Thank you to the 12 people who reviewed the last chapter, you guys are the greatest. Here is the next chapter of the Labyrinth of Evil arc. I hope that you like it and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.

Chapter 50

The mechno chair was sickle-footed, humpbacked and incised with intricate designs. It sat in the launching bay of the seized fortress along with a heap of equally exquisite belongings left by the fleeing Neimoidians.

Obi-Wan examined it but it didn't look as though anything about it had changed at all. "I've seen this chair before," he commented.

"Where?" Anakin asked from where he was squatting alongside it.

"On Naboo shortly after Gunray and his entourage were taken into custody on Theed."

"I don't remember seeing it."

Obi-Wan smirked. "You were too excited about having blown up the Droid Control Ship to take much notice of anything," he said. "Besides, I only saw it briefly although I do remember the design of the holoprojector plate. I've never seen anything like it."

Anakin turned his attention to the holoprojector though he didn't touch it. An oval of ribbed alloy, it was equipped with a pair of dorsal sockets sized to accept data cells of some sort. "It is unusual. You know, Master, these cells could contain valuable messages in storage."

"Indeed they could," Obi-Wan agreed. "Intelligence can figure that out when they arrive.

"That could take forever."

"Perhaps although if you have another solution, I wouldn't mind hearing it," Obi-Wan said remembering the first time around that Artoo had been able to pull out the information.

"Artoo can run a diagnostic to see if the cells are preprogrammed to destroy themselves or we can simply ask Gunray."

"I very much doubt Gunray will tell us anything but it is worth a try."

Anakin stood up. "I'm going to ask someone to bring Artoo down here and you can speak with Gunray," he said.

Obi-Wan nodded before he made his way back into the launching bay were Gunray and his entourage were being held. "Hello again, Viceroy," he greeted the Neimoidian who looked a little worried.

"General Kenobi," Gunray said. "I assure you that I am open to negotiations."

"We are far passed that, Viceroy," Obi-Wan said calmly. "I actually came to discuss with you that mechno chair we found amidst everything you were going to leave behind had you managed to escape."

Gunray looked nervous. "What chair?" he asked. It was obvious he was stalling.

"You know of which chair I am speaking about, Viceroy. It is important. Of that much I am sure. You say you are open to negotiations. Tell me about the mechno chair."

"What do you offer in return?" Gunray asked.

"Protection perhaps," he said.

"I…We do not need protection."

"Really? I suppose you might not need it in prison. But, perhaps, from someone else, someone who might not take too kindly to the fact that you got arrested and the mechno chair ended up in our hands, someone who might know of where you will serve out your term in prison." Obi-Wan was treading a dangerous line since he knew Gunray and the Trade Federation were in cohorts with Sidious, especially considering the message within the mechno chair that they found the first time around. However, if he could get the information out of Gunray then it might hasten the end of the war.

Obi-Wan could hope at least.

While Nute Gunray was a coward, his fear of his employers might make him stubborn to reveal anything about Sidious. Obi-Wan hoped that offering protection from Sidious would get Gunray to loosen his tongue and he could only wait and see if that is what will happen.

"I will tell you about the mechno chair," Gunray said finally, "in return for protection."

"Very well."

While Obi-Wan was questioning Gunray, Anakin was circling the mechno chair brow furrowed thoughtfully as he examined it while Artoo performed the diagnostics with the protocol, TC-16, was standing nearby protesting. "Sir, I must protest. This remains the property of Viceroy Gunray and his entourage."

"You don't have a say in this matter, TC," Anakin said. "Artoo, what have you got?"

Artoo let out a series of beeps and whistles.

"Sir, It would appear that the mechno chair is currently deactivated but there is a self-destruct mechanism that can be activated remotely. However, the mechanism has not been activated."

"Good then that means I can get the data cells out without fearing being blown to pieces."

Artoo beeped.

"Sir, he found something during his diagnostic scan, the end of a holorecording recorded a couple of days ago. He said that he cannot retrieve the rest of the recording for some reason though."

"All right. Play the recording, Artoo," he said.

Artoo beeped in response and a high-resolution blue hologram projected from the chair's holoplate. To the meter-high figure in the hooded cloak, the unmistakable voice of Viceroy Nute Gunray was saying.

"Yes, yes, of course. Trust that I will see to it personally, my Lord Sidious."

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "And you can't retrieve any more of the holorecording, Artoo."

Artoo beeped a negative.

Anakin sighed. "I didn't think so. I'd better go tell Obi-Wan. Stay here with TC, Artoo."'

Artoo whistled an affirmative and Anakin left the area to join his former master near the entrance to the shuttle that Gunray had been making his way to before he had been arrested. They were talking but Obi-Wan stopped as Anakin came to a stop at his side. "What did Artoo learn?" he asked.

"For one, the chair has a self-destruct mechanism that can be activated remotely and, for another, Artoo was able to retrieve the last part of a transmission between Gunray here and someone known as Sidious."

Gunray seemed to look even more nervous than before.

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes.

"Sidious is the same name that Dooku gave you on Geonosis, isn't it?"

"Yes it is."

"What could this mean?"

"I am unsure. What do you know about Sidious, Viceroy?"

Gunray remained silent.

"Has he given you anything at all, Master?" Anakin asked eyeing the Neimoidian that he couldn't stand while using the Force to release the slight flash of anger he had felt into the Force. He missed the brief glance of pride that his former master tossed at him though.

"No only that Zan Arbor was behind a certain type of gas that is a safety mechanism installed within the chair and, after a bit more coaxing, he finally told me that the engravings on the chair are from an Xi Charrian. He refuses to tell me anything more than that, not even who manufactured the chair."

"Maybe I can convince him to be a bit more forthcoming with answers."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said patiently but sternly. "He is obviously more scared of his employer and he will not willing betray his employer by giving us information that his employer may not want him to share."

Anakin sighed. His master was right…again. "You're right, Master," he said.

Obi-Wan placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder before squeezing it. "Master Yoda and Intelligence should be arriving now that the battle above is winding down," he said. "Perhaps Intelligence will be able to discover more information from the mechno chair than Artoo was."

"Maybe," Anakin said doubtfully.

The shuttle containing the Intelligence crew as well as Master Yoda drew toward the launching bay before landing and techs came out of it with Master Yoda just behind them. The techs immediately moved toward the mechno chair while Yoda moved across the bay to join Anakin and Obi-Wan.

"Captured Gunray you have," Yoda said coming to a stop in front of us. "Ever elusive he has been since the war began. Warrant congratulations your actions do. Viceroy Gunray, arrested you will be and tried when return to Coruscant you do."

"I have tried to help General Kenobi. He offered me protection," Gunray said.

Anakin glanced at his former master with a raised eyebrow.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "He is terrified of his employers and he fears that they will find out about his capture and take it out on him. He told me what he could about the mechno chair so I resolved to assure him that his employers won't get to him. We can discuss that later though."

Yoda nodded. "Discovered what did you, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan told him everything he told Anakin.

"See we will if find something else the techs do," Yoda said. "Discovered something else, you have hmmm?"

"Anakin did."

Anakin told Yoda about the portion of the holorecording that Artoo discovered.

Yoda nodded slowly. "Keep that in mind we will for later. Speak to you, I wish to Obi-Wan."

"Very well. Anakin, would you mind helping the techs transfer the chair to the shuttle?"

"All right, master." Anakin jogged across the bay to join the techs but only made it halfway before a trooper made his way to his side.

"General Skywalker!" he called.

Anakin glanced at the trooper as he gestured toward the shuttle. "Hyperwave commo for you—from the office of the Supreme Chancellor," he said.

Anakin nodded. "Thank you," he said before he made his way toward the shuttle's boarding ramp. Above a holoprojector plate in the ship's comm center, a flickering image of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was resolving. When Anakin had positioned himself on the transmission grate, Palpatine smiled.

Anakin hadn't spoken much with Palpatine since the war began. He always seemed to be running from one battle to the next or training Ahsoka or spending time with Padmé or covering for or sparring with Obi-Wan that he barely had the time to say a passing hi before he was running off to do something else. However, he tried to spend at least a couple of minutes to speak with Palpatine but never long enough to actually talk about anything really important.

"Congratulations, Anakin, on your victory at Cato Neimoidia," Palpatine said.

"I didn't do it alone, sir. Obi-Wan's distraction is what really allowed me to capture Gunray," Anakin admitted.

"Don't sell yourself short, my boy. You were the one that made the arrest," Palpatine pointed out.

"I would not have been able to make the arrest had it not been for Obi-Wan, sir," Anakin said.

"I believe you are being too modest, my boy," Palpatine said with a faint smile. "Nevertheless, it was a joint effort as you say. Give my congratulations to Master Kenobi as well when you get the chance."

"I will."

"You have become a great Jedi Knight, my boy," Palpatine added.

Anakin smiled. "I owe that to my master," he said.

"I see but I do not think your master deserves all the credit. You have learned a lot and become a great Jedi Knight on your own as well."

"It is only because of my master's teachings that I am the Jedi I am today."

Palpatine smiled again. "Perhaps," was all he said in response.

"How's Coruscant, sir? I miss it," Anakin admitted and he really did. He missed the Temple, he missed his apprentice who was on her own mission, he missed his wife, he even missed his niece and nephew in everything but blood.

"Corsucant is as ever, a shining example of what life could be. But I'm far too busy to indulge in its manifold pleasures."

Anakin searched for some way to frame the question he wanted to ask. "I guess you've been meeting frequently with the Loyalist Committee," he said finally.

"As a matter of fact, I have. A treasured group of Senators, who value the high standards of the Republic as much as you and I do," Palpatine said smiling. "Senator Amidala, for example. So filled with vigor and compassion—the same qualities she brought to her terms as Queen of Naboo. She causes a stir wherever she goes." He looked directly at Anakin. "I'm so glad that you and she have become such dear friends."

"Will you tell her I say hello?" Anakin asked.

"Of course I will."

An ensuing silence lingered an instant too long.

"Anakin, I will somehow see to it that you return from the Outer Rim soon," Palpatine said. "But we cannot rest until those responsible for this war have been held accountable for their crimes and eliminated as a threat to lasting peace. Do you understand?"

"I'll do my part, sir."

"Yes, my boy. I know you will."

While Anakin was talking to Palpatine, Obi-Wan and Yoda were walking side by side discussing the information the mechno chair revealed as well as whether the Force was restricting what Obi-Wan could say again.

"Unfortunately, the Force still forbids me from saying about Sidious or what will happen next," Obi-Wan admitted.

Yoda tapped his gimer stick on the ground. "Preventing you from saying much the Force is, hmmm?"

"Yes although the Force never exactly told me to keep everything I learned a secret. That didn't happen until you first found out and Qui-Gon told me to say nothing about certain things," Obi-Wan replied.

"Feel what do you about this?"

Obi-Wan was silent for a long moment. "I think the Force is waiting for the right time to lift the restriction," he said.

"I see. Able to tell me some things you were so restricted everything from some people it has not."

The Jedi Master/time traveler nodded. "I was only told to tell Anakin nothing," he said. He believed he had already informed Yoda of that before.

"It is possible that Sidious might be behind everything," Obi-Wan said and realized he had managed to say that without having the Force stop him midsentence. That must mean that the Force was gradually lifting the restriction it placed on Obi-Wan when he came back to the past.

"Possible it is," Yoda agreed.

"He trained Dooku after I killed Maul."

"True that is as well. Accepted him, Sidious did. However, just because joined Sidious he did, a Jedi Dooku was. For many, many years."

"Yes, you told me the first time around that it is a difficult decision o leave the order and he was influenced by many things including Qui-Gon's death."

"More than that it was but yes," Yoda said. "Complicated this is. Not merely by what we know, but by what we do not know; what we have to assume."

Yoda stopped watching and gestured to a carved bench before the two of them sat down.

"A stern Master Dooku was, to Qui-Gon and others," Yoda began. "Powerful he was; skilled, disdainful. More important, convinced that lowering the shroud of the dark side. Signs there were, all about us, long before to the Temple you came; long before Qui-Gon came. Gross injustices, favoritism, corruption…more and more, called the Jedi were to enforce the peace. More and more deaths there were. Out of control events were becoming."

"But you didn't sense that the Sith had actually grown stronger even though you knew they were never absent," Obi-Wan said.

Yoda nodded. "Closer to the surface they were," he said. "Spoke much of the prophecy, Dooku did."

"The Prophecy of the Chosen One."

"Yes. The larger prophecy: that unfold the dark time would. Born into their midst the Chosen One is, to return balance to the Force."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said.

"Difficult to say," Yoda said quickly.

"Qui-Gon believed that Anakin is the Chosen One, Master Yoda, and so do I. The way I see it, Master Yoda, why would the Force send me back with the task I have been given, that apparently I can't tell you about, if Anakin wasn't the Chosen One?"

Yoda's eyes narrowed. "Tell me your task you cannot fully but gave me a hint you did with what you just said. Your task, deals primarily with Anakin it does, hmmm?"

"Apparently, I can tell you that much," Obi-Wan admitted.

Yoda nodded. "However, more important the shroud of the dark side is. Many, many discussions Dooku had; with me, with other members of the Council and, most of all, with Master Sifo-Dyas."

Obi-Wan listened to Yoda describe Dooku and Sifo-Dyas's relationship including how Sifo-Dyas was the one that saw how everything from what was happening to the Republic to the Sith's return as well as Qui-Gon's death effected Dooku.

"Knew of Dooku's imminent departure, Master Sifo-Dyas did. Sensed, he may have, the birth of the Separatist movement," Yoda finished.

"You still dismissed him as an idealist though."

"Wanted to believe it I didn't even though saw with my own eyes I did."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I doubted I would have believed it either," he admitted. He didn't believe it when he first learned his beloved brother had turned to the dark side either or that he had committed those murders within the Jedi Temple. It was so surreal and he didn't want to believe it but was forced to believe it.

That will not happen this time around, Obi-Wan told himself firmly pushing the memory of the duel on Mustafar to the back of his mind. He always told himself that because he knew that he needed to remind himself every time he began to go down the path were he thought his actions and his changes weren't doing anything to stop Anakin's fall to the dark side. He couldn't afford to start doubting himself as Qui-Gon had told him. He had to continue on believing that he would succeed no matter what.

Yoda gazed at him. "Darker events have become. Attempting to turn this war to their own uses, Dooku and Sidious are," he said.

"Yes they are. Hopefully, we can catch Dooku soon and, perhaps, Sidious a bit sooner."

"Lifted the veil of the dark side wasn't after your success on Naboo. Grown beyond Dooku this war has. Said so yourself that catch Sidious we must soon. To justice both must be brought and to justice all those Sidious to the dark side has turned."

Yoda looked at Obi-Wan. "Uncover Sidious's tracks, you must since tell me of what happens in the future you are forbidden to do. A chance this war to conclude, you and Anakin have been given."

Anakin watched as Obi-Wan joined him in the launching bay and Yoda made his way toward the boarding ramp. "Jedi Council business?" he asked curiously.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, Yoda believes that the mechno chair will yield clues to the whereabouts of Darth Sidious. He wants us to take up the search."

"Master, aren't we obligated to notify the Supreme Chancellor of our find?"

"Anakin, we will once we have discussed the matter."

Anakin's brow furrowed. "So once you discuss it with the entire Council in other words," he said.

Obi-Wan nodded.

"And if the Council doesn't agree?"

"We defer to Master Yoda. Yoda is not infallible though, Anakin."

"We could be."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "To become infallible is to deny that we are living beings, Anakin," he said.

Obi-Wan's words made a lot of sense. "You're right, master," Anakin said. "So what are we going to do now?"

"Head out to find the Xi Charrian Gunray told me about," Obi-Wan said watching as the troopers guided Gunray and his entourage into the shuttle where the mechno chair had been placed earlier.

"And where's that?"

"Intelligence has discovered that it is at Charros IV."

"Well then let's get going. The sooner we find Sidious, the sooner we can return to Corsucant."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

Siri made her way into Padmé's apartment once the door slide open and Threepio greeted her before letting her in. "Mistress Padmé said that you were welcomed any time, Mistress Siri," the golden protocol droid said.

"Thank you Threepio," said Siri.

"Siri, welcome," Padmé said walking over to join her as she made her way into the room. Sabé and Dormé were changing the seven-month old twins and they glanced up as well.

"Padmé," Siri replied. "I can't stay along but I haven't see Jinn and Kira in a long time."

"I completely understand. Sabé and Dormé are just finishing changing them right now."

Siri nodded before watching as Sabé and Dormé finished changing Jinn and Kira before they lifted the seven month olds into their arms and walked over to join Siri. The blonde Jedi gently took her twin children into her arms before smiling when they snuggled up against her.

"They're growing so big so quickly," she said.

"Babies grow quickly during the first couple of years," Padmé said with a faint smile before she suddenly took off to the refresher and Siri winced when she heard her friend begin vomiting in the refresher.

Padmé came out a few minutes later a little pale. "Sorry about that," she said.

"It's all right," Siri said.

"You can sit down if you want, Siri. Actually, I wanted to tell you something."

The Jedi Knight nodded before carrying her children over to the form couch and sitting down with them still resting against her chest. Padmé sat down beside her. "Can you get me some tea, Threepio?" she asked.

"Right away, Mistress Padmé," Threepio said before he walked away to the kitchenette.

"So what did you want to tell me, Padmé?" Siri asked.

Padmé rested her hand on her abdomen. "I'm pregnant, Siri," she said.

Siri smiled. "Anakin's going to be so shocked," she said.

Padmé laughed. "Was Obi-Wan?"

"Oh yes he was. I can't wait to see how Anakin will react. Five credits he'll faint."

The senator laughed. "Five credits he won't faint," she said.

"Deal."

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: yes, this was a short chapter, shorter than I expected it to be, the next one will be a bit longer

Darth: what's the next chapter going to cover?

Blaze: Charros IV, Belderone, and Escarte Commerce Guild facility maybe

Darth: wow! That's like ten chapters!

Blaze: yup. I want to get this done in less than fourteen chapters

Anakin: ain't looking like it's gonna be that way if you keep having chapters that only cover two maybe three chapters in the book

Blaze: (lifts flaming machete) if I wanted your opinion then I would have asked for it

Anakin: you won't hurt me, will you?

Blaze: nah, you're my favorite character

Obi-Wan: (drives up in Mace's newest Mustang) what did I miss?

Palpypie: (just got run over by the Mustang) get this car off me!

Obi-Wan: no way

Mace: GIVE ME BACK MY MUSTANG!

Obi-Wan: (takes off and runs Palpypie over again)

Mace: (leaps into speeder and chases after Obi-Wan running over Palpypie as well)

Palpypie: ah come on!

Anakin: (high-jacks Sirius's motorcycle, runs Palpypie over and flies off)

Sirius: HEY THAT'S MINE!

Blaze: (laughs) please review and I will post chapter 51 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon