern, sir. I'm thankful to be here with you," Anakin beamed back at the elderly man. "What about you Chancellor, shouldn't you be resting?" the young Jedi inquired.

"I am just on my way. I had a few things that I needed to discuss with Justice Ardyss," he began and Anakin smirked at his more lenient mentor.

"Oh?" he raised a curious eyebrow.

"Yes," Palpatine announced mildly, "nothing like that mind you," he countered. "The has been a matter among the people of Durge, that has been trying to get a hearing in the Supreme Court for months but has not been address, I was telling her how I would like for her to preside of the matter when we arrive," walked on clasping his hands behind his back. He went on to explain the problems that the Durge were having. The Durge had always been a very war like group, they settled legal disputes with duels to the death. An antiquated form of justice, the younger people wanted to instate courts to handle disputes, but the legislation had not been favored by the elderly Durge ruler who liked the trational practices.

"I saw you and Justice Adyss dancing tonight, she seemed quite fond of you," Anakin added in slyly.

"Well, Justice Ardyss and I have known each other for quite some time. I met her on my first trip to Coruscant, that was many years ago. I might have been even younger than you and was appointed as an assistant to the Senator of Naboo at that time. Justice Ardyss was a lawyer who had been invited to a Senate hearing."
"She's a great woman," Anakin pointed out.
" Oh yes, yes indeed. The finest justice I believe we have serving in the courts. The courts so easily can become corrupt these days. Especially during war time. The court system is the least looked upon," Palpatine lectured. " I also noticed you dancing my boy, with Ambassador Hadarah," The Chancellor added in quickly.

Anakin took a gulp, "Yes… I… well…she"

Chancellor Palpatine chuckled lightly, "She is a beautiful girl." Stated.

"That she is,"

"A very smart young woman. She is greatly respected in her tribe. It is a rare thing for a woman to be trusted with such important political matters among the Bantku people."

"I believe it, sir."

" I am very pleased that you were able to meet with her. I think you will find that the two of you have much in common," Palpatine explained.

"Really?"

"Why yes, you both already seemed to be very good dancers," laughed the Chancellor. "It's a pity Jedi aren't allowed to marry," The Chancellor went on seemingly absently. "I could foresee her being an excellent consort to someone like you, Anakin." The Chancellor turned and looked at the young man who had trust and him and offered a quick smile.

"Sir…I"

"I must retire Anakin," The Chancellor said being that they had circled back to the hall way that held both of their rooms. "is their anything else you wanted to discuss with me?"

"No, nothing Chancellor, thank you for your time." Anakin bowed as he saw the Chancellor sliding a key into the door.

" Any time my boy, anytime." The politician smiled politely and the went into his room.

Anakin made his way back to his own lodging. Yes if only the Jedi would allow attachment allow for people to feel all the emotions that they were meant to feel and not have to stifle them down or wish they weren't there, but that was wishful thinking. "Anakin the order has been around for a millennia and these rules have worked quite well for a predecessors so I think they are good for you," he could here Obi-wan's voice clear in his head. With Obi-wan's voice tumbling through the back of his mind and Padme's face fighting to compete with the face of lady Hadarah in his subconscious, along with the new thought of the Chancellors recommendation Anakin knew he would be hard pressed to find sleep tonight. Maybe he should have taken the sedative.