Chapter 22

"I have a difficult time believing that it is Palpatine's intention to make the Senate completely obsolete," Mon Mothma said as she read over the datapad containing Palpatine's latest decry in his attempt to maintain control over the Senate.

"He doesn't need the Senate if his motion passes to have governors placed in every system," Padmé said. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. Things had gone from bad to worse in the few days she had been back in the Senate and she felt powerless in the face of it all.

"He is attempting to position himself to become a dictator and all of his lackeys are blindly following him," Bail said, standing up to begin pacing behind Padmé's desk. "We need to do something, anything really, to ensure that this motion does not come to pass."

"I do not like where this conversation is going," Fang Zar said, his eyes shifting from Bail to Padmé and back again.

"That's the point, none of us likes where anything is going," Bail said. "But we can't sit idly by and let a thousand years of diplomacy crumble on our watch, we can't let this happen without a fight."

"You're beginning to sound like a Separatist, Senator," Chi Eekway cautioned, speaking up for the first time since she had arrived for the meeting.

Bail's eye's flashed over to her, his shock at her words evident on his face. "That is the last thing I want to sound like. That was never my intent." He returned to his seat. "I called for this meeting because I wanted to speak with other level heads, others that could understand my frustration over this situation we find ourselves in. Mon Mothma and I have been discussing this for some time now and we are beginning to realize just how deeply Palpatine's corruption runs and how difficult it may be to fix everything that has happened in the last two years."

"We will do what we can to restore democracy to the Republic," Padmé said. "But it may take more time than any of us are expecting, we may even have to build up our own resistance to the Chancellor."

"That's quite enough talk of rebellion," Giddean Danu said. "We all saw how well that worked for Count Dooku and his movement against the Senate."

"This would not be a movement against the Senate," Bail said, "This would be a movement to restore the Republic to its rightful order. But we must keep this amongst ourselves. Even hinting at possible opposition to Palpatine could be very dangerous to our cause. Speak of what we discussed in this meeting to no one."

"Understood," each Senator said in time.

"Senators, Bail and I have some video footage we feel must be shown," Padmé said reluctantly. She was not eager to share their knowledge about Palpatine's true nature but Bail had received word from the Jedi that plans were being formed and they had agreed that now was the time to begin putting their own plan into action. Bail dimmed her office lights and she began the video.

The sound of her door slipping open drew her attention and she felt her heart plummet as Anakin entered her office. "Anakin, what are you doing here?" she asked, getting to her feet to greet her husband.

He seemed oblivious to her approaching him as he stared at the security footage playing out before him. At last he was able to tear his eyes away to meet worried her gaze, his expression darkening with betrayal as he realized what the video showed. "You knew," he whispered.

Padmé felt the entire weight of the galaxy on her shoulders at that moment and she feared there was little she could do to keep it from crashing down around her. She could appreciate now what Anakin was struggling with in his quest to ensure that he would be ready to face Palpatine when the time came, but his time spent deep in meditation and training with remotes would only get him so far. He needed the guidance of the Jedi now more than ever and perhaps the Senate did as well.

"Excuse us," she said to her collogues as they looked on with great interest. She took him by the arm and led him into the antechamber of her office, pushing him into a corner so they would not be seen by those passing by in the hall. "Anakin, please listen," she began.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to, I honestly did. After Bail brought it to me I wanted you to know but…"

"How did Organa come across this?"

"He was the one that discovered the footage," she explained. "He brought it to me and we took it to the Jedi Council."

"So they knew all along?"

"Master Yoda made us promise that we would not tell you until the time was right, until they thought you could handle the truth of the situation."

"They've been sitting on this information for months and they haven't done anything about it?"

"I'm just as frustrated by the way they've handled this entire situation as you are."

"No, I don't think you are," he said. "You didn't have your wife lying to you for months."

"I made a promise Anakin."

"You made a promise to be honest with me the day we bound our lives together."

"Would you have been ready to know the truth if I had told you all those months ago? You can barely handle the truth now."

She saw his fists clench at his side and she could practically feel the anger radiating off of him as he took a step closer to her. Anakin Skywalker cut an imposing figure even when he was in a good mood, something about his height and warrior build, but when he was truly angry he seemed to double in size. "I would have felt better knowing the truth," he hissed. "Now your lack of reaction makes sense. Now I know why you didn't seem all that surprised when I told you what he really is."

"Anakin…"

"It's so obvious now, Padmé, this is where your 'information' came from about another possible threat. You really are a terrible liar."

"I fooled you long enough didn't I?" she finally snapped back. She knew she shouldn't be goading him but he had hurt her and she felt the need to hurt him back.

"You lied to me!" he growled.

"You never asked me specifically if Palpatine was a Sith Lord. You discovered that information on your own. I did not lie to you. I kept my promise to your superiors that I would not be the one to tell you."

"But you knew that I have to kill him and you kept it from me when I could have been preparing to face him."

"You have this notion that the Jedi would never be able to defeat the Sith without you but they could. Obi-Wan defeated that one on Naboo and you need him in this fight with you."

"I'm not willing to risk Obi-Wan's life in this situation."

"But you're willing to risk your own life?"

"I have been for years. This is my destiny Padmé, this is who I have to be."

"Well I'm not willing to risk your life Anakin Skywalker. If your true destiny was to live according to the ways of the Jedi you would never have made the decision to marry me. I am part of your destiny now because I bound my life to yours. I have just as much of claim on your destiny as the Jedi do."

"You may be part of my destiny now but it has always been my path to follow the will of the Force and the Force has told me that that I have to be the one to do this," he said. "And you not telling me has limited the time that I can dedicate to preparing for this task."

"Don't you dare lay all the blame at my feet."

"You should have told me."

"Would you have believed me if I had?" He did not answer her and she continued, "You would never have believed anyone had they told you the truth before Ventress told you. Not Master Yoda, certainly not me… I doubt even Obi-Wan."

"But you should have tried to tell me."

"I'm sorry all right? I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I'm sorry that I listened to the request of Master Yoda over my own gut felling to warn you," she said, moving closer to him with her hands held up in as an offer for peace between them. "I'm sorry that I wanted to protect you."

"Not good enough," he hissed, marching passed her towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"The Temple."

"Anakin…"

"I need to prepare myself so that when the time comes I can destroy Palpatine and I can't do that when I'm distracted by you."

"Don't you dare walk away from me Anakin."

He froze mid stride and glanced over his shoulder at her. "I'm sorry," he whispered before he walked from her office, turning quickly down the hall in an effort to distance himself from her so that he could clear his mind.

And promptly bumped into Chancellor Palpatine himself.

"I'm sorry Chancellor, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," Anakin said, unable to meet the older man's eyes.

"No harm done my boy," Palpatine said warmly, placing a fatherly hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I was just coming to speak with Senator Amidala about something but her aid just informed me that she was occupied in a meeting."

"I wouldn't know anything about that."

"No? I just assumed you were here to visit her, after all you just came out of your wife's office."

"I… Wait. What?"

"I was coming to congratulate Senator Amidala on her marriage," Palpatine explained. "I was most pleased when I learned of your union."

Anakin was speechless and rooted to the spot where he was standing. A cold shiver of fear worked its way down his spine as the Chancellor's words sank in. "Um, thank you… Sir," he said weakly. "May I ask how you learned about our wedding?"

"Oh come now Anakin, no need for such formalities. We are after all old friends," Palpatine said. "And did you really believe that I would not have friends among the clergy on Naboo? An old friend told me that our beloved Senator's family had arranged for a private ceremony in the Lake Country and it was quite obvious to me that the two of you were the only logical choices seeing as you had both slipped away from the capital at the same time, and you wear matching marks on your left hands that was what gave it away."

"Of course," Anakin said. "I have to be somewhere else. I'll speak with you another time Chancellor."

Palpatine watched Anakin hurry away from him and felt something shift within the Force. For the first time in more years than he cared to recall he was truly afraid for his life. Anakin Skywalker knew what he was; he had seen the look in the boy's eyes and how he had avoided meeting his gaze. Where Anakin had once been eager to receive any compliments that Palpatine fed him the boy was now distant and professional. He could sense that it would only be a matter of time before the Jedi moved against him and he needed to begin to put his plan into action. The boy would be his or he would die.

All eyes were on Padmé as she entered her office again and instantly all discussion ceased. The video had ended and Bail had directed the conversation as they had planned, but they had not planned for the unexpected interruption of her husband. She was obviously flustered and upset and the group wisely chose not to mention it.

"I'm sorry about that," she said as she settled back into her seat behind her desk. "Anakin Skywalker is a close friend but his presence was rather unexpected."

"Do we know where the Jedi stand on all of this?" Mon Mothma asked.

"They are no happier about this situation than we are," Padmé said. "I am certain that they would aid us should it be needed."

"You seem remarkably well informed about Jedi business," Bana Breemu said.

Padmé felt herself blush but chose to not respond to the not so subtle accusation hidden within Bana's words. "We need to find a way to remove Palpatine from power."

"This is a very dangerous step we are taking," Mon Mothma said. "The last thing the Republic needs is the threat of another civil war."

"That is the last thing any of us want," Bail said. "Our people are peaceful and we would not have the resources to stand up against the army Palpatine has at his disposal."

"Then we need to find a peaceful solution to this," Padmé said.

"If we are to stand up against Palpatine we will need the backing of the Jedi," Giddean said. "We will need their moral authority because they have the trust of the people."

"The people have lost a level of faith in the Jedi," Bana said. "There are still those that believe Ventress was little more than an assassin hired by the Jedi to get rid of the Separatist council. They would hardly place blind faith in the hands of murders."

"But they would place their faith in a man that has abused his power and done everything he can to ensure that he remains in power despite admitting the conflict that granted him that power is over?" Padmé demanded.

"Senators, please," Bail said. "We do not need to bicker amongst ourselves."

"You're right," Padmé said.

"I apologize," Bana said, motioning for the conversation to continue.

Mace Windu sat across from Yoda in the Grand Master's private meditation chamber, his eyes intent as the ancient Jedi meditated on the slight disturbance they had both felt earlier in the day. At last Yoda's eyes opened.

"What is it?" Mace asked.

"Returned the Chosen One has," Yoda said. "Ready he is to fulfill his destiny."

"Then it is time."

"Preparations we will make. Aid him in this we must to ensure success."

"I will train with him myself."

"Dangerous that might be."

"Then we must trust that the Force will not let its Chosen One fall."