"Anakin, I'm so sorry to bother you," the Chancellor apologized. "I hope I didn't wake you—"
"Oh, no, of course not," Anakin assured him hastily. "I just got up. Come in, please."
Feeling not a little awkward, mostly due to the fact that he didn't have a shirt on, Anakin stepped back and allowed Palpatine to enter. The latter did so gracefully, looking as though he had been awake for hours.
"As I say, Anakin, I'm sorry to bother you," he repeated, "but I have tremendous news about the War."
"What is it?" Anakin asked. His heart seemed to have stopped beating.
Smiling a little, Palpatine replied, "Our clone intelligence units have discovered the location of General Grievous. He has been hiding in the Utapau system."
Confused, Anakin's forehead creased. "Utapau? But I thought that had been ruled that out as a possibility."
Palpatine sighed sadly. "Apparently, he was too clever for us. He purposely gave the Senate reasons to believe that he had left there a long time ago. Fortunately, our ever-vigilant clones found him, regardless."
Anakin's eyes had taken on a fervent glow. "At last," he breathed. "We'll be able to capture that monster, and end this war." How many nights he had lain awake and hoped for this day, when finally there would be peace in the galaxy once more.
"It would be best," Palpatine continued, "if you contacted the Council immediately and told them of this. Clones alone will do nothing against the General—he's very powerful, you know, and he's not the only one with an army. I would suggest to the Council that they send one of their best Knights as well." His eyes rested on Anakin's face. "They would not be amiss, I think, in sending you."
Anakin ducked his head. "Chancellor, I have yet to even become a Knight," he murmured. "They would have no reason to send a mere Padawan."
"But in a month's time, you will become a Knight," Palpatine reminded him. "One of the greatest the Jedi Order has ever seen, if I am not terribly mistaken. It would be best to wait until then in any case—General Grievous remains entirely unaware of his impending doom, and if we watch him closely, no doubt we could learn a great deal more of what his allies are planning. I would worry about the collective wisdom of the Senate if they overlook you for this assignment."
Anakin nodded, inwardly pleased. "I'll certainly tell them," he said. "And I thank you for your trust in me." He turned to activate the holo-projector again.
"I don't suppose the Jedi Council would appreciate my listening in on your conversation," Palpatine remarked. "I will wait in my study for their reply."
"Chancellor, I'm sure they wouldn't—" Anakin protested, but Palpatine interrupted this argument with an airy gesture and an indulgent smile.
"I will wait," he repeated, and left.
Shaking his head, Anakin pressed the button again, and repeated his instructions of last night. This time, the Council chamber was empty. "Krif," Anakin muttered under his breath. Next he tried Windu's private quarters. His Master answered almost immediately.
"Yes, Anakin?" he asked.
"General Grievous has been found," Anakin said quickly, wanting to get that out as soon as possible. Windu stood abruptly.
"Transfer your signal to the Council chamber," he said. "I'll call a meeting immediately."
"Yes, Master," Anakin said obediently. Rolling his eyes, he went right back to the Council room, where three Masters besides Windu were already convened: Master Yoda (of course), Adi Gallia, and Ki-Adi-Mundi.
Windu got straight to business. "You say that Grievous has been found?" he said.
"He's somewhere in the Utapau system," Anakin confirmed. "The Chancellor's intelligence units found him."
Slowly, Windu leaned against the back of his chair, tapping the ends of his fingers together thoughtfully. "This is very interesting," he murmured. No one else spoke, but from their expressions, Anakin could tell that the other Masters agreed with him. Before he could say another word, however, Anakin heard the sound of a door opening on the other end—Kit Fisto walked into the picture—and he was forced to repeat his statement.
"Chancellor Palpatine was confident that there were no Separatists on Utapau," Windu continued, once Master Fisto had been seated and filled in. "How could he overlook such a thing?"
"Even great men make mistakes," Anakin countered, a bit more hotly than he had intended. "The Chancellor was as surprised as we are to find that he had been wrong."
"We don't know what made him send the army to Muunilist," commented Master Gallia, almost as though she had not heard Anakin's voice. "If he had some inside information, why didn't he share it with the Senate?"
"Fit together, these pieces do not," Yoda mused concernedly. "A good sign, this cannot be."
Anakin looked from one Council member to another, his mouth open in disbelief. "You can't possibly suspect the Chancellor of—that's insane!"
"Anakin," said Windu sternly. "You trust the Chancellor, and for that reason alone I would trust him as well, but remember, he is a politician. There are very few of them who do not have some sort of hidden agenda.
"Palpatine is not like that!" Anakin argued. "He has the Republic's best interests in mind, I know for a fact. And anyway, what reason could he possibly have for—"
"Was there anything else the Chancellor had to say to us?" Windu asked, pointedly ending the conversation. Fuming, Anakin had to think for a moment.
"He has asked the Order to send a Knight to Utapau, to capture Grievous. Whomever you choose to send will be backed up by clone soldiers."
"What about Siri Tachi?" suggested Adi Gallia, her voice soft as always. "She's a bit impetuous, but very capable."
"Perhaps," Windu conceded. "What is it, Anakin?" He could tell from his Padawan's anxious expression that he had something else to say.
"Um—the Chancellor has requested—that I lead the campaign to Utapau." No sooner had the words left his mouth than Anakin realized how insolent they sounded. He shifted his weight, uncomfortably aware of every Master's gaze being on him.
"The Council will make up its own mind as to that," Windu said finally. "The Chancellor has no place here."
Anakin bowed his head in deference, feeling very embarrassed.
"General Grievous is a seasoned warrior," Windu continued. "A Master is required. Master Mundi should go."
"I agree," said Yoda.
"Aye," chorused the rest of the Council.
"Very well, it's settled then," concluded Windu. "Council adjourned."
As quickly as they had come, the little blue seats atop the table vanished in an instant. Anakin straightened, then moved quickly across the hall to Palpatine's study. Even before he knocked, the doors swung open, and Anakin stepped down the short flight of stairs to stand before Palpatine's desk. The Chancellor sat in the chair, his back turned to the rest of the room as he gazed out the window.
"So, what did the Council have to say?" he asked.
"They decided that a Master would be necessary to deal with the General," Anakin answered. "Ki-Adi-Mundi is going."
Palpatine emitted a deep sigh as he turned in his chair to face Anakin. "It's upsetting to me to see that the Council doesn't seem to fully appreciate your talents," he murmured regretfully.
"I'm sure they know better than I," Anakin said, but doubt hovered obviously at the edges of his voice. He still smarted over being dismissed so easily. Didn't they think he could do it?
Palpatine stood. "Well, one can only hope so," he mused, almost to himself. Before Anakin could fully take in the meaning of these words, the Chancellor continued, out loud this time, "There's to be an assembly of the Senate in ten minutes time." He gave Anakin a wry smile. "For reasons I can't fathom, some of the more troublesome senators have set their minds on the fact that I committed my admittedly grave error on purpose. I have to explain the entire situation to them again, and the Force knows it won't be easy pounding it into their thick heads. I hope," he finished, "you don't mind accompanying me there for a few hours?"
"Of course not," Anakin said, with a little laugh. "That's what I'm here for." As they walked up the stairs, however, the Padawan couldn't help wondering half-heartedly if he had a suicide pill tucked away in one of the pouches of his belt.
As it turned out, a mere few hours would have been a blessing. Palpatine was called back to the Senate four days that week, and each time they seemed to repeat exactly what had been said the last time, and the time before that, until Anakin—sitting, outwardly patient, beside the Chancellor—wanted to stand up and scream at the top of his lungs, "HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, NOW LET ME GO!"
He never did it, of course, but it made for a enjoyable fantasy, especially on occasions like today when the temperature in the Senate Chamber seemed to be over a hundred degrees. His cloak was much itchier than he remembered it being in the past, and he could hear a zipha's noisy, irritating buzz coming from somewhere near his ear, silent to all but him. Anakin himself could hardly breathe in the stifling heat, but somehow the portly, blue-faced senator from across the room never seemed to run out of air. He droned on and on, ranting passionlessly on the "suspicious nature of certain actions" and "skeptical usage of intelligence units", as not even the senators could pretend any longer that they had any enthusiasm for this. It never ceased to amaze Anakin how politicians could speak for hours and never really dare to say anything at all.
"Anakin?"
He looked up distractedly, snapping out of an extremely pleasant daydream in which he had jumped from this dais to that of the blue senator's, put his hands around the his fat neck, and squeezed as hard as he could. Probably not entirely appropriate for a Jedi Padawan who was soon to be Knighted, but quite understandable, Anakin thought, considering the circumstances.
"It's time to leave," said Palpatine, smiling slightly. Resisting the urge to breathe a heart-felt, "Oh, thank the Force," Anakin stood, waiting impatiently for the dais to lower itself to the ground.
When he arrived back at his rooms, the holo-projector on the table was beeping. Anakin switched it on, to find Windu waiting for him.
"Yes, Master?" he asked. His Master's face was stern.
"Anakin, is the Chancellor anywhere near you?"
Immediately confused, Anakin replied, "No, he's in his study. Why?"
"He couldn't possibly hear you?"
"No, he couldn't. What's this all about?"
Windu sighed. "You know what the Senate has been talking about." He looked at his Padawan expectantly, waiting for some kind of confirmation. When there was none, he looked heavenward, as though asking for patience. "Anakin, you have been sitting in on Senate meetings for four days straight. Please, please tell me that at least a tiny bit of what you heard soaked into your brain."
Anakin winced, because of course none of it had. However, he had no intention of telling his Master how he spent the hours in the Senate Chamber, so he had to content himself with the explanation of, "Well…it's really not very interesting…"
Windu looked to the skies once more, then continued. "The Senate, Anakin, has been deliberating whether to give over authority of the Jedi Order itself to the Chancellor."
Anakin gaped. "No, they haven't!" he managed, shocked. "They were talking about—about Grievous being on Utapau and not Muunilist."
"Partly, yes, that is true," Windu conceded. "However, Palpatine insists that it was because he did not have control of the Jedi's actions in this matter that he was mistaken about Grievous's whereabouts."
Anakin was silent. Could that possibly be true? Politicians were rarely grounded in truth when attempting to achieve their own ends, but surely Palpatine was above such petty lies.
"I don't understand why you're telling me this," he said finally. "You want me to talk to the Chancellor?"
"No, Anakin," Windu said. "In order to stay ahead of this new development, and to combat it, the Council needs to know what Palpatine is planning." He looked down, as though reluctant to speak. "We need you to report back to us on all his dealings."
It was a moment before Anakin could take this. "You—you want me to spy on the Chancellor?" he repeated, stunned. "That's treason!"
"We are at war, Anakin," Windu reminded him solemnly
"Yes, but not with him!" Anakin's voice was louder than he had meant. He looked up quickly, but thankfully sensed no one nearby. He turned back to the holo-projector. "The Chancellor is not a bad man, Master," he said, his voice lowered but no less aggravated. "He befriended me, he's watched over me ever since I arrived here."
"That is why you must help us in this matter," said Windu. "Anakin, our allegiance is to the Senate, and not to its leader, who has managed to stay in office long after his term has expired."
"The Senate demanded that he stay longer," Anakin said stiffly.
"Yes, but use your feelings," Windu pressed. "Something is out of place!"
Anakin shook his head, feeling lost and bewildered. In an instant, it was as though his world had been turned upside-down. "You are asking me to do something against the Jedi Code," he said sharply, "against the Republic, against a friend and a mentor—that's what out of place here. I won't—I can't do it."
"You must," Windu said sternly. "This information is invaluable to us." Anakin said nothing. "Do I have your word that you will do as you are told?"
There was a long, sullen silence. "Yes," Anakin said finally, obviously unwilling. Without another word, he switched the projector off, too upset to look at his Master any longer.
This disturbed him more than anything else that had taken place since the infamous Clone Wars had begun. Friends would turn into enemies, he had known from the beginning; those that you trusted would turn on you, and idealisms were shaken down to their core. War was always disillusioning, and Anakin had thought he had borne all that it could have thrown at him. But to be ordered to spy on the man who had helped him along since childhood, by the man who had taken Anakin under his wing in his time of deepest need, was awful to imagine.
Anakin went to the only place of comfort in this desolate building, which was the Chancellor's study. Palpatine was studying a holographic rendition of what appeared to be a battlefield, his back turned to the room again as he concentrated. Anakin had no idea what excuse he could make for coming in here, but just being near the Chancellor helped to console him, even though he knew that, unwilling messenger though he was, those battle plans would most likely end up before the Jedi Council before long. He had thought his entry noiseless, but after a moment, Palpatine spoke.
"Ah, Anakin, your timing is impeccable," he said. "I was just about to send for you."
"Can I help you with something, Chancellor?" Anakin questioned.
"Yes, as a matter of fact," said Palpatine, moving his chair so Anakin could see it. It had changed, from a map of sorts to a list of clone battalions and where they were stationed, scanning downward so fast that it was near impossible to read. "You would certainly know this better than I. Which battalion have you found to be the most useful?"
Anakin, not expecting this, had to think. "My Master and I worked with Alpha Seven for a month. They were very helpful to us." A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "We were with them so long that we got tired of calling them numbers, so we gave them names instead. I think we called their commander 'Cody'."
Palpatine chuckled at the anecdote, then entered something into his computer. It beeped in acceptance, and the hologram shut down. Then suddenly his manner grew serious.
"Anakin, there is also something I must speak to you about," he said. "Something of a much graver nature."
"What is it?" Anakin asked, concerned.
With a sigh, Palpatine gestured for Anakin to sit in the chair opposite the desk. Anakin did so.
"You spoke to the Council just now, did you not?" he asked. Anakin was immediately on his guard, afraid of saying anything incriminating.
"Yes…sort of," he said, fully aware of how lame he sounded.
"What did they have to say to you this time?"
The Jedi shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Nothing important." Did Palpatine already know? But the Chancellor did not seem angry. On the contrary, he appeared almost worried.
"Anakin," he murmured solemnly, "you know I'm not able to rely on the Jedi Council. You are the closest to me of all of them; if the Council has not included you in their plot, they soon will."
Perplexed, Anakin's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure I—I understand."
"You must sense what I have come to suspect," Palpatine said. "The Jedi Council wants control of the Republic. They're planning to betray me."
The words were spoken calmly—too calmly. As though a cloud had passed over the sun, the room which had been full of light only seconds ago seemed now to be cold and dark, eerie shadows dancing on its walls. Anakin felt a chill run down his spine.
"I don't think—" he began doubtfully.
"Anakin," said the Chancellor, as though it was a reprimand. "Search your feelings. You know…don't you?"
Anakin didn't know where to look. The intensity in Palpatine's eyes frightened him—he felt that it was impossible to lie under their steady gaze.
"I know they don't trust you," he conceded cautiously.
"Or the Senate," Palpatine said grimly. "Or the Republic, or democracy, for that matter.
Anakin wanted to rise boldly to the defense of his beloved Order, but he couldn't help thinking of his assignment so recently given. Almost without meaning to, the words slipped out. "I have to admit, my trust in them has been shaken."
"Why?"
Anakin kept silent, but that was useless. Every thought that passed through his head, Palpatine seemed to know. It was true; there was no one alive who knew Anakin as well as this man.
"They asked you to do something that made you feel dishonest, didn't they?"
Palpatine's voice was gentle, understanding in a way that made Anakin feel transparent. Only the utmost concentration of willpower held down the confession that begged to be set free, but it didn't matter anyway, because Palpatine said, "They asked you spy on me, didn't they?"
Miserably ashamed, Anakin looked down at the ground. The question needed no confirmation; they both knew it was true.
"I don't know what to say," he mumbled. He had been caught; what would the Chancellor think of him now? But Palpatine apparently considered the Council to blame, rather than Anakin himself, and Anakin could only be grateful for that.
"Remember back to your early teachings," Palpatine instructed him significantly. "All who gain power are afraid to lose it—even the Jedi."
"The Jedi use their power for good."
"Good is a point of view, Anakin. The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest for greater power."
It was frightening, how much of what Palpatine said seemed to make sense. Anakin struggled to find something to argue with, but even to speak seemed an effort. At last, he managed to say, "The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inwards, only about themselves."
The look Palpatine gave him made Anakin want to shudder. "And the Jedi don't?"
"The Jedi are selfless," Anakin said, taking a breath, but he was drawing on a waning strength. "They only care about others."
"Yes," Palpatine said softly, knowingly. "You of all people, Anakin, would understand that."
The conversation seemed no safer, but Anakin's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"One does not have to be Force-sensitive to discern the pain that you are feeling. You have buried it, but I can feel it still. The pain for Obi-Wan Kenobi perpetuates your existence."
Anakin wished he had not said the name. "Master Kenobi and I were very close," he admitted, unwilling to go further into the matter.
"Tell the truth, Anakin," Palpatine prodded gently. "You miss him…do you not?"
The kindness in the Chancellor's voice broke down every wall Anakin had. Almost choking suddenly, he whispered, "I miss him more than anything."
"So what would you say if I told you that, had the Jedi Council not neglected an enormous part of your training—you would have known the way to save him?"
"There is no way," Anakin answered automatically. Palpatine nodded; the expression on his face was one Anakin had never seen before. He would have said the Chancellor looked smug.
"Yes, that is what they would have you believe. But then, you have never heard the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise."
Anakin was immediately cautious, recognizing the title. "No," he replied.
"It's certainly not a story the Jedi would tell you," Palpatine said. "It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful, and so wise, that he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create…life."
Against his own better judgment, Anakin found himself listening intently, intrigued.
"He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side," Palpatine continued, his voice warm, almost as though he were reminiscing about an old friend. "He could ever keep the ones he cared about from dying."
Anakin swallowed hard. If I could have—
"He could actually—save people from death?" he heard himself ask.
"The Dark Side of the Force," Palpatine said, in a voice that dripped with disdain, "is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural." Looking at Anakin with pity in his gaze, he said softly, "No one with such potential as yours has ever attempted it, and many who are less than you have failed. But if the Lord Plagueis could create life, who is to say that you could not do so as well?"
His heartbeat was quickening. "What do you mean?"
Palpatine stood, and walked around the desk to look into Anakin's eyes as the Padawan rose. "I would not know for certain, Anakin, nor would I presume to tell you that I do." His voice was gaining in fervor. "But it is my belief that, if taught properly, you could do more than even Darth Plagueis—you could bring those you loved back from the dead—"
Abruptly, Anakin held up a hand to stop him. He was shaking, unspeakable emotions pulsing through him and empowering him. It is the Dark Side, he told himself furiously, turning his back on Palpatine—but for Obi-Wan—!
Not a sound came from the room around them, and Palpatine never once spoke. His next words came after a long, long silence, and then they came quietly, almost reluctantly.
"Is it possible for me to learn this power?"
Anakin knew, without seeing, that Palpatine was smiling.
"Not from a Jedi."
He turned, to see that his guess was correct. The Chancellor put a strong hand on his right shoulder, guiding him up the steps. "But Anakin, they are not the only ones who understand the uses of the Force. Let me show you its subtleties."
"How do you know the ways of the Force?"
"My mentor taught me everything about the Force," answered Palpatine, with a raised eyebrow. "Even the nature of the Dark Side."
Anakin stepped a few paces ahead of the Chancellor, turning to face him and blocking his way. "You know the Dark Side?" he asked, disbelieving.
"If one is to understand the great mystery, Anakin, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace…a larger view of the Force."
With slow, wary steps, Anakin circled around Palpatine, and the Chancellor followed suit. Their eyes were locked, a battle of wills in which Anakin had no idea what he was fighting for.
"Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin," Palpatine warned; his voice was growing lower, deeper, stronger. "Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi, or any Sith. Learn to know the Dark Side of the Force, and you will be able to conquer death!"
But Anakin had heard, in those last few words, an undertone of a voice that he recognized. "What did you say?" he asked dangerously.
"Use my knowledge, I beg of you," Palpatine said, almost pleading. Yes, there was no mistaking it!
It was the toad.
In an instant, the blade of Anakin's lightsaber was at Palpatine's throat. His hand was steady now.
"It's you," he heard a voice say, and realized with almost a shock that it was his own. His voice, saying these things to the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic? But Anakin knew, with a knowledge borne of the Force itself, that he was right. His hand was steady now. "You're the one the Jedi are searching for. You're the Sith Lord."