(10-30-15: Okay, so despite the normal edits, I actually added an entire scene to this really. I had someone point out that the entire issue with Padme was never resolved, so I had Luke and Anakin talk more about it in this chapter. So I kind of added a scene.)

Here's the next Chapter! I had a great time reading all of your reviews! I hope you like this chapter: Even I'm antsy for the next chapter! Don't forget to Review, and Enjoy!

"Luke, may I come in?"

Luke sighed at the sound of his father's voice. By now he had managed to regain his composure, but he was still rather shaken. Even though Luke gave him no response, Anakin quietly slipped inside of his room. Luke kept his eyes closed as his father sat beside him, having just come out of his meditational state and conversation with Qui-Gon. Anakin sighed. "Are you all right?"

"I am now," Luke said as evenly as he could manage. He'd just had a rather…interesting talk with Qui-Gon about what he should do now that Sidious knew Luke was taking steps to hinder the Sith's grand plan. Right now, Luke had to admit that Qui-Gon was right; it was probably best to lie low for a while until things calmed down once again. The last thing they needed was for Sidious to decide Luke was too much of a threat to be left alive any, and Luke wasn't too keen for the Sith Lord to start trying to kill him—again—yet. At that thought, Luke had to force himself not to subconsciously rub his throat.

Anakin sighed. "Palpatine said that you got really upset when he mentioned something about giving the Order more power—"

"He said nothing about giving more power to the Order," Luke scoffed, surprising himself his tone of voice. Silently he went to calming himself down again, and though Anakin raised an eyebrow at his tone, he didn't say anything about it.

"Well then if that wasn't the reason, then what was?" Anakin asked. Luke could tell by his tone of voice that Anakin was skeptical, doubtful of which story he should believe.

Luke sighed, running a hand through his hair before tiredly rubbing his eyes. "I-I…" he made a sound of frustration. He was going to have to get ahold of himself. "Anakin, please listen to me when I say don't trust Palpatine. I-I can't explain it right now, but you have to believe me; you can't trust him."

"Luke, I've grown tired of you telling me to do something without giving me any explanation of why, saying that you can't tell me. And now you're scared to death—don't lie, I can see it in your eyes—and still you can't tell me?" Anakin asked in an irritated tone of voice.

Luke sighed, standing up. "I know that there is a time for you to learn what I haven't revealed yet. Believe me, I want you to know, but there is a time and a place for it; I know there is."

Of course the extensive talk I just had with Qui-Gon is most of the reason why I know that with such certainty, Luke thought.

Anakin made an exasperated sound and his tone shifted to anger. "Yes, but when, Luke? I can tell you need help, and it's obvious whatever you have to tell is important, yet you still won't say! Forget the Force, if it's so important then you need to tell someone!"

"Anakin," Luke said calmly, watching as Anakin paced a rut in the floor.

Anakin blinked, and then managed to regain his composure. "I'm sorry, Luke, I shouldn't have snapped like that…I don't know what came over me…" he mumbled.

"It's fine, Anakin, I understand your frustration," Luke told him with a soft sigh. "However, I will be fine until that time comes, I can assure you of that."

"Will you be alright now? With…whatever happened?" Anakin pressed.

"Yes, just…no more meetings without asking me first, all right?"

Anakin gave a weak, short laugh. "Deal. Now come on, I believe Padmé is making dinner for us."

Luke was pleased to see that as they left Anakin was in deep thought. The only thing he let himself worry about for the rest of the night was which side was winning in the battle for Anakin's soul: Luke or Sidious?

A few days passed, and just as Qui-Gon told him too, Luke did his best to stay off of Sidious' radar, though he didn't know how successful he was. Anakin started coming back from his meetings with Sidious in progressively grouchier moods, and every time Luke would have his work cut out for him to lighten Anakin's mood and reverse Sidious' attempts to twist Anakin into Vader. Obi-Wan had joined Luke's cause to help Anakin, though Anakin hadn't been as open and receiving to his once-master's attempts at first as he had been to Luke's attempts. However, Luke was noticing that Anakin was gradually warming up to Obi-Wan as well as opening up to the older Jedi. When Luke and Obi-Wan talked, Obi-Wan seemed very happy about the fact he was drawing close to his former Padawan again, stating how he had been missing the relationship Obi-Wan and Anakin had once shared. It had obviously weakened recently and to have it strengthened again raised both of their spirits.

Yet somehow Sidious kept getting under Anakin's skin, much to Luke's frustration.

Luke and Obi-Wan talked to great lengths about the future Empire and Anakin's role as Darth Vader, though Luke was careful to keep Sidious' identity a secret. Luckily, the two could still make plans without Luke giving away the identity of the Sith. He frequently gave Obi-Wan advice and tips for Obi-Wan to leak to the Council in the hopes that he could help fortify the Jedi for what was to come if they failed for some unexpected reason. Soon, the Council was making small adjustments, strengthening security and making sure there was an emergency connection they could use to contact as many Jedi as needed should something truly terrible happen, among other things. They weren't changes that went unnoticed in the Temple, and the other Jedi soon grew cautious, possibly sensing the preparation for something big on the horizon. Their caution, however, provided Luke with some peace of mind; perhaps the Order wouldn't be so caught off guard if the worst did happen and more souls would survive. Luke was still edgy, however, since one of only two people who knew who he truly was that he could turn to for guidance was on another planet in another part of the galaxy. Yoda had left for the planet Kashyyyk to help the Wookiees, so Luke clung to Obi-Wan when he needed someone to openly talk to.

Still, that wasn't his top priority at the moment.

For quite some time Luke had remained tense and alert, watching his every step and action, senses on high alert no matter where he went. Sidious' threat had stayed in his mind, and Luke had been careful not to openly cross the Sith again. He'd worded what he said to his father much more carefully as well, though he refused to halt his attempts to combat Sidious' influence even momentarily; he'd simply taken greater care to make his attempts subtle. After nearly three weeks of nothing from the Sith, Luke had allowed himself to relax from his paranoid fear of Sidious' retaliation, and just in time it seemed, for Anakin's mood was souring at an alarming rate after his recent meetings with Sidious. Thankfully, Anakin had started to pick up on more and more of Sidious' darker tendencies, so Luke didn't have to work as hard as he suspected he would have had if Anakin had still been blind to said tendencies.

Now, as Luke stood with Anakin in their Jedi Temple apartment, Luke felt powerfully impressed by the Force to do everything in his power to keep Anakin from answering Sidious' summon to the Opera House. It seemed the Force had even been willing to help him out in the task this time, seeing as Luke had been the only one in the apartment when the message had come through. He was the only one who knew Sidious desired to meet with Anakin, and he wasn't about to share that information.

Anakin, meanwhile, was pacing, having sensed a ripple in the Force that disturbed him. Luke was secretly proud in how much progress his father had made in learning to trust the Force, though right now Luke found Anakin to be a little too antsy. Luke himself was sure that if Sidious didn't hear anything from Anakin soon, he would send someone to personally fetch his father, which Luke wasn't going to let happen. So, Luke was trying to think of a way to coax his father elsewhere.

Finally, Luke spoke up, having watched his father pace the small living room space for the past few minutes. "You look like you need to get some energy out of your system."

Anakin chuckled, finally halting in his agitated movements. "I can't help it; I can feel that something important is today and I don't want to leave the apartment, just in case I miss something as soon as I do."

Luke smiled wanly at him. It would probably be better if you did miss that little event today. "Come on, Anakin, let's get some fresh air. I'm sure you need it. We can go to one of those underground pod races you've told me about."

Anakin pondered it for a moment. "Tempting…but maybe…"

"Anakin, you need a break. Between training me, all those long hours at the Senate Building, and worrying over Padmé, it's about time you got some much needed relaxation in," Luke persuaded him.

"Uhg, Padmé..." Anakin groaned, falling onto the couch and running his hands through his hair. "Luke, what am I going to do if my dream really does come true? I already tried asking Yoda for help but he told me just to let her go, and I can't just sit back and watch her die. I don't know what to do..."

Luke took the seat beside his father, a frown gracing his lips. "Anakin, have you noticed that the more you focus on this dream and the more you stress over it, it comes at a greater frequency and clarity?" When he realized he had his father's attention, Luke pressed on. "Maybe your fears and pursing a way to avoid your dream is what's making it become a possible reality."

Anakin blinked at him, obviously surprised. "I...I hadn't thought of that. But then why would I dream about it in the first place?"

Luke shrugged. "Maybe to warn you of making your fears a reality in the first place. You were worried about her pregnancy already, remember? So maybe just try...not focusing on it, not worrying about the dream, and believing—truly believing—that she will be fine. If the dream loses some of its potency, then we can say I'm on the right track and maybe over time the dreams will fade. If not, then I'm sure we can find the best care on Coruscant for her and she will be fine."

Anakin studied Luke closely for a moment, weighing his words before he let out a long sigh. "Okay, I'll try it, but if it doesn't go away then I'm allowed to worry."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Luke assured him. "But for now, I really do think you need that break."

Finally, Anakin relented, shaking his head and standing back up. "All right…I think there's a promising race in one of my favorite spots today…"

"Then that's where we'll go," Luke told him with an encouraging smile. Eagerly, Luke ushered Anakin out of the room and into the busy streets of the city, with Anakin leading them to the place he had mentioned in the lower levels of Coruscant. He somehow managed to get some of the best seats for the two of them. Luke was duly curious as to how Anakin had gotten those seats, but then again, it was his father; perhaps it was better not to know.

Father and son eagerly took their seats in the stands, and Luke suddenly found himself being coached by his father on the odds and ends of pod-racing. He definitely had some interesting stories to tell, and knew quite a lot about the sport. In fact, when the race finally started up, Anakin was explaining to Luke what the racers were doing wrong, how they could improve their racing and pods, and who he guessed would win the race if the race wasn't in fact fixed. Luke found it just as memorable as when they had gone flying, and happily listened to his father more then he watched the race.

Unfortunately, near the end of the race, Luke heard Anakin's comm link go off. Luke gave his father a dirty look. "You were supposed to leave that at the Temple," he scolded Anakin lightly. Anakin laughed.

"Yes, but I decided I should probably bring it with me anyway so we can be reached in case there's an emergency."

He had a point, but still. "Who is it?"

Anakin checked the little device. "The chancellor."

Luke had to hide his blanch. Of course, leave it to Sidious to cut the much needed relaxation time short. "What does he want?"

"He wants me to meet him again. He said he sent a message earlier but it apparently didn't come through. Apparently he has information for the Council. I should go; if it's about the war it needs to be addressed immediately. Sorry, Luke," Anakin said with a slight frown as he stood up. Several of the people around and behind them grumbled as their view of the race was cut off.

"I'll come with you," Luke said quickly, standing up just as fast as he'd spoken.

Anakin seemed startled. "Are you sure?"

No, being stuck with Sidious in that room again is the last thing I want, Luke thought. However, he felt like the Force wanted him there, and if it would help his father then Luke didn't care about the danger. "Yes, I'm sure. You're my ride anyway, remember?"

Anakin chuckled. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Come on, we better hurry; he's been waiting far longer than he should."

Luke stayed at Anakin's heels as the two left the pod race behind and swiftly made their way over to the Senate Building. The closer they got to Sidious' office, the more nervous Luke became. He hadn't stepped foot in this place since his meeting with Sidious, and he had intended on not coming back. At least this time he wasn't alone; this time, he was with his father.

Luke let Anakin lead the way, staying just behind him as the two of them came entered Sidious' office. Sidious turned when he saw them, and smiled warmly when his gaze landed on Anakin. Luke wasn't fooled; he could see the cold, predatory look in the twisted man's eyes, and it took all of his willpower not to react in some sort of negative way.

"Anakin; I was wondering if you'd gotten any of my messages," the Sith said with false cheeriness. The Sith's smile faltered, and Luke even saw a flash of anger dash through the elderly man's eyes as Sidious' gaze fell on Luke. "And Luke, as well. I must say this is a surprise."

Anakin nodded. "Luke and I were out when I got your message. I figured it wouldn't harm anything to bring him here."

"Yes…indeed," Sidious said, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly at Luke before the Sith slipped his pleasant mask back on. "I wanted to tell you, Anakin, that my informants have reason to believe that General Grievous is hiding in the Utapau system."

"That's wonderful news!" Anakin said, brightening almost instantly. "With his capture we can finally end this Force-forsaken war!"

Sidious nodded slowly. "Yes, indeed. I had hopes that they would send you to capture him, seeing as you are the most obvious choice for the job."

Luke's eyes narrowed. He didn't need to be a genius to tell that the Sith was laying the flattery on rather thick. What was Sidious playing at?

Anakin sighed. "I hope so…"

Sidious smiled at Anakin. "Yes, the Council has already shown some incompetence since they wouldn't promote you; hopefully they will not make another mistake, especially on such a serious matter."

Anakin shifted uncomfortably, probably hearing the undercurrent in Sidious' voice that he hadn't been so oblivious to recently. Luke chose that moment to speak up.

"I'm sure the Council will do what they think is best for the current situation. If Anakin's needed elsewhere, then I'm sure they'll send the next most capable Jedi," Luke said. Sidious shot him a dark look that caused a shiver of danger to run down Luke's spine, but he ignored it. "After all, Chancellor, he's already tasked with protecting you; a rather serious matter as of late, especially after that successful kidnapping a while ago."

"Luke has a point, Chancellor," Anakin told SIdious softly.

Sidious forced another smile. "Of course. Now, I believe you will want to get this information to the Council as soon as possible. I will have to talk to you more later, Anakin; I have some…other business that I need to attend to."

Anakin nodded and then bowed before he quickly left the room. Luke was right behind Anakin before he heard an all too familiar, menacing voice.

"And Luke?" the Sith called dangerously to him.

Luke only turned his head slightly in Sidious' direction in acknowledgement.

"You should have heeded my warning."

Yet again, Luke felt a chill of peril rush through him—much stronger this time—and he shivered at the Sith's low, treacherous tone. His breath caught in his throat as he felt the slightest pressure around his neck, but this time Luke promptly left, and as he approached Anakin the pressure disappeared even though the sense of danger remained.

Anakin gave him a concerned look. "Are you all right? You're pale…"

Luke slowly shook his head, resisting the urge to look back at the chancellor's office. "I have a really bad feeling…"

Once the two Jedi were gone, Darth Sidious let out a growl of irritation, feeling his anger boil within him. He was fed up with that foolish Luke child messing in his affairs; even after his warning, the boy had the audacity to continue delaying Sidious' plans for his new apprentice. No more. He had warned Luke; now the child would pay the consequences. Sidious would not let someone as insignificant as this youth overthrow his carefully orchestrated plans.

His blood still boiling, Sidious swiftly locked the doors to his office to be sure no pesky intruders would stumble across the call he needed to make. Sidious smirked in anticipation as he thought of the fate he would choose for this child; the boy would soon wish he was dead. He would be, but all in good time. Tonight, in fact, if Sidious was correct about the man he was about to call for this task.

Of course he was right; he was Darth Sidious.

The Hunter—for that was all he was known by—was quick to respond. "M-my Lord!" the man stuttered as he saw his caller was Darth Sidious. Sidious smirked in satisfaction at the man's fear, but wasted no time in getting to the point of his call.

"I have a very important target for you, Hunter; I will not accept failure of any sort from you."

"U-understood, My Lord."

Sidious nodded. "Good. There is a Jedi I need exposed of tonight, here on Coruscant. I've told you how to successfully kill these beings; it's time to prove that you are of worth to me."

The Hunter nodded vigorously. "Of course, My Lord. Will a poison dart suffice?"

"So long as it is slow acting and causes this target unmeasurable pain. I want his last moments to be spent in unbearable agony," the Sith Lord spat in a vicious tone dripping with venom.

The Hunter nodded once again. "Of course, My Lord. Who is the target?"

"As I said, a Jedi. He goes by the name of Luke, nothing more. I will send you an image of him shortly. He will most likely be located in 500 Republica tonight, staying in an apartment with Senator Amidala and another Jedi." Sidious paused while The Hunter took in the information. "If you kill the wrong Jedi, Hunter, I personally will see that you meet an even more painful end," he hissed.

Sidious was pleased with the fearful look that fell upon The Hunter's features. "Y-yes, M-my Lord. I-it's understood."

"I expect a clean kill: untraceable and done tonight. Do not fail me, Hunter, or it will be your last."

Without waiting for The Hunter's pathetic reply, Sidious ended the transmission, sitting back in his chair with a satisfied, smug smile.

He would relish tonight's events. In fact, he was sure he would be able to use what he had just set in motion to twist Anakin even further to the dark side; and this time there would be no one to interfere.

Smiling sickeningly, Sidious looked out over the city towards the apartment complex of 500 Republica.

I warned you, foolish Jedi. Now you shall pay the consequences.