Note 1: Star Wars and its affiliates do not belong to me, only the contents of this Verse.
Note 2: Thank you to my betas authorwithissues, Young at Heart21, and Maddie Rose.
Chosen: Restoration
Chapter 21: Help
By WrittinInStone
Anakin sighed as he closed the book, a puff of dust shooting into his face as he did so. Piles of ancient documents were stacked one on top of the other on the wooden table in front of him, being so tall that it almost blocked him from view. Looking at his work area, one would think that he had gotten a lot done, that he had found what he was looking for.
He hadn't.
Every data file, every document was just another dead end and had only served to drain his low reserve of energy.
He couldn't say he was surprised anymore; with him and his companion's latest luck with researching, he had—probably wrongly so—gone into the Senatorial Archives without any expectations. It had proven wise when it became clear, only an hour after arriving, that nothing in the Archives would be of any use.
This whole place is useless, he thought unkindly, glaring at the denizens milling around. Just like the politicians who work here.
Pushing away from the table, he stood and made his way to the entrance. There was really no reason to linger. The Senatorial Archives consisted mainly of data pertaining to law and policy; there was little to nothing regarding current conflicts and skirmishes in the Galaxy. All such files were handled by an entirely different branch of government.
Why doesn't it shock me that politicians have no idea what the people experience on a regular basis? Anakin thought, shaking his head. Politicians are so disconnected from the real galaxy that I wonder if they realize that it's actually people, and not their little social contacts, that allow them to be in their positions.
It was absurd. This was why the galaxy needed a different system of government. Democracy simply did not work. The rich became richer and the poor, poorer, while the politicians ignored the needs of the people and the common being was forgotten.
It wasn't that he hated the Republic; he didn't. There simply needed to be a system in which one person could take quick, decisive action instead of one wherein 2,000 people—all with different interests and from different places—met in one arena to engage in a galactic death match to see who could most effectively push their own self-serving agendas through.
It's not working, he thought, watching the passing senators loiter and laugh as though they had not a care in the world. How many of these politicians truly care about the people? How many of them really listen to the cries of those who are suffering?
He shook his head, forcing the thoughts away as they only served to infuriate him. The Republic had been this way for a long time. The idealistic musings of one Jedi would not change the permanently entrenched corruption that seemed to be its stronghold.
But perhaps, he thought with a small smile as he passed the circulation desk, one idealistic senator can.
If anyone could change the galaxy for the better, it was Padmé with her courage and her irrepressible, uncompromising sense of justice. He believed, with all of his heart, that his wife could transform the senate, no—whole universe if she so chose. The strength of her conviction made even the weak strong. It made him strong.
He smiled at the thought of his wife. It was truly amazing that someone so small could be so incredibly effectual.
He was nearly out of the Archives when a voice called his name, pulling him out of his musing. "Anakin Skywalker! I didn't know you were back on Coruscant!"
Turning to face the speaker, he had to consciously keep refrain from showing emotion upon seeing who stood before him.
"Chancellor Palpatine," he responded smoothly, pasting a smile on his face. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Fancy indeed." The older man beamed at him, his features fixed into a warm smile of welcome. "I was coming here to review some law on interplanetary trade routes and I run into you! That's quite a coincidence."
Yes, Anakin thought grimly, subconsciously shielding his mind. A bit too much of a coincidence.
"When did you get back to Coruscant, my boy?" Palpatine asked kindly, his eyes intent on the young Jedi.
"A few days ago," Anakin answered noncommittally, refraining from elaborating the point. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Padmé and Obi-Wan's concerns about the Chancellor were well founded. As such, it was best not to divulge more information than was necessary.
"Did you discover any information about your illness?" Palpatine pressed.
"Not quite, sir. No."
"Well, if you need any help, I would be happy to provide assistance," the Chancellor offered casually, a thin smile stretching his features.
"Thank you, sir," Anakin answered, returning what he hoped was a sincere smile. "But that won't be necessary."
"Very well," Palpatine nodded, intense blue eyes never wavering from Anakin's face. "I hope everything goes well."
"Thank you, sir," the Knight responded again. "Your concern is much appreciated."
"Anakin?" the Chancellor called as the younger man turned to leave. "This might be terribly forward of me, but perhaps you could help me with this problem I'm having with galactic trade policy?"
Anakin forced himself not to look at his chrono. Padmé would be arriving in only a couple hours and he had wanted to be there to meet her. And although Palpatine had phrased it as a request, it was anything but. One did not refuse the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.
"Yes, sir," he answered with a slight nod. "It would be my honor."
Palpatine beamed again and, indicating that Anakin should follow with a nod of the head, turned away from the entrance and began to walk to a portion of the Archives that Anakin knew experienced little traffic.
Why do I feel as though I'm following a krayt dragon into its den? Anakin thought grimly as he followed the older man. I do not have a good feeling about this.
He squared his shoulders slightly and continued to follow a man he didn't trust to a secluded area of a very large building.
Great.
#*#*#*#*#
Anakin clutched the controls of his speeder tightly as he weaved in and out of the heavily congested midday traffic.
He clenched his teeth as he replayed everything that had happened over and over again in his out a deep breath, he tried to pull the Force to him, but failed. He was simply too upset to concentrate.
I should have done something differently, anything differently, he thought, pursing his lips. I should have known that he would pull something like that.
But he couldn't have and thinking otherwise was folly. Yet knowing that did not dispel Anakin's belief that he should have found some way to avoid the situation.
It had not taken long for Palpatine to spring his trap after leading Anakin to an isolated table, and it had taken even less time for the Jedi Knight to fall for it.
"Come, Anakin," Palpatine had said, blinking dramatically as he passed Anakin a holotablet. "If you would read for an old man. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be."
Nodding slightly, the Jedi Knight had leaned over to read the passage aloud:
According to the Intergalactic Fair Trade Act, the regulation of trade between systems is officiated by the Galactic Senate to ensure that favoritism and deference are moot and groundless.
Free trade and commerce, being the right of all the Republic's citizens, is thereby regulated by representatives from all systems. Due to the possible social detriment of misused resources and capitalized greed, several key factors will be provided by the government to ensure that all of its citizens have access to the goods and services provided in the galaxy, to the benefit of all:
Anakin had to bite back a sigh at the list that followed. It was long.
Deciding specific route perimeters and parameters, the creation and maintenance of facilities to ensure peaceful negation, a neutral and peaceful market in which to buy and sell goods, neutral territory in which hostile systems can conduct business without fear of attack…
It went on and on.
Anakin gritted his teeth as his anger began to build. He could be waiting for his wife at this very moment, but instead, he was here, reading about galactic trading regulation! At that moment, he would have liked nothing more than to put his lightsaber through the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic for coercing him into doing this.
Blinking, Anakin forced himself to focus on what he was reading. Apparently, he had finished reading the measures provided for by the Galaxy and was into a section that addressed security.
Bodies and entities threatening the sanctity of the entity will face the appropriate punishment. Several such organizations have been identified and are being tracked as dissenters. The data is updated regularly and has been recorded as follows:
Name of Organization
Leader(s)/Known Operant
Location
.
Aquaris Freeholders
Leader(s): Kraaken
Location: Aquaris
.
Black Sun
Leader(s): Dahl Perhi
Location: Ord Mantell
.
BloodScars
Leader(s): "The Commodore"
Location: Gepparin
.
Cavrilhu Pirates
Leader(s): Captain Zothip; Control
Location: Amorris system; Kauron System base
.
Chorran Shipjacker
Leader(s)/Operant: Unknown
Location: Inner Rim Territories
*Suspected destroyed
.
Des'Maric Pirates
Leader(s): Miktiss
Location: Kathol Sector
.
The Exchange
Known Operant: Davik Kang
Location: Taris
.
Anakin had nearly choked himself when he read the line.
The Exchange.
Davik Kang.
Taris.
He had looked at the tablet stupidly for a moment before continuing to read on sheer willpower alone. But that was until Palpatine rose from his chair and gently grabbed the tablet out of his hands.
"Thank you for helping me, my boy. I trust you've learned something from this?" the Chancellor had asked softly, pointedly, staring into the younger man's eyes with intensity. "Not everything is as it seems and you never know what you'll find in the oddest places."
The Knight had nodded, attempting to find his voice. "Yes, sir. It was quite informative, sir." Anakin had winced inwardly at his formality, but found that he could not help it.
He had just been skillfully and masterfully outmaneuvered.
"Thank you, my lord, but I really must be going," Anakin had said, bowing to Palpatine hoping that the unease he was feeling wasn't screaming like he felt it was. "I hope you find what you're looking for in here."
The older man's eyes had gleamed, and for a moment, Anakin thought he had seen a sickly yellow tinge there. "No, Anakin," he had answered slyly, "I hope you find what you're looking for."
Afterwards, Anakin could not remember how he had come to be outside of the Senatorial Archives or how he came to be in his speeder, hurtling toward 500 Republica.
How am I supposed to feel about this? He thought in nearly unbearable frustration. I got the information, but from a man who had indebted me to him, a man who is clearly quite dangerous. But now we know how to find the Exchange. Now, we might find out something significant about my mother.
This information was priceless. It could lead him to a cure for his illness meaning that Anakin would literally owe Palpatine his life. The thought was insidious—just like the illness attacking his body—and sent shards of ice spiraling through his body, for that was probably exactly what the Chancellor had intended.
Anakin's heart lightened slightly as 500 Republica came into view. Padmé was there; he could feel her presence. Being near her would make things okay, if only for the moment.
Grounding the speeder, Anakin released another deep breath, allowing his head to fall against the headrest with a thump. He stared unseeingly at the roof of the hangar, mind whirling.
Palpatine must have been there for the sole purpose of giving Anakin the information he needed on the Exchange Pirates. But how had the man figured out that he would be there at that time? How had he known that he would even be on Coruscant? The thought sent chills down Anakin's spine. He was supposed to be in quarantine, safely away from the public. So how had Palpatine known? Was he being watched?
But who could have spied on us? He thought frowning. There was only myself, Padmé, Obi-Wan, the droids and… the clones. Anakin paused as he felt a stirring in the Force. It was the clones; it had to be the clones, there was no other way the Chancellor could know that much about them. But how? How was he controlling them?
Sighing, he closed his eyes. However he was doing it, it was a problem. If Palpatine was indeed using the Clones to spy, that meant they couldn't be trusted. They could not be allowed to come with them to Taris.
Finally, he wearily exited the speeder. Padmé was home and he could sense Obi-Wan's presence there as well. He had much to tell them; he only wished it was better news.
#*#*#*#*#
"So, Palpatine is controlling the clones on the ship?" Padmé inquired softly, frowning. "That's a problem."
"It is," Obi-Wan concurred grimly. "A huge one. How do we get rid of the clones without alerting him? Without him being suspicious?"
Leaning back into the chair, Anakin pulled Padmé close as they all pondered the question.
After arriving at the suite and greeting his wife, he sat down with the two of them to discuss everything that they had found.
Obi-Wan's news had been… astounding and Anakin had immediately wanted to go and explore the ship, being waylaid only by his exasperated wife.
Anakin's news had been less well received and only served to cement his wife and master's opinion of the Chancellor.
"Allow them to come with us to Taris," Padmé spoke up suddenly.
Anakin frowned. "Allow them to come with us?"
"Yes," she confirmed, nodding. "He already knows that we're going there. We simply need to make sure that the clones don't follow us when we leave the ship. After Taris, we can lose the clones and use the diminutive size of the real ship as a reason to keep them off."
"That's brilliant, Padmé," Obi-Wan said, rubbing his chin. "It'll throw Palpatine off the scent."
"Let's hope so," she murmured. "After we get the information on Shmi, we should find the crystal."
"Let's not get too excited," Anakin cautioned, straightening in his seat. "We still don't know if this David Kang guy has any information on my mother. He may simply be the Exchange pirate the Republic has information on. If he is, we're back to square one on the issue of my mom's history."
"We can assume that, but I don't think we should," Padmé said thoughtfully. "Palpatine showed you this man's name on purpose. He wants us to find the cure, so, I can't help but think that finding this man is going to give us some real answers."
"That's a thought," Anakin admitted, sitting back in his seat. "It makes you wonder how Palpatine found this information, doesn't it?"
"He must have some less than savory sources," Obi-Wan replied, frowning. "This is not unusual for politicians, but to have contacts of that caliber is quite alarming for the Supreme Chancellor."
"It is," Padmé agreed. "But let's just hope that, at least this time, it'll help us. Now, what do we do about the crystal for the ship? The easiest way to lose Palpatine and the clones is when the ship takes us to the Yangau since they're probably in some unknown system that no one can get to. We could leave long before Palpatine has time to regroup and realize what's going on."
"That is if he doesn't already know about the ship's sentience and is planning accordingly," Anakin added, rubbing his face.
"If that's the case, then we'll just have to jump ship," Obi-Wan said softly, a hint of durasteel in his voice.
"Jump ship?" Padmé echoed. "Do you mean run away?"
"In essence," the Jedi Master confirmed, a frown on his face. "It's not my first choice of escape, but if that's what we have to do to lose the Chancellor, then so be it. He is dangerous and it's better to do that than to let him know what we're doing and where the Yangau are."
"That sounds like a good plan, Master," Anakin spoke, folding his arms. "We'll look for the crystal after Taris. We may be able to find information on some of the people who worked on the ship by looking through Twilight Rain's real files."
"Oh, no!" Padmé moaned only half mockingly. "Please, no more research!"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "I know," he said sympathetically. "If I don't see another data tablet for the next year, I think that'll be alright with me."
Anakin laughed softly. "I never thought I'd hear you say that, Obi-Wan."
"Yes, well, even I have my limits," the Jedi Master said ruefully, scratching his head. "I'm glad we have a plan, though. Tomorrow we meet with the Jedi Council, Anakin. We can discuss what we'll tell them in the morning."
"And while you guys are at the Temple, I'll do some research on Davik Kang to see if we can get a better idea on his location. Taris is a big planet," Padmé said, a slight smile on her lips. "After all, it's only fair that I do some research as well."
"Very well, milady," Obi-Wan said, grinning. "Good luck."
He turned to Anakin. "I'll meet you here at 0700 sharp. Don't be late." He gave his old Padawan a meaningful stare before exiting.
#*#*#*#*#
"I'm so sorry, Padmé. I am."
As Anakin held her close to him, she could feel the slight up and down movement of his chest. His breathing was ragged and she knew that after the fiasco with Palpatine, her arrival, and the news of the ship, he was completely worn.
The day had been much too eventful for him. She could tell by how still he was now, how he struggled to hide his exhaustion from her. She didn't mention it, although they both knew that she noticed it, but chose instead to allow him to move at his own pace. There was no harm in doing that, especially since she was here to watch him.
They have moved into the 'fresher after Obi-Wan had taken his leave, wasting no time in bathing and getting into bed.
Now, they simply lay in the dark and talked, holding one another as they discussed Padmé's time with her family.
"It's not your fault, Anakin," she said, snuggling into his arms. "We both agreed to this and despite what my father said, everyone will handle single motherhood by an unwed senator better than they'll handle a Jedi who is expecting children."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better, Padmé?" he asked after a long silence. "Because it doesn't. Your father is right. I should come clean and claim you and our children. I'm not ashamed—"
"Ani," she interrupted. Sitting up, Padmé clapped her hands, causing the light to flicker on and turned to her husband, pulling him up too.
"This isn't about you being ashamed of me or our babies," she said tenderly, cupping his face. "This is about us being able to give back to the galaxy. If we were to reveal ourselves, at the very least, you would be kicked out of the Jedi Order. You would have to leave Coruscant because you would never be able to find peace here and surely you know I would follow you. This is the only way. I have not come under any threats for my unwed state and I have not been chastised by the Queen. Everything is fine, okay? My relationship with my family is not over yet. So, don't worry. Any guilt you feel right now is not yours alone to bear. It's mine, too. Understand?"
He searched her face for a moment and simply shook his head, pulling her close to him once more, fitting her under his chin. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but it must have been something spectacular," he said softly, quiet humor in his voice.
"Indeed," she said cheekily, her eyes shining. "I'm quite the catch."
"That you are, milady," he said, a grin descending over his features. "That you are." His face softened as he gazed upon her, and her breath caught in her throat at the love she saw shining in the depth of his eyes. "I love you, Padmé. So very much. So very much."
"And I love you Anakin," she responded, her chocolate brown eyes serious with the weight, the absolute truth of her declaration. "More than anything."
He leaned close to her, touching their foreheads together. Inhaling deeply, he took in her scent, and as he did, it was almost as though he could taste her life, her very soul.
He didn't know how long they held the position until they fell asleep, only that, despite all that had occurred that day, he was at peace.
End of Chapter 21: If you are at all still interested in this story, please review.
Chapter 22: Preparation: The gang ties up loose ends before leaving for Taris.
***IMPORTANT***
Dear Reader:
I want to be honest with you guys: it had not crossed my mind to update this fic because the amount of reviews for my last update was abysmal. The only reason I did so at all is because my boyfriend begged me to.
If you guys like this story, if you want me to continue, please tell me so. Review for God's sake. There are other things I want to write, and this particular fic always takes an unbelievable amount of time and research to do. So, if interest is waning, I can let it go.
Thank you!
WrittinInStone
P.S. Part one of this trilogy is really close to being finished, we're only about… five chapters away (don't quote me on that)? And believe it or not, we haven't even really hit on the main plot of the trilogy, where it's going. You'll find that out at the end of Chosen: Restoration and it's going to be soo awesome… so I hope there are some people around who still want to know how everything is going to turn out… and who Shmi Skywalker, and thus Anakin Skywalker, really is!
**Updated January 12, 2012**