The clouds above Coruscant had begun to part somewhat, revealing the bright orange star the planet orbited around slowly disappearing over the horizon. The glow of the sun bathed the endless city towers of the planet in a deep calming orange warmth.
From where he sat in Obi-Wan's chair, Anakin Skywalker felt anything but the calming warmth of the sun.
He felt cold. Unsure. Confused.
Terrified.
He had told Windu what the Chancellor… no… what Sidious had told him. He had revealed the man's true identity.
And Windu had rushed to confront him, refusing to let Anakin come along. He had taken only a small team of Jedi Councillors to confront the most dangerous threat in the galaxy!
But not only that. He had taken a team of Jedi to kill someone Anakin deemed a friend, or had once deemed a friend.
Was Palpatine… Sidious, still his friend? He was a Sith after all! Sith could never be friends with Jedi... could they?
'He didn't try to harm you or anything in all the years you've known him. He's only ever helped you… and he wants to help you save Padmé too. If he can help you save her, he can help you save everyone else as well!'
Anakin snapped his eyes shut as he tried to push the voice out of his head. It wasn't helping him come to a decision… It was only making the situation worse.
Windu had told him to stay… so that was what he had to do… wasn't it?
Or had Windu only told him to stay because he didn't trust him? Windu had never trusted him! Why would he start now!?
But Palpatine had! He had trusted Anakin with his greatest secret… and he had run off and told someone else not even an hour later! What sort of friend was Anakin if he was going to…
But Palpatine was a Sith! He was a danger to everyone! To Padmé! To Ahsoka! To Obi-Wan! He couldn't be allowed to get away with what he had done!
But he could also help him! Help him save everyone!
Releasing a cry of anger, Anakin pushed himself up off of Obi-Wan's Council seat, and strode towards the massive windows of the Council Chamber.
In the distance, he could see both the Senate building, as well as the building that housed Padmé's apartment.
Padmé. His wife. His entire reason for being.
Everything he had ever done had been to protect her. He fought in the war to protect her. To ensure no harm would come to her. He had failed to protect his mother, but he wouldn't fail to protect his wife.
Or his unborn child.
Anakin stared out of the window, his eyes not moving from the distant outline of the tower complex that housed Padmé's apartment.
She was there right now, he knew that. Doing what, he didn't know, but he knew she was there.
He should be with her. He should be there to protect her from whatever was coming.
'Anakin. They have come for me. Why did you tell them?' A voice echoed in his head suddenly, one that sounded a lot like Palpatine's. There was fear in his voice, though Anakin wasn't sure if it was real fear or not. He was a Sith after all!
'You do know, don't you? If the Jedi destroy me, any chance of saving her will be lost.'
Palpatine's voice echoed in his head again. Anakin couldn't tell if he was actually hearing the man through the Force, or if it was a figment of his imagination, but it didn't matter either way.
Palpatine was his friend. But he was also his enemy.
Palpatine could help save Padmé and everyone else, but he was also his enemy.
Windu had never trusted him, but Palpatine was a Sith!
'Anakin… Ahsoka is here with me.'
A rush of panic flooded Anakin in an instant as he turned on his heels and sprinted out of the door of the Jedi Council chambers.
An ear shattering shriek hit Ahsoka's montrals, causing her to wince in pain and bring her hands up to cover the sensitive parts of her head. It felt as if the very sound of it pierced through her skull and into her brain, causing a headache to burst into agonizing existence in a moment, as well as her vision to blur from the pain.
Her momentary lapse of pain however was soon disturbed by what came next.
What Ahsoka could only describe as a blur of crimson flew over her head towards Master Windu and his fellow Jedi, the snap hiss of a lightsaber barely being picked up thanks to the shriek from before. For a moment, Ahsoka thought that she had ignited her own blade.
That was until she saw a bright red blade lunging towards Saesee Tiin.
The Iktotchi Jedi Master's reaction time proved to be too slow however, and before he could even defend himself, he was impaled on the glowing red blade.
Ahsoka watched in horror as the Jedi Master collapsed to the ground with a gasp, his signature in the Force suddenly fading away. She couldn't tell if he was dead or had just passed out, but the chances were he was mortally wounded.
The red blade then angled towards Agen Kolar, who managed to evade out of the way of the incoming blade by mere inches before angling his own saber to defend himself.
The red blade moved again, twirling in a vicious arc towards Master Windu, who retaliated with his own strike against the incoming lightsaber. Red and purple clashed briefly before the red withdrew to defend itself from an incoming strike from Shaak Ti's blue saber.
"Wha…" Ahsoka muttered to herself as the ringing in her montrals finally began to fade, her vision finally returning to normal.
It was in that moment that Ahsoka realized just who the crimson blur had been, and who was holding the red lightsaber.
Chancellor Palpatine stood between her and the Jedi, dueling with ferocity unmatched.
She couldn't believe her eyes. Palpatine… a Sith Lord? How could it be true?! She had trusted him! But now...
Her internal thoughts however were broken by another sudden development before her.
Agen Kolar had broken away from combat with the Chancellor, and was making a beeline straight for her, his blue blade preparing to strike her down.
Ahsoka reacted on instinct. She ignited her golden blade and brought it up to defend herself, entering into a saber lock with the Zabrak Master.
"Traitorous rat!" Kolar spat at her from across the bladelock before he pulled back briefly, unleashing a fast volley of elegant strikes against her seconds later. Each blow against her lightsaber forced her to take a step back. She knew she was no match for him. Agen Kolar was one of the most well respected swordsmen in the Jedi Temple. He'd best her with ease.
"I don't know what you mean! I haven't done anything Master! Please! Stop this madness!"
"Stop this madness?! You are a servant of the Sith, and you'll share his fate!" Kolar yelled in response as he brought his blade back briefly before launching forward again with a heavy handed strike.
The impact of his saber on hers sent Ahsoka stumbling backwards. She tripped over her own feet and fell onto her back, the Zabrak Jedi standing above her, eyes wild, poised to strike.
"Pathetic." Kolar snarled as he brought his saber up in preparation to execute her.
Ahsoka braced herself for what she knew was her death, until something far worse happened.
A red blade erupted through Agen Kolar's chest, killing him instantly. Ahsoka yelled in horror as the red blade was retracted through the corpse of the Zabrak as quickly as it had emerged, the body of the now deceased Jedi Master collapsing on top of her in the process.
It took Ahsoka a few seconds to realize exactly what had happened.
Palpatine… the Sith… had saved her? He had killed Kolar, just as he had Tiin, but he had done it to save her?
Or had he just done it because he had an opening? Ahsoka wasn't sure.
She needed answers.
Grimacing, she gingelly began to push Kolar's body off of her, treating it with as much respect as she could. He might have been trying to kill her in his final moments, but he was still her ally. Or at least, she thought he had been. How could he think she was a Sith? She had been just as oblivious to whatever the truth about Palpatine was as everyone else had.
'The Council is very quick to judge based on next to no facts after all. You know that.' The darker side of her mind whispered to her as she pushed herself off of the floor, glancing around the Chancellor's office.
She could hear the clashes of lightsabers, but could see no battle being raged around her. Evidently the duel had moved into a different room.
A duel. A duel in the office of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic! A Supreme Chancellor who seemed to be a Sith Lord! She almost didn't believe it. Likely wouldn't have if she hadn't seen it with her own two eyes.
Ahsoka didn't know what to do. She should help Masters Windu and Ti. Palpatine was a Sith. He had to be stopped!
But then, he had been the one to protect her when the Jedi were apparently more than willing to kill her!
And Palpatine had never made any moves against her or the other Jedi! He had been helping them… hadn't he?!
Ahsoka honestly didn't know what to do. She needed more information to act on as always, just as Anakin and Obi-Wan had taught her.
Regardless, she needed Palpatine alive. She needed to talk to him about the chips inside the Clones!
Gritting her teeth, Ahsoka pushed herself forward and towards the doorway that led into the atrium of the Chancellor's office, moving from one room to another.
In the middle of the room stood Palpatine, his red saber moving with ease to deflect attacks from two directions at one.
Both Mace Windu and Shaak Ti pushed the offensive from two sides, forcing Palpatine to defend himself or be cut down. The Force sang of danger, encouraging Ahsoka to run and escape from the chaos before her.
She couldn't though, not without answers.
A snarl echoed throughout the Chancellor's office, from the Chancellor's mouth as he evaded out of the way of harsh strike from Windu, turning to face Shaak Ti as she moved up alongside him, the two putting the pressure on Palpatine once again as he began to walk up the steps and towards the large glass panes behind him.
Ahsoka didn't know what to do. Both Windu's and Ti's backs were exposed to her. Should she try to intervene? Try to stop them?
Should she be fighting alongside them when they seemed to think she was some sort of Sith apprentice? Would they even want her fighting by their side?
'One of them just tried to kill me! They aren't my friends!'
Gritting her teeth, and holding her saber in her hands, ignited just in case, Ahsoka slowly began to approach the ongoing duel. She wasn't going to move to help, but she was ready, just in case one of them decided to attack her.
Ahsoka watched as Windu ducked under a swing from Palpatine's red blade, the lightsaber coming to clash briefly against Shaak Ti's saber before being diverted to defend his central line from Windu once again.
It looked like Palpatine was outmatched from where Ahsoka stood, but she couldn't be sure, not when it came to…
The duel changed suddenly. The Force cried out with the dark side as Palpatine unleashed a torrent of lightning with his free hand towards Windu and Shaak Ti.
Windu was able to bring up his saber in time to deflect the lightning. Shaak Ti however was not so lucky.
Shaak Ti's scream of pain caused Ahsoka to flinch as the Jedi Master was briefly engulfed in the torrent of dark side power before she was suddenly jerked to the side with the Force, sending her crashing through the window of the office.
Ahsoka watched with horror as the Togruta Jedi Master disappeared from sight out the window, plummeting towards the ground below.
Snapping out of her shock, Ahsoka began to move forward once again, determination set in.
Palpatine had to be stopped. She had to help Windu!
However, it turned out Windu didn't need the help. The second Palpatine dropped his torrent of lighting, the Jedi Master struck out with his purple blade.
Windu's lightsaber made contact with the hilt of Palpatine's red one, reducing it to molten slag which Palpatine dropped with a look of shock on his face.
The dark side of the Force began to build up around the Chancellor before he suddenly received Windu's boot to the face, knocking the elderly man to the floor, defenseless.
Still, Ahsoka continued to approach. Just because Palpatine was down didn't mean he was defeated. He could still pull another…
Ahsoka yelped at the sudden approach of Windu's purple blade as it came towards her face with a swift strike.
Stumbling backwards, Ahsoka barely had any time to deflect the assault from the Jedi Master with her own golden blade, let alone the following strikes that came after it.
"Master Windu! I'm not your enemy!" She cried out, trying to stop him.
Windu didn't stop however. His barrage of strikes continued, and this time, Palpatine did not come to her rescue. He was out cold on the floor.
So she was stuck, dueling a Jedi Master and Council member who seemed to think she was a Sith!
Except this wasn't a duel, not really! This was a fight to the death, she could tell.
'Don't let him win then idiot! Fight back! Get him first!' The darker part of her mind cried out to her, offering encouragement she really didn't want to hear at that moment in time. She didn't want to harm Windu. She needed to make him see reason!
"Master Windu! Please stop! I'm not a Sith!"
"I can't take that chance Tano! Manipulation and deceit are the weapons of the Dark Side." Windu replied immediately and without hesitation, his swings coming more and more violently towards her, forcing her back towards the steps.
She did her best to defend her centre line, but it was never going to work, not against a Council Member like Windu.
Three more strikes later, and two steps backwards, and Ahsoka felt her ankle twist in an unnatural direction as she stumbled down the steps, crying out in pain as she fell to the floor once again, saber falling out of her hand.
Ahsoka tried to scramble back to her feet, but found herself on the receiving end of a whiplash of the Force from Windu, knocking her back to the floor seconds later.
She was beaten. There was no more she could do.
Groaning in pain, she glanced up at Windu, who stood above her, purple blade pointed at her chest, a stoic look on his face.
The sadness in his eyes however revealed his true emotions, no matter how hard he tried to hide them.
"I am sorry, young one. We failed you." Windu spoke, his tone as emotionless as his facial expression.
"Master… I'm not…"
"I can't take that risk."
What risk? What risk couldn't he take? Why did he have to do this? Was he really going to just kill her without letting her explain?
'He let you get exiled without so much a second thought. Why should it be any different here?'
Ahsoka didn't like what the darker side of her mind was saying, but deep down, she knew some part of it was true.
The Council had never trusted her, or Anakin. As far as they were concerned, she was guilty of whatever crimes Palpatine was being accused of simply by association.
How many others would share the same fate? Would Anakin be treated the same? The various Senators within the Republic Senate? Admiral Tarkin? Would they all be guilty of being allied to a Sith simply by association?
Whatever he was, Palpatine had taken her under his wing when she needed it most. He had given her purpose and direction. She owed him.
But he was still a Sith!
Ahsoka didn't know what to do anymore. She had been forced into this situation by those around her. If she had just said no to Palpatine back then, when he had come to her apartment offering her work, then maybe she could have avoided this.
But she was here now, and it seemed that the choice, if she'd even had one to begin with, had already been made for her.
"You've made your choice! Go on then Windu! Do it!" Ahsoka spat, anger coursing through her, daring him to commit.
She knew he would, and she no longer cared.
She was done.
Windu stared back for a few more seconds before he brought his blade up slightly, preparing to bring it down to deliver a quick killing blow.
But before he could, however, the Force screamed an alert to Ahsoka, and a roaring voice of rage echoed around the Supreme Chancellor's office.
"WINDU! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY PADAWAN!"
Ahsoka barely had time to react before Windu was suddenly gone, sent flying backwards from a harsh Force push before a dark coloured blur vaulted over where she lay, azure blade ignited.
Pushing herself up, Ahsoka watched with horror as Windu, now back on his feet, brought his lightsaber up to deflect a series of heavy strikes from his new assailant.
"Anakin?"
"Skywalker?! What are you doing! I told you to stay in the Council Chamber!"
"I WON'T LET YOU HARM HER! HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT YOU!"
"Skywalker! Cease this display at once!"
Ahsoka could only watch as Anakin continued to assault Windu, forcing him back step by step, just as he had done to her earlier. If the situation wasn't so dire, Ahsoka would have appreciated the irony.
Blue crashed against purple almost faster than she could see, the two duelists matching each other blow for blow, despite the ground Windu was seemingly giving up to Anakin.
The clashes continued for a few more moments before they came together in a blade lock.
"I see, so you've chosen him then. We failed you as well Anakin, but I will do as I must and stop you."
"I won't let you harm them!" Anakin spat in response to Windu's words, confusing Ahsoka. Hurt who? Her? Palpatine? Someone else?
The Force continued to scream at Ahsoka, telling her to run.
But she couldn't. She couldn't leave Anakin alone, or Palpatine, or Windu.
She opened her mouth to speak, to try and formulate words, to beg them both to stop and see reason, but no words formed. Her mouth felt unpleasantly dry instead, the sounds she was able to make coming out croaky, as if she was in pain.
Anakin clearly heard her croaky sounds however, judging by the way their bond in the Force flared in anger at her apparent pain caused by Windu.
With that, the Jedi Knight redoubled his attack, pushing Windu out of the saber lock and back to the edge of the now shattered window panes that Shaak Ti had previously been sent flying through.
Clash after clash occurred before Anakin launched a different kind of attack.
He twisted his blade to the side, dragging Windu's with it, out of the way of his centre line, and lunged forward with his head, crashing it into Windu's face.
The Jedi Master cried out in pain from the headbutt, his defence broken, and then Anakin struck.
The Knight pulled his blade down Windu's, the plasma beam making contact with the hilt and slicing clean through both it, and Windu's wrists, separating the Master's hands from his arms.
At the scream of pain from Windu, Anakin backed away, seemingly horrified at what he had done. For a moment, Ahsoka thought that perhaps the past animosity would be gone, and that he would help the Council Member.
That hopefulness however was short lived. The Dark Side of the Force sang out, and Windu was suddenly engulfed in a torrent of lightning.
Snapping her head to the side, Ahsoka spotted Palpatine, now back on his feet, hands outstretched, a harsh sneer on his face as he delivered stream after stream of Force lighting at Windu.
The smell of burning flesh began to reach her nose before the torrent finally stopped.
With a sadistic smirk, Palpatine waved his hand in a simple gesture, and Windu's smoking form was sent catapulting out of the window, just as Shaak Ti's had been.
Silence flooded the Chancellor's office, with no one moving a muscle. The only sounds that could be heard was the wind outside, along with distant traffic. No one seemed to breathe. No one spoke. They all just sat in silence, each contemplating.
Palpatine was a… and Windu had tried to… and Anakin…
Ahsoka didn't know what to do. So much had happened in a short space of time. Surely, this was all just a dream, right? A nightmare that she would wake up from any minute now?
It had to be! Palpatine couldn't be a Sith! Windu couldn't be dead! Anakin…
Anakin couldn't have attacked and literally disarmed a Council member… could he?
'They attacked you! They deserved it!'
She tried to push the thought from her mind, but she knew that it was partly right. The Council Members had attacked her, but that didn't mean they deserved death!
'But if they weren't dead, they'd just keep trying to kill you. You wouldn't spare a battle droid or a Geonosian after it tried to kill you, would you?'
It wasn't the same, she knew it wasn't… but… would she spare them?
Ahsoka didn't know anymore.
The silence in the office was suddenly disturbed by the sound of boots moving towards her, as well as the sound of breathing as the figure of Palpatine crouched down before her, his blue eyes surveying her face.
'Wait… blue eyes? If he's a Sith… shouldn't he have golden eyes like Maul?'
A lance of pain shot through her ankle as she shifted her weight to better look at Palpatine's face.
His eyes were indeed blue, but gone was the friendly expression she was used to seeing, instead replaced by a stern, commanding look. The dark side signature in the Force that had been swirling around him had receded, an evident attempt to hide his identity. If she hadn't just seen what she had seen, she'd have believed it.
She had believed it for so long, and now…
"It is unfortunate that you have been mixed up in this conflict my dear, but alas, what's done is done, and we must move quickly to survive."
Palpatine's words…it was almost as if he cared, but she couldn't believe that…could she? He was a Sith.
'A Sith who saved your life, don't forget.'
"I…" Ahsoka spoke, not sure what else to say. What could she say?
Palpatine extended a hand to her, one that she stared at in trepidation. Only moments ago she had witnessed that hand emit a lethal discharge of Force lightning, one that had practically cooked Windu alive!
How could she trust that the hand was safe to take? He could be planning to fry her… just as he had Windu!
'Why would he kill you now after saving you from Kolar? If he wanted you dead, he'd have let Kolar be!'
Against her base instinct, Ahsoka found herself slowly reaching for Palpatine's hand…
That was before she heard a heart wrenching cry come from where Anakin was.
The Jedi Knight had collapsed to his knees, his saber rolling out of his hands as he stared out of the broken window as he spoke.
"Wha… what have I done?"
Ahsoka could tell he was on the verge of tears, on the verge of a mental breakdown. As confused and conflicted as she was, she knew it would have to be worse for Anakin.
He had, after all, been responsible for Windu's death, even if he hadn't struck the killing blow.
At that moment, Palpatine didn't matter. Ignoring his offered hand, Ahsoka pushed herself up, wincing at her ankle before moving towards where Anakin was sitting, shaking violently.
As fast as she had stood up, she fell down to her knees beside him, clutching his arm with her hands in an attempt to bring him back.
"Anakin… Anakin it's ok… you're fine…"
"No…I…I…I killed him!"
"No you didn't… you didn't kill him."
"But I did… I cut his arms off and…and…"
"But you stopped after that… you didn't kill him."
"I… he was going to kill you!"
"But you stopped him."
"I…"
Ahsoka clutched his arm tighter, digging her nails in, hoping that the pain it would cause would snap him out of it.
The sound of boots approaching her caused a sense of deja vu to rush through her, and moments later Palpatine appeared before them both, this time standing above them.
"Anakin." The Chancellor… the Sith Lord spoke. "Your actions today were heroic. A true example of why you are the one who will save us all. But right now we face a grave threat. When the rest of the Jedi hear of what has transpired here today we will become targets. We must move swiftly if we are to ensure the survival of the Republic.
"I… I don't know how I can help." Anakin responded, his shaking beginning to subside. Ahsoka wasn't sure if it was because of Palpatine, or her digging her nails into his arm.
She hoped it was the latter, but something told her it was the former.
"But you do, don't you Anakin? Those dreams you've been having? Those you love are in danger… and it has begun today. You barely stopped young Ahsoka from coming to harm. If you wish to save the rest, we must move now."
'Dreams? What dreams? What had Anakin been going through?!'
"Padmé… she… I can't…"
"I know Anakin, I know, and I will help you save her as I promised, but I can only do that if I too survive. We must eliminate any threats against us immediately, and that begins with the Jedi Order."
Ahsoka felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Was Palpatine really planning to do what she thought he was?!
"If it ensures the safety of Padmé, then I will help you." Gone was the shakiness in Anakin's tone, instead replaced by steadfast determination.
"What?! No!" Ahsoka found herself crying aloud, earning a look of concern from Anakin, as well as a narrowed glance of the eyes from Palpatine.
"Ahsoka… the Council just tried to kill us! They tried to kill you!" Anakin spoke, finally moving from his crouched position to face Ahsoka, his arms grasping hold of hers now in what he clearly hoped was a comforting gesture.
"That doesn't mean we need to…" Ahsoka began to reply before being cut off by Palpatine.
"My dear you may not like it but today you have become an enemy of the Jedi Order. Four Council Members just tried to execute us both! If they were willing to do that, imagine what else they might be considering. The fate of the Republic… of the galaxy could very well be at stake!"
"But you're a Sith!" Ahsoka cried in response, knowing that Palpatine was making sense. The Councillors had shown that they were willing to commit murder for their own reasons. What else could they do?!
"Indeed I am, but that is not a crime in itself. I have sat and watched for so long, but made no moves against either of you. Instead I have offered help and guidance to you both. I have trusted you both this day with my true identity, now I ask that you both trust me to ensure not only your safety, but the safety of everyone in the galaxy, Senator Amidala included."
"I trust you." Anakin responded with hesitation, a fire in his tone unlike anything Ahsoka had ever heard from it.
It scared her… but…
"I… even if the Council is planning something like this again, we can't just march into the Temple and kill everyone! We'd be no better than them." Ahsoka began ruminating, almost not believing that she was even considering such a thing.
'The Council betrayed you. They tried to kill you. Palpatine and Anakin have not. They deserve your help, not the Jedi.'
"So what do you suggest, Agent Tano?" Palpatine inquired, his tone turning serious, as it did when he was giving her commands before an assignment.
Ahsoka began to run through all of the options. Massacring the Temple was out of the question. She wouldn't commit genocide to fullfil a Sith Lord's desire.
If it really was just the Jedi Council who had decided on this course of action, then surely only they needed to be dealt with?
But then… the Jedi Knights and Masters wouldn't let them near the Councillors willingly, not after today. They'd fight to the death.
And if a fight broke out, the Padawans, the younglings, they would all be at risk.
That left her only one viable option.
"We give them a chance to surrender. We go to the Temple, offer them a chance. If they accept it, great, if not…" Ahsoka said, refusing to finish the sentence. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if they didn't surrender.
Palpatine seemed to consider this for a few moments before Anakin spoke up.
"She's right, Chancellor. There are those within the Temple who are more loyal to the Republic than they are to the Jedi Council. If we can convince them to help us we can not only remove those that plotted against us, but replace them with like minded individuals who will be willing to cooperate with us."
Ahsoka had to admit that she was surprised by Anakin's own thoughts. She didn't like the idea of replacing the Council with those that Palpatine, or that she or Anakin could control, but the other options were so much worse.
Genocide or control? It was not an easy choice.
"Are you suggesting that we reform the Jedi Order to better serve the Republic?" Palpatine spoke plainly, moving away from the duo and towards the broken window, glancing outside.
"In a way. It prevents us from becoming the instigator in what would otherwise be a war crime. If the Jedi resist, then it's clear they don't have the best interests of the Republic in mind." Anakin concluded as he too rose from his knees.
Ahsoka remained on hers however, a new thought coming to her mind.
"How would we even convince the Jedi to surrender? Myself and Anakin would be no match for hundreds of Jedi."
"I will dispatch Commander Fox and the Coruscant Guard to assist you. I also recommend calling in the support of the 501st." Palpatine responded, his mention of the Clones reminding Ahsoka of why she had come in the first place.
"The chips." Ahsoka whispered, earning her a confused look from Anakin.
"The Clones. They've got these organic chips in their heads. It's what made Tup go crazy and execute the Jedi on Ringo Vinda! We need to get them out!"
Palpatine's response was swift. "Those chips were supposedly aggression inhibitor chips. Are you telling me you found some evidence to the contrary?"
"Yes." Ahsoka replied, knowing that it was a lie. She only had Rex, Fives and Kix's words to go on, but that was enough for her.
Especially since the person they had suspected being behind whatever the chips were for had now revealed himself as a Sith Lord!
She couldn't trust Palpatine, that much she knew. But he hadn't tried to kill her, not yet at least. For now, she could work with him if only to uncover the truth.
Palpatine turned back to facing out of the window before he replied.
"Very well. Once the Jedi threat has been resolved, I shall personally reopen the investigation into these 'chips'. Our soldiers deserve the best for their service after all. But first, head to the Jedi Temple and resolve the problem there. If they refuse to cooperate with your plan, then do what you must, even if that involves using lethal force.
"Yes, Supreme Chancellor." Anakin replied as he bowed to the main, the sight filling Ahsoka with horror. She'd never thought she'd see Anakin bow to a Sith Lord.
But then, she never thought that she too would cooperate with one the way she was about to.
But, she had to. It was the best possible way to save as many lives as she could, both Jedi and Clone.
Without saying anything, Ahsoka pushed herself to her feet and began to follow Anakin out of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor.
Darth Sidious watched as Tano left his office without a word.
He knew she couldn't be trusted. If she knew about the chips… well…
She was a threat, but she was also useful in keeping Skywalker under control.
Snarling to himself, he moved over to the nearby holoprojector in his office and began to key in a communication code.
The Jedi within the Temple might surrender, but they would not survive the night, not if he had anything to do with it. And even if they did survive, Tano would be unable to protect the many Jedi scattered around the galaxy, those that were completely at the mercy of their Clone Troopers.
Allowing a dark smile to come to his face, Sidious finished keying in the code and watched as a hologram of a Clone Commander appeared before him.
"Sir?" The Clone spoke, confusion in his tone.
The smile on Sidious' face grew wider.
"Commander Bacara, the time has come. Execute Order 66."
Author's thoughts
Yes yes, been a while. Been busy and whatnot, sorry, I will finish this, I just need time. Killer virus, stress at work, depression, being lazy, all sorts. You know the drill.
Regardless, this chapter has been a long time coming, and it took a lot of rewriting to get it to where it is. I'm still not 100% on how good it is, so I'll let you be the judge of that. Either way I hope you enjoyed it. We are moving towards the end now... I've just got to write the damn thing.
There is plenty more I could say about this chapter, but the big thing I feel I should address is Ahsoka's choice, or to put it more accurately, the lack of a choice she's been given. For so long many of you have been speculating on her falling and bowing to Sidious. That however, is not completely the case. She has instead had her path chosen for her by Windu's actions. Ahsoka was, for all accounts and measures, in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now she is left with little choice but to side with Sidious. How loyal she truly is however remains to be seen.
As usual, thanks to my incredibly patient and supportive beta reader 'ArrinSnyders'. If I had a medal to give you buddy, I would.
Next time round: Knightfall.
Comment and speculate at will, speaking of which:
Mentalhead123: Sorry for the delay, but at least now you know the answer to your question. Hope it was enjoyable.
Mysterious Guest 1: Each to our own. Anakin is powerful and would mop the floor with most fighters, that's for certain, but only if he wasn't emotionally unbalanced.
But as you say, I've already ruined the story and character with how it's gone.
abdacom3015: Glad you liked the chapter. Sorry about the cliffhangers.
Aredianx: It's a writing technique known as a 'Prolepsis', more commonly referred to as a flash-forward. It's used to convey a future scene with anticipation of how events came about. The flash-forward is not clear on whose side anyone is on, it's left vague.
But then why am I trying to tell you this since you aren't spending anymore time on this story huh?
Adamantium-Soldier74: Well... now you know how accurate that prediction is. Happy? :)
Rage-Forever: I know I know... I'm sorry. Personal stuff. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
60FPS: I'm glad you enjoy the character development. It's the most fun to write. Not many chapters left now though. Maybe another 10?
Tragic Fiction: Do not threaten me or I'll leave more cliffhangers. :)
amerdism: Looks like you predicted the position Ahsoka was forced into huh? Nice job. Glad someone was able to. Hope it was worth the wait.
Interesting ideas regarding Mandalore and the 501st as well. Can't say I've ever thought of it like that.
1saaa: Yeah, writing a pure Sidious chapter was a lot of fun. About time we got into his head fully.
I hope the hype was worth the wait. :)
the Mandalorian terminator: Eehh... sort of back... from time to time. Sorry. I will finish it, I promise. Just gotta work up the enthusiasm to do so.
But yeah, that was a fun chapter to write out. Not very often we get Sidious POV stuff, so it was fun to write his chaotic manipulations of everything. :)
Hope this chapter was just as good.
Hekkasi: Glad you approved of the Sidious chapter. It was a chance for me to get everything into place and recap important events from his perspective before we hit the big moment in his office. I don't know why, I just enjoy writing manipulative Palpy.
And yeah, poor Ahsoka is so lost and confused regarding what's going on, as shown with this chapter.
tr330129: Doing my best. :)
RyanSquad: Yeah, marching into the Chancellor's office without evidence was a bit of a moron move on Windu's part. He paid the price at least. Hope you enjoyed the chaos.
Krexxal: I mean... I couldn't resist. All of Grievous' scenes in 2003 CW are perfect, so I wanted them in. :)