A/N: Thank you all for your support! I am so thankful for all of you who are reading this and providing feedback. Enjoy this little bonus chapter before Easter!

Chapter 5 – Allies

The Jedi Council chamber was eerily empty. Master Yoda had returned from Kashyyyk, but three council members were gone. And they weren't coming back. Four council members were off-planet commanding their clone squadrons. They were streaming into the temple via hologram. This left Mace, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda.

Immediately, Yoda turned on his comlink and called some of his most trusted Jedi Masters to listen in on the meeting, including Siri Tachi.

"Found the elusive Sith Lord, the Jedi have. One with the Force, he has become. Our goal must now be uncovering his hidden plans for the Galaxy," spoke the green Jedi Master.

"We must act quickly," Mace Windu added. "As we do not know what Chancellor Palpatine was going to do next. We know that he was storing files inside a data pad. One Jedi team will work to uncover this data pad. Finally, another will question the senators and systems that were closest to the Chancellor."

"What about us? What can we do?" Plo Koon shouted above the din of battle.

"Ah, the Clone Wars," Yoda pondered. "Rage on they still do. Ending, they soon will be. Grievous is no more."

"It is important that we do not cause alarm," Mace continued. "The Jedi in the field must continue their duty. For the time being, the Separatists cannot know the Republic is shattered. That might spark more systems to rally to their cause."

Plo Koon, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and the other council members abroad nodded in agreement.

"But the Republic's not shattered!" Anakin almost yelled. He shuttered at the thought of another chancellor being elected rashly. "There are still plenty of senators who are loyal to democracy." He should know; his wife was one of them.

"Which brings us to mission assignments. Anakin, if you're so interested in the political side of this mission, perhaps you should assemble the senators." Mace suggested.

"Gladly…with one request, if I may. That a senator work closely on this investigation…Senator Amidala." It was a risk, Anakin knew, and it might cause suspicion, but it was the only way to remain close to Padmé. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving her alone during her pregnancy.

Anakin continued emphatically, "Her career in politics had spanned nearly a decade, and she knows virtually every senator on Coruscant."

Mace raised an eyebrow. "She has always been loyal to the Jedi's cause. All right, we will allow it." He glanced at Yoda, who had remained oddly quiet throughout the exchange.

"As far as the data pad analysis, we thought someone experienced should head it." Mace looked in Obi-Wan's direction. "Someone whose dealings with the Sith might make him attuned to their pattern of thinking."

Obi-Wan realized that everyone was looking at him. "Me?" Then he realized that he had dealt with the Sith more than anyone in the room, except maybe Yoda. He heard stifled laugh erupt from the comlink. Siri, he thought. I'll get her for this.

"I'll help him. I've just returned from a piloting mission that resulted in a Republic victory. And I do have some experience with hijacking." Siri's voice crackled through the comlink.

"Decided their roles for us, the Jedi have. Report to me directly your findings, during every step of this mission, you will. Vital to the future of the Republic, you are. May the Force be with you." Yoda disconnected contact with everyone, and looked at the remaining three Jedi sitting before him.

"Done well, you have, in eliminating darkness. Every confidence I have that you will be successful now."

Mace turned to Anakin. A mixture of humility, grace, and strength shined through his dark eyes. "For saving my life, and uncovering the identity of the Sith, the Council bestows on you the rank of Master."

With that, Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker bowed and headed to his next mission.

Never in his wildest dreams had Anakin thought he would be working with his wife on a Jedi mission. But it made him more focused and comfortable having her by his side. Her company did not distract him from the task at hand. As Padmé and Anakin began the arduous task of interviewing each senator, they soon discovered that no one was talking. Even with the help of Padmé's trusted team of loyalists, like Senators Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, information was hard to come by. Whoever was in league with Palpatine was not giving them any hints. They were still more afraid of a dead Sith Lord more than a living, breathing Jedi Master.

Now, Padmé and Anakin were taking a break. They sat on the couch in Padmé's apartment. Anakin had not slept in two days and needed to refresh in order to think clearly.

"It's time to talk this through logically." Padmé announced.

"Yes. Let's." Anakin chuckled and grabbed her hand. He was amused by his wife's matter-of-fact persistence and captivated by her effortless beauty. She wore a free flowing, wispy dress the colors of a Naboo sunset.

"I'm serious, Ani. Now, Palpatine was a Sith Lord his entire life?"

He tried to suppress his boyish grin. "Well, I don't know about his entire life, but for quite a long time, yes."

"Which means he was a Sith at the time of the Naboo invasion," she continued.

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"And who invaded Naboo?"

"The Trade Federation." Anakin stopped. "You don't think…" He pondered the gravity of the proposed connection.

"It just seems too much of a coincidence, doesn't it? And the Trade Federation senators are conveniently off-planet." Padme's grip loosened. She brought her hand to her neck, like she was going to be sick.

Anakin gently placed a hand over her stomach. "I hope our children turn out to be as smart as you." Padmé blushed. Anakin leaned in for a kiss.

"Anakin, we must go and tell the others."

Obi-Wan and Siri were in the Chancellor's office, searching for his hidden data pad. They had gone through all the rooms to no avail, and now they were in the large red room with the bay window: the room where Obi-Wan had killed him two days earlier. The desk still bore the scuffmarks of the Sith Lord's shoes. A piece of wood had burned off from Anakin dropping his lightsaber. He wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Too many horrible memories.

Siri could sense every emotion passing through Obi-Wan. Their months apart only strengthened their bond. She felt that he was on edge. She searched faster and faster.

"You know, the desk is the most obvious place to store one's files," Obi-Wan commented.

"Well, you know, the Sith aren't exactly know for their common sense." Siri opened each drawer and emptied its contents. Just a bunch of useless odds and ends. Finally, in the bottom drawer, she saw a small keypad in the back.

"Look at this, Obi-Wan. It's some kind of passcode. What do you suppose the combination is?"

"If I had to guess, it would be Naboo's seat in the Senate. It's the 596th chair. He had this same desk from when he was a Senator, you know." Obi-Wan said matter-of-factly.

Wide-eyed, Siri punched those numbers in. Suddenly, a secret drawer opened and a mechanical arm popped out, clutching a data pad.

"Well, would you look at that!" Siri couldn't contain her smile. She leaned over and kissed Obi-Wan's cheek. He blushed deeper than the color of the walls. After all of these years, she sill knew how to make him weak at the knees.

"Let's have a look," he said. Palpatine's files showed no suspicion. They contained everything that a Supreme Chancellor should keep track of: government records, reports, and speeches. But a folder caught Obi-Wan's eye. It was simply titled "66." Inside was a single document with a single sentence: "See Senatorial data pad on Naboo."

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