The meeting with the Chancellor hadn't gone on as long as Anakin had expected it to honestly. It had been just short of an hour before the Chancellor had dismissed him from his office due to another meeting he apparently had prescheduled, one with Admiral Tarkin.
In that short hour however Anakin had managed to reiterate everything that had been discussed at the Council meeting to the Chancellor, just as the man had requested he do in his new position. Furthermore Anakin now had several points of his own to raise with the Jedi Council during the next meeting, courtesy of the Chancellor.
Chief among those was the Invasion of Mandalore. Whilst the Chancellor clearly agreed with the motives behind it, Anakin could tell that he was worried about the repercussions it could have for the Republic as a whole. He might have put on a resilient face to the Senators earlier, but underneath that Anakin could see Palpatine thought much the same as they did.
'Just another thing that makes the Chancellor such a good leader. He might not agree, but he understands everyone's point of view.' Anakin thought as he lounged on the sofa in Padmé's apartment, reading through a report sent to him from Plo Koon and Commander Wolffe about the ongoing campaign on Cato Neimoidia. There was nothing particularly important in the report that Anakin needed to know of course, but it helped paint a better picture of how the war was going overall. The more he knew, the more advice he could give about where and when to fight.
Bringing his fingers to the pad in his hands he swiped off of the report from Plo and onto another one, this time from Aayla Secura and Commander Bly. Much like the battle at Cato Neimoidia, it appeared the ongoing war on Felucia was proceeding well, even if the planet held no real great significance to the Republic, at least at this current time.
Anakin knew what strategy the Republic leadership was trying to attempt. Forcing the Separatists, who would likely already be heavily demotivated thanks to Dooku's loss, to fight on multiple fronts at once would in theory spread them thin. Perhaps now was the time to strike a high value target such as Raxus? After all, the Separatists had managed to launch a full scale assault on Coruscant. Perhaps they should return the favour?
"Ani? Is everything ok?" The soft voice of his wife drew him out of the report. He glanced up to see her standing over by the nearby window, her form silhouetted by the sun behind her, making her appear as a beautiful angel, just as he had called her years ago.
"Yeah, I'm ok. Are you? Do you need anything, for you or the baby?" He replied as he rose from his seat before moving over to stand before her, arms wrapping around her in a gentle embrace, one she leaned into.
"Stop worrying so much you doting dad! I'm fine, and so is the baby."
Images of the nightmare the previous night flashed in his mind briefly before he pushed them out. If Padmé said she was fine, then she was.
'You don't know that!'
"I heard about your promotion to the Council. I'm so proud of you Ani." His wife pulled back slightly out of the embrace, looking up at him with a warm smile, one that he adored seeing.
"Ehhh it's not as impressive as it sounds Padmé." Anakin replied, placing a soft kiss to her forehead before moving away, heading back to the sofa from before, picking up the discarded datapad in the process. "I might be on the Council, but I don't exactly feel very welcome there. I think the Council only agreed to accept me so that they didn't anger the Chancellor. If they really wanted me there they'd have promoted me to Jedi Master."
Anakin didn't miss the small sigh that escaped Padmé's throat as she moved over to join him, gently grasping hold of his hands as she guided him to sit on the couch.
"Even still Ani, joining the Council at your age is unheard of. And you have plenty to offer them in terms of your knowledge and experience. I know you feel like the Council has been against you from the day you joined the Order, but surely this shows you that…"
"What? That they trust me? Ha! I'd be willing to bet they'd sooner trust a reformed Dooku over me any day of the week." Anakin snapped, unable to keep the distrust from his tone. He knew the Council didn't trust him. There was no point in trying to hide that fact. They never had trusted him, from the very first day he had stepped before them.
If it hadn't been for Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan…
...well, there was a good chance he'd be back on Tatooine.
'Perhaps then you'd have been able to save your mother!'
Anakin resisted the urge to snarl at the voice, even if it spoke the truth. He had become a Jedi to save people, and yet even then he couldn't save his own mother.
Maybe being a Jedi wasn't for him after all.
"What about Obi-Wan? You trust him, right?" Padmé spoke, returning him to the present, concern in her eyes as she squeezed both of his hands in hers.
"I… I do trust Obi-Wan, but I think that even he would have his reservations about me joining the Council."
"I'm sure he wouldn't. He'd be proud of you, like I am."
"That would be a first."
"No it wouldn't. You know Obi-Wan is proud of you Anakin. You've become an amazing, compassionate person, and an even better Jedi. Your men are loyal to you not out of programming, but because they want to be. And Ahsoka too. You practically raised her, and she's become one of the most formidable young women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Even if, for some reason, Obi-Wan isn't proud of you, you should be proud of yourself."
"Padmé… I…"
"No Ani… you should be. You are one of the best people I've ever met, whether you hold the rank of Jedi Master or not. You've done so much good for everyone."
'And yet you still couldn't save your mother from dying. What chances do you have to stop Padmé and your child from sharing the same fate!'
Anakin pushed against the dark thoughts once again, not wanting to think about such a thing ever happening. He wouldn't allow it. He'd stop it no matter what it took!
Taking a moment to breathe, Anakin finally replied to his wife.
"You always know what to say to make me feel better, don't you?"
"Isn't that one of my jobs as your wife?"
"Heh! Maybe."
Both of them chuckled for a few moments before they settled back together on the couch, Padmé leaning against Anakin.
"I just wish this war would end Ani. It's gone on too long, and the Senate… I don't even recognize it most days."
Anakin understood exactly how she felt. There were days, more frequent that he'd ever admit, that he thought the same about the Jedi Order. Since the war had begun they had shifted away from the 'warrior monk' image they seemed to have, instead becoming nothing more than Generals and Commanders in a war.
He knew it was necessary of course, and he would gladly play his role, but that didn't mean he liked it, not completely. There would be younglings and Padawans who would grow up knowing nothing but war in their time as a Jedi. Ahsoka was one of them unfortunately. No matter how proud of her he was, there was always some part of him that wished she had never been forced to be his Padawan. Maybe that way she would have gotten to be a child, rather than a soldier.
They had to end this war soon… HE had to end it, for his unborn child's sake.
"Padmé… hold on… please…"
"Anakin! I need Anakin! Where's Anakin?"
"She will die."
"This is all Skywalker's fault!"
"You failed to save her!"
"Obi-Wan… help me!"
"Padmé!"
A flash of gold… a lightsaber… surrounded by green and blue… and a purple one too.
"What are you doing?!"
"Get out of our way!"
"I can't do that Master!"
"I knew we couldn't trust you!"
"Please don't!"
"Chancellor!"
Purple rushed towards gold and clashed and…
And then a red blade appeared too… arching towards...
Anakin shot forward from where he had been sitting as his mind awoke from the slumber. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but it was hard not to do so when Padmé had dozed off leaning against him. He had only closed his eyes for five minutes, intending on resting them for a few brief moments.
Clearly he had 'rested them' longer than he had planned too, judging by the way the sun was beginning to set outside of the windows of Padmé's apartment.
His wife was also missing from her previous position. No longer was she resting against him, instead up and working in the kitchen alongside Threepio.
Letting a yawn escape his mouth, Anakin made to stand up when his holopad made a soft buzzing noise, the sign of an incoming message.
Lifting a hand to rub the sleep out of eyes he scooped up the pad and flicked the screen on to read the message.
'Master Skywalker, please come and visit me at the Galaxies Opera House tonight. I have important information from Clone intelligence that I need you to deliver to the Jedi Council. Come at twenty hundred hours. Executive suite six. Graciously, Chancellor Palpatine.'
Anakin re-read the message three times before he realized that the Chancellor had addressed him as a 'Master', rather than by 'Knight' or even his name. Whether or not the elderly man had forgotten that Anakin hadn't been promoted to Master or was calling him out of his own kindness or respect Anakin didn't know. All that he did know was that he had a duty to the Chancellor.
That said, he didn't want to leave his wife alone right now. And he still needed to visit Ahsoka to tell her the good news! He had tried to pop by earlier, but she hadn't been home and wasn't answering her commlink either. Chances were she was on a mission for Palpatine somewhere.
"Important message?" Padmé spoke from across the apartment, a worried look on her face as she moved towards him.
"It's from the Chancellor. He wants to meet me tonight. Says he has important information to give me for the Jedi Council."
"Well then, you better go and make a good impression in your new position. Hopefully it's good news."
"I'd rather stay here with you though. You need me. The baby needs me." Anakin replied as he pulled Padmé into a hug, resting his face in her hair in the process and inhaling, enjoying his favourite scent in the galaxy.
"I'll be here when you get back, Ani. Besides, I've looked after myself this far whilst pregnant. I can cope for a few hours without you."
'Can she though? What if something bad happens whilst you're gone? What if your dreams come true and she…'
Anakin pushed aside the dark thoughts once more as best he could, even if he knew they held a lot of truth in them.
He was almost certain now that what he was seeing wasn't just a simple nightmare, but a vision, one that he would not allow to come to pass… ever.
"Alright… if you're sure. I'd still rather be here though." Anakin chose to reply with a sigh, knowing that he had a duty to the Chancellor.
But he also had a duty to his wife and unborn child.
"Yes, I'm sure! Now get going before he fires you!" Padmé jest as she lightly pushed him away from her, moving back to join Threepio in the kitchen afterwards, leaving Anakin with no choice but to go and visit the Chancellor.
Sighing once again, still reluctant to leave the comfort of Padmé's apartment, Anakin moved to pick up his outer robes, wrapping them around his body in the process before leaving.
If the Chancellor needed to talk to him, he would be there.
Getting to the Galaxies Opera House proved to be easy. Getting in, less so, as apparently there was some sort of high value production of 'Squid Lake' being shown tonight. Anakin didn't really know what that meant, though he could only assume it was a play of some kind. He wasn't overly interested in such things himself. If anything he found plays to be tedious and boring at the best of times.
Why the Chancellor had asked him to meet here was unknown to him, but Anakin didn't question it, even if it really wasn't the sort of place he'd usually attend. As long as the Chancellor wasn't expecting him to sit and watch whatever 'Squid Lake' was with him then Anakin didn't care where they met. He just wanted to get in, hear Palpatine's information, and then get back to his wife before anything bad happened to her.
'I won't let any harm come to her… ever!'
Pushing aside the thoughts and trying to focus on the situation at hand, Anakin continued to stride through the hallways of the Opera House, swerving between the masses of other visitors who were mingling or making their way to their seats. The sooner he got to Palpatine, the sooner he could get home to Padmé.
That said, he couldn't just barge other patrons out of the way. The last thing he, or the Jedi Order needed was rumours spreading about a rude Jedi Knight barging his way through the Opera House without any care for anyone else. That would sour their reputation even more.
Continuing forward, Anakin briefly caught a glimpse of two figures he recognized. Chairman Papanoida and his daughter seemed deep in discussion in the hallway, only briefly noticing Anakin's approach with a gentle nod before returning to their conversation.
Anakin returned the gesture as he strode past them both, pivoting to the right in the process to enter executive suite six, where the Chancellor was waiting for him.
Upon entry into the booth, Anakin's ears were hit with a rush of sound from the ongoing play before him.
Anakin could only assume this was 'Squid Lake' judging by the large volume of what appeared to be suspended water floating in the central chamber of the Opera House. He could make out several figures that resembled Mon Calamari floating around the water in intricate patterns.
Anakin was no expert on plays or dance or anything, but if he had to guess, he'd call the performance before him some kind of ballet, and honestly, he couldn't imagine anything more boring to watch!
Still, he wasn't here to watch the show. He was here to receive whatever information the Chancellor had.
Moving his gaze away from the play, he glanced at the seats in the booth.
Four of the five seats inside the booth were filled, one by the Chancellor, and the other by three of his associates, Sly Moore, Mas Amedda and a third individual that Anakin did not recognize.
Just behind Palpatine stood a single Red Guard, the personal bodyguards of Chancellor Palpatine himself. The guard stiffened at Anakin's arrival briefly before relaxing, clearly either expecting his arrival despite the brief surprise, or understanding who he was and how he was not a threat.
Taking that as a cue to proceed, Anakin began to approach the Chancellor, who sat in the front row of seats with Moore to his right.
Upon reaching his side, the Chancellor glanced away from the performance before him and up at Anakin, a warm smile coming to his face.
"Anakin my boy, excellent. Perfect timing. Come closer." The Chancellor spoke as he gestured with one of his hands to the Jedi Knight.
Anakin lowered himself to his knees in a crouching position beside the Chancellor. It wasn't the most comfortable position to be in, but it would do the job for whatever the Chancellor needed.
'I just hope this doesn't take too long. Padmé needs me to save her from… something!'
"How can I be of service, Your Excellency?"
"By delivering a message to the Jedi Council my friend. Clone Intelligence has finally managed to track down that monster Grievous. He's hiding in the Utapau system."
A rush of joy flooded through Anakin! Finally! They knew where he was!
"That's fantastic. We can finally bring that monster down and make him pay for all the damage he's done!" Anakin replied, unable to stop the sense of satisfaction rushing through him. They could finally end this war!
"Precisely. No doubt the Council will see it most wise to send yourself and the 501st to Utapau. After all there is no one more skilled within the Order to handle such a threat. I will even send Agent Tano along to assist you for this campaign." Palpatine continued as he levelled a serious look at Anakin, as if he was pleading with him to take the mission personally.
Anakin would love nothing more of course, but it wasn't down to him, not completely.
"I'll have to discuss that with the Council I'm afraid. They might not agree that I am the best choice."
"Hmm, shame. Their lack of trust in you is most disturbing."
"They are just trying to do the right thing, Your Excellency."
"Perhaps." Palpatine replied with a grim tone before he turned in his chair to address his other companions. "Leave us."
Mere seconds after the command was given and Anakin found himself alone with the Chancellor. Even the Red Guard had stepped out of the booth, which surprised Anakin. Hopefully no one would try and take advantage of the situation.
"Sit my friend." Palpatine spoke again as he turned his head back to the ongoing ballet before him whilst gesturing to the now vacant seat beside him.
Anakin really didn't want to. He wanted to get back to Padmé. To make sure she was ok.
And he had to speak to the Council, as soon as he could. Would they accept an emergency night time summons from him?
Still, he couldn't say no to the most powerful man in Republic space, especially after everything he had done for him, and against his personal desires, he moved to take the seat.
The two sat in silence for a few moments as they both observed the ballet before them. Anakin still didn't see what the appeal of it all was, but he wasn't about to admit that aloud. For all he knew this could very well have been the Chancellor's favourite ballet to watch. The last thing he wanted to do was insult the man.
After what felt like an eternity of just watching something he didn't understand, the Chancellor spoke again, his voice quieter than normal, almost whispering.
"Anakin, by now you must have sensed that the Council distrust me. I would be lying if I said I trusted them either, so perhaps it is a fault on both our parts."
"I don't follow Your Excellency?"
"What I mean to say is that you are the only member of the Jedi Council I can trust completely. Whilst I am more than open to a friendly relationship between our two organizations, I do not get the sense the same is felt on the Council's collective end. I have begun to suspect that the Jedi Council's intentions are not as honorable as they make them out to be, and that perhaps, in time, they will attempt something dangerous within the Republic."
"Are you suggesting a coup?" Anakin inquired, genuinely surprised by the Chancellor's admission. He knew that the Council and Palpatine did not get along, but for the Chancellor to be worried about a possible uprising… were things really that bad between them?
"That is one possibility, Anakin, and it's one I have to keep in mind. The Council has made it clear that they do not trust me. I fear it's only a matter of time until they decide I am a hindrance to the Republic more than a benefit and they decide to install new leadership, perhaps puppeted by the Order itself. That is why I asked for you to be placed upon the Council. I had hoped that with a mutual associate present, we could repair the connection between the Senate and the Jedi and foster a new era of trust between us."
Anakin could see the Chancellor's point of view clearly. He knew firsthand, from Plo Koon's request, that the Council did not trust Palpatine. But would they really go as far as to depose him if they deemed him unfit?
And what if he refused to go? Would the Council force him out somehow?
"I don't think they'd risk a full on coup, Your Excellency. Jedi popularity isn't exactly high these days. I'll try to do what I can on the Council, but…"
"But you share the same concerns as me?" Palpatine interrupted, turning his head towards Anakin and away from the ballet, a sad expression on his face.
Anakin sighed and replied honestly. "I know they don't trust you, at all."
"The Council does not seem to trust anyone aside from those that sit in their seats. Only look at young Ahsoka's trial as evidence." Palpatine replied, turning back to face the ballet.
Another moment of silence passed between the two before Anakin spoke again, allowing him to get certain things off his chest.
"I'll admit that, over the course of this war, my trust in them has been shaken, moreso recently than ever."
Palpatine turned his head to face Anakin again, a speculative expression on his face.
"How so? What have they asked of you my friend?"
Anakin didn't reply. He couldn't tell Palpatine about being asked to spy on him. The Chancellor wouldn't trust him anymore, and then he'd have next to no one he could trust completely.
However, as it turned out, he didn't need to tell the Chancellor.
Palpatine's face shifted from speculative to understanding.
"They asked you to spy on me, didn't they?"
"Not just you." Anakin replied automatically, feeling a weight lift off of his shoulders. There was no point in denying it, not anymore. The Chancellor was a smart man. He'd know if Anakin was lying.
"Who else?"
"They were planning on keeping tabs on Ahsoka as well. They all but threatened me with the knowledge that if I didn't spy on you, they would send someone to spy on you both. I had to keep her safe, Your Excellency. I'm so sorry."
Anakin half expected to be kicked out of the booth. He was fully prepared for it.
However, much to his surprise, the Chancellor only offered him a warm smile in return, rather than a reprimand.
"Thank you for being honest with me Anakin. This is the level of trust I am speaking about, and exactly why I wanted you as my personal representative. It was malicious of the Council to threaten you with Ahsoka's privacy being breached. I'm surprised they would resort to such blackmail, but this only reinforces my concern about their intentions. Clearly neither of us can trust a word they say."
"They... they were just doing what they thought was right." Anakin replied, knowing he was lying to himself. How could he trust the Council?
"You don't believe that, do you Anakin?"
"I… no, no I do not. Not anymore. But why would they do these things?"
"It's simple Anakin. The Jedi have long been a dominant power in the Republic's history. They fear they are losing that power and thus will resort to anything to retain it, even blackmail and manipulation. All who gain power are afraid to lose it, even the Jedi Council."
"The Jedi use their power for good though."
"Good is a mere point of view Anakin, and there has been more than one occasion in recent history of a Jedi using their power for less than 'good' intentions."
Anakin couldn't deny the truth in the Chancellor's words. Count Dooku had once been a Jedi after all. And then there were the likes of Barriss Offee, and Pong Krell. Both had been Jedi who had used their power for something other than good.
Perhaps, just perhaps, the Jedi weren't the paragons of justice they made themselves out to be.
'They blackmailed you into spying on the Chancellor! Of course they aren't good!'
"I may not know much about the Force my friend," Palpatine continued, "But from my studies there does not seem to be much of a difference between the Jedi and those they deem as 'evil'."
"Jedi are selfless. They only care about others. The Sith are selfish and think only of themselves."
"Two sides of the same coin if you ask me, and that only further cements my point, my boy. The Jedi and Sith are one and the same, and they both fear the loss of their power over everything else, and will do anything to keep control of it."
Anakin knew he should argue back, and should defend the Jedi. But he couldn't, not in good consciousness. Not after everything.
"I just… I don't know anymore."
Palpatine hummed under his breath before turning back to face the ongoing ballet. He still replied however.
"You are still very young, Anakin. You have plenty of time to find the answers to the questions you have. Asking such questions is a good thing, and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. If you don't question things, you become blind and stagnate."
Anakin considered the Chancellor's words.
It was funny. In one short discussion with the Chancellor, Anakin had managed to gain more perspective and understanding of things, as well as encouragement of his desire to know more than he had ever gotten in a discussion with Master Yoda or Windu.
Perhaps the Council really wasn't the all knowing wise group that they seemed to think they were. They would have never encouraged Anakin to make his own mind up on things. Instead their response would likely have boiled down to 'trust in the Force' or 'meditate to find the meaning'.
Palpatine however had told him plain and simple. There was no definitive answer. The answer was whatever Anakin himself made it out to be, and he had to go out and find it, no matter how long it took.
'Perhaps then there is an answer to these dreams as well. Maybe I can save Padmé!'
Despite the memory of the nightmare, Anakin felt good about his chances. All he had to do was find a solution to Padmé's possible death.
It was then that Palpatine spoke again.
"Did you ever hear of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise?"
At night, the halls of the Jedi Temple were not as quiet as Anakin expected. Jedi mingled around, most likely on some sort of night shift for whatever service they provided in the Temple, and guards rotated positions with one another frequently. The Force however was much more subdued within the Temple, indicating that the vast majority of its inhabitants were asleep.
In a way, Anakin envied them. He had never been able to sleep very well in the Temple, even less so once the war had begun. He'd admit that he was always on edge, expecting an attack at any point, day or night. It was an attribute that had only gotten worse as the Clone War proceeded. He was used to little sleep, especially when what sleep he did get was plagued by nightmares or visions of Padmé dying.
He wouldn't let that happen! He couldn't!
'If only I could get into the holocron vault! They might have something on this 'Darth Plagueis' in there! I need to become a Master as soon as I can!'
The story that Palpatine had told him had given Anakin a new semblance of hope. If he could just learn what Plagueis had done, then he could save Padmé! He could save everyone!
Right now however, he had more pressing concerns. Despite his obvious 'junior status' within the Council, as he liked to call it, Master Windu had responded to his late night holocall requesting an emergency meeting of what Council Members could attend.
Being surprisingly cooperative, Windu had agreed, and now a mere hour later Anakin found himself striding into the Council Chambers, fully prepared to reveal the location of General Grievous.
Passing through the threshold of the doorway, Anakin quickly surveyed the Council Chamber and the people present.
Master Windu was sitting in his usual chair, a hologram of Master Yoda sat in the one next to him.
Plo Koon was absent, evidently busy embroiled in the ongoing campaign on Cato Neimoidia. Anakin cursed the lack of the Kel Dor's presence. He would have been a welcome voice of reason.
Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin were also present, both looking dreary, as if they had just been woken up from their sleep. Anakin honestly didn't care. He was no great fan of either of them.
In quite the contrast, Kit Fisto sat with his trademark smirk on his face, his body and signature in the Force rolling with energy. Upon spotting Anakin he nodded in greeting, something the Knight returned.
Two more individuals joined the group seconds later, one via hologram, and another in the flesh.
Despite the Mygeeto campaign, Master Mundi appeared to have taken the time to join via hologram. Anakin hoped he wasn't doing so at the campaign, or his men's expense. Anakin knew Commander Bacara and his legion were formidable, but without Mundi's expertise on the field they risked losing a lot of ground.
The other figure who had joined was Shaak Ti, who moved graciously over to her chair as always. Again Anakin couldn't help but draw comparisons between her and Ahsoka. Would Ahsoka move with the same grace as Master Ti when she was older, or would she keep her boisterous attitude?
Anakin really hoped it was the latter, not that he didn't like Shaak Ti.
"Knight Skywalker?" Master Yoda's voice interrupted Anakin's train of thought in that moment, drawing the Jedi Knight's attention over to Yoda's hologram, which was watching him with deep focus. "Requested an emergency meeting you have? News, you bring?"
"Yes Master Yoda, I do." Anakin replied as he moved to take one of the vacant seats of the Council, opting for Master Plo's. Hopefully the Kel Dor wouldn't mind.
'You're not even rated high enough for your own personal seat! Shows how much the Council respects you.'
Trying to ignore the voice in his head and focus on his task, Anakin settled into the seat and decided to proceed with the meeting. He doubted anyone else was coming, and Master Yoda's comments made him feel like they were eager to begin.
"I've just come from a meeting with the Chancellor. He has informed me that Clone Intelligence has located General Grievous in the Utapau system. The Chancellor believes that we need to move now in order to eliminate the General."
The news clearly had the desired effect on the Council. Master Windu sat back in his chair, a contemplative look on his face as he considered the information.
It was Agen Kolar that spoke up first however.
"For once I agree with the Chancellor. We need to move immediately before the trail goes cold again."
"Agree, I do, Master Kolar. An opportunity this is." Yoda chimed in, looking around to see if the other members of the Council agreed.
"The Chancellor has suggested that myself and the 501st take the mission. He's also offered to send Agent Tano along to support us." Anakin said, hoping that offering to undertake the mission would earn him some trust with the Council.
Agen Kolar however clearly disapproved.
"So now the Chancellor wishes to dictate who we send on missions?! Does his arrogance know no bounds?!"
Anakin had to refrain from snapping at the Zabrak. Just what was his issue with the Chancellor?!
"Peace, Master Kolar. We do not know the Chancellor's intentions, and right now they are not important." Windu finally spoke, surprising Anakin with his words towards his fellow Council Member before turning to face Anakin himself. "I appreciate the offer to undertake the mission yourself Skywalker, however I fear that you would not be able to handle Grievous in a fight. You lack the experience required to handle this operation. This requires a more deft hand."
"I… understand, Master Windu. I apologise." Anakin replied after hesitating, not too sure on the problem. Yes, he had only duelled Grievous once, but surely that wouldn't matter that much? He'd have the 501st and Ahsoka for backup after all.
"A shame that Master Kenobi is currently preoccupied on Mandalore. He would have been a perfect choice for this operation." Master Mundi joined in, eyes glancing over at the empty seat where Obi-Wan would usually sit.
"Speaking of which…" Windu spoke again, "I received word from Commander Boil this evening. Master Kenobi and Padawan Dume have succeeded in apprehending Darth Maul. They left Mandalore not long ago and are expected to arrive back at Coruscant tomorrow morning. Perhaps if we wait for Master Kenobi to return…"
"If we wait, Grievous might slip away again Master Windu." Anakin interrupted, not caring if he sounded rude in the process. "We need to move on Grievous' position now!"
Several of the Council Members exchanged glances, evidently mentally debating Anakin's words through the Force with one another. Anakin felt a rush of anger swell up inside him at the thought of them discussing the mission without him!
"I agree with Knight Skywalker."
"As do I."
Anakin couldn't help the look of surprise that jumped upon his face at the support given to him. His head snapped towards where Masters Ti and Fisto were sitting, the former with a look of thought on her face whilst the latter continued to smirk at him.
"General Grievous is a notorious coward, but he is still a significant threat. Dooku's defeat has likely left the Separatist leadership in a mess with a newly formed power vacuum. Grievous will be attempting to fill that vacuum before moving on to taking his revenge. If we lose him now, who knows what sort of damage he might do." Master Ti continued, addressing the Council as a whole.
Anakin had to resist the urge to thank Master Ti for the support there and then.
"Perhaps, but that still does not solve the issue of who to send after the General. With both Knight Skywalker and Master Windu needed on Coruscant, and Master's Kenobi and Yoda preoccupied, we have very limited options." Kolar spoke again, further annoying Anakin, even if he spoke the truth. Surely his role as 'spy' could wait whilst he and the 501st tracked down Grievous?
Saesee Tiin spoke next, his tone humble.
"I would offer to complete this mission, but my skills would likely not match those of Grievous when it comes to a duel. I fear I would be a poor choice for this mission."
"A skilled duellist, we need. One that, able to keep up with Grievous' speed, they are."
"I agree with Master Yoda." Windu spoke before he shifted his attention over to a specific Council Member. "Master Fisto, your skills in saber combat, specifically your mastery of Shii-Cho, will allow you a greater chance against Grievous onslaught of blades than most of us. Furthermore you have experience dealing with the General that we lack. Would you do us the honor of undertaking this mission?"
"Of course Master Windu. I shall leave immediately with my legion." Fisto responded, his trademark smirk never leaving his face as he rose from his chair and bowed to the other Council Members. "May the Force be with you all."
"And with you, Master Fisto." Yoda replied to the Nautolan as he began to leave the Council Chambers.
A few moments of silence passed by before Master Windu spoke, this time addressing Anakin.
"Knight Skywalker, do you have anything else you wish to discuss with the Council?"
'What he means is, do you have any spy intel to tell us about the Chancellor!'
"No Master Windu. I have nothing else to say."
He wasn't going to tell them anything anyways, not after what he and the Chancellor had discussed. Not unless it was a matter of life and death.
"Without some sort of miracle, she won't make it."
"He killed her. He couldn't save her!"
"You failed everyone… again!"
"What of the younglings?"
"They didn't survive."
"I could have saved her, if they just let me!"
A flash of blue lightning, followed by screaming.
"MASTER!"
"ANAKIN! HELP ME!"
A glint of silver, covered in thick red blood.
"NO!"
Anakin shot up in bed once again, sweat pouring off of his body as he tried in vain to banish the images of his dreams from his head.
Padmé. Ahsoka. Obi-Wan. Rex. Palpatine. His unborn child! They were all in danger! He could sense it! He had to save them! Somehow!
He wouldn't let any of them suffer the same fate as his mother!
Trying to steady his breath, Anakin swung his legs across the edge of the bed and pushed himself up, leaving Padmé sleeping soundly behind him. He didn't want to wake her up and make her worry anymore than she usually did. That wouldn't be good for her, or the baby.
Moving out of the bedroom, Anakin made a beeline for the fresher, turning on the tap upon arrival and splashing his face with cold water to cool himself.
He had to find a solution of some kind. He needed to figure out what these visions pointed to and how to save people he cared about from harm. Even from death.
He knew it was wrong to want such power, but he didn't care. He needed it. His friends, his family… they all needed it.
Because if he didn't do anything, well, he didn't even want to consider the consequences of his apathy. He wouldn't let the past repeat itself. Not now, not ever.
Author's thoughts
Well... it took a while to get to it, but here you go. One of Revenge of the Sith's most iconic scenes, rewritten for this story. I'm personally quite proud of the scene myself, which probably means it's rubbish. XD
Still, writing manipulative Palpatine is always great fun, regardless of who he is interacting with. Honestly he was always the best part about ROTS, so I wanted to do him, and this scene, justice. :)
Aside from that, I've not got much more to say. I think this chapter speaks for itself. Plus it was a long one. :)
Thanks once again to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders'.
Next time round, Obi-Wan returns to Coruscant with a prisoner in tow.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Alfredo12StarLegionaire: Slowly but surely, we are nearing the climax. Be a shame if someone was able to find a way of undermining Sidious' plans.
I'm aware of Kix's canon fate. Luckily, this isn't canon, and he hasn't been offscreen captured. Kix is still running around do medic duties. I'm sure that won't change things at all.
As for Maul and Mandalore, it is a double edged sword. Some will see the invasion was warmongering, whilst others would see it as justified. Whatever the outcome is could change many things.
Ascoobian: Sidious isn't flawless in his schemes. He makes mistakes. In this case, a slip of the tongue has given Grievous a hint of something. Only time will tell if the General does anything with this new found information.
the Mandalorian terminator: It sure has gone fast, yeah! I just want it to be over now, but that means I actually have to get writing. Who'd of thought that authors need to write to get a story done? XD
Either way, you're welcome for the story. It really has exploded larger than I ever expected it to be. I just hope the ending makes the whole journey worth it and it's not a let down.
Glad you enjoyed all of the character based stuff in the last chapter. ROTS is half action, half character psychology really, so getting their thoughts and feelings right was important to how the end of the story goes down.
FleetingSpectre: Grievous is a smart cookie, despite what Clone wars perceives him as. Thought it would be fun to show him figuring something out based on Sidious' slip of tongue.
Obi-Wan and Caleb return in the next chapter. As for Depa resuming her role as Caleb's teacher... you'll have to wait and see. I've got plans though. XD
tf330129: Doing my best.
Hekkasi: About time someone put 2 and 2 together and got 4 rather than 5. Grievous doesn't quite realize how right he is though. XD
RyanSquad: Sorry! You know me by now. I love a cliffhanger. Expect some really really really mean ones in the next few chapters. I'm going full Sith Lord with them. XD