The Shroud of The Dark Side (CW AU)

by SkywalkerStories13

Now that the Clone Wars have begun, Rosella and her family must fight to bring peace back to the Republic. As the battles continue to escalate and grow even more dangerous, Anakin knows that he will have to do whatever it takes to make sure that the Force stays balanced and the Sith doesn't claim total control over the galaxy.

35. Rosella Learns a Valuable Lesson

"aaaa" - talking through a holocomunicator or comlink. aaaa - inner thoughts and Force Visions. 'aaaa' - talking through a bond. 'aaaa' - regular dreams

AN: I want to take a few minutes to apologize for how long this took for me to finish and edit.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (for those who celebrate it) and has a very good start to 2023! Happy New Year in advance!

I can't wait for the new season of the Bad Batch that airs next week!

Thank you princesselsaamidala22 and my guest reviewer for your reviews. I love reading them.

On with the story!

After Anakin asks Padmé to teach Rosella about politics, the Senator takes the young padawan on a trip to meet an old friend of hers.

---

Chapter 25: Rosella Learns a Valuable Lesson

Two days later, Anakin returned to Coruscant. After delivering his completed mission report to the Chancellor, he left the Executive Building and made his way to the area where he had parked his speeder. Vaulting over the closed door, he started the engine and let the craft rise from the landing pad. Within a few minutes, he was flying away from the building.

Quickly entering one of the many skylanes that criss-crossed the planet, he headed towards the Temple.

While piloting the yellow machine, he contemplated his somewhat growing friendship - if he could even call it that - with Palpatine. The last time he had been in the older man's presence was when he had been tasked with making the report on the missing children that had been abducted and later found.

He was still a little wary of the man whenever he had to be around him. To him, it seemed that Palpatine was only thinking about how much power he could get his hands on while in office. Of course, the Knight could sense that he was concerned about the war and while it seemed like he was doing everything that he could to put a stop to it, it wasn't enough.

Even though he still thought that Palpatine was a good person, he could tell that the man was hiding something. Hiding some deep, dark secret that he didn't want anyone to know about.

Letting out a sigh, he pushed the thoughts out of his mind and continued on his way.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, at the Temple, Rosella was sitting at her desk. She, and everyone else who was taking the class on how to track and properly identify criminals, had already handed in their homework - well, those who had done it - and were now patiently waiting as their teacher handed out their tests.

Once everyone had a tablet in front of them, Master Sytasci, who had returned to the front of the room and was now sitting in her chair behind her desk, nodded and told them to begin.

As they all started to answer the questions that were on the screen, Rosella and a few others realized that they started off very easy and only got harder and harder the further down the page they got.

For the next two hours, the only sound that could be heard throughout the entire room was the tapping, and the occasional movement, of styluses on screens.

By the time the entire class was finished, it was nearly lunchtime.

Getting up from her seat, the Jedi Master went around, collected all the tablets and walked back to her desk. Then she dismissed them all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After eating lunch together in the mess hall, the Skywalker duo headed back to their apartment.

Upon entering the main area, the Knight turned to face Rosella and apologized for missing her fifteenth birthday. The teenager smiled and hugged him, saying that it was alright and that she forgave him since he had been travelling back from his mission when the party had been thrown.

It had been held in the common room of the barracks where the 501st lived and Rex and some of the vod'e had planned it themselves, with some help from Padmé and Obi-Wan.

As soon as she had let go, Anakin headed for the refresher, saying that he needed a quick shower. Once he had finished, gotten out and dried off, the comlink that was attached to his glove went off. Walking over to the counter that he had placed it on, he slipped it on, pressed the button and asked who was calling. Padmé answered and then invited him to come and observe the emergency session that Palpatine had called.

Anakin agreed to come. After he hung up, he decided to bring Rosella along, even though he knew she didn't like politics, as he thought that it was time for her to learn how the system worked.

Quickly heading back to his room, he changed into his new outfit. He had gone back to his usual clothing style that he had worn before the war had started, but with a few changes to the color scheme. Instead of a red undertunic, he went for one that was more of a darker shade of red, almost brown looking. Over top of that, he wore a brown overtunic. Reaching up to his shoulders, he adjusted the dark brown tabard to make sure it was sitting where he wanted it to. He kept the brown belt and the same glove that was on his left hand. As soon as he pulled on his combat boots, he made sure his lightsaber was attached to his belt and left his room.

Once Rosella was ready to go, they left the apartment and made their way down to one of the hanger bays. Selecting one of the available speeders, the pair got in.

Anakin started the engine and took off, heading towards the Senate Building.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once Anakin and Rosella arrived at the Senate, they quickly made their way to the floor that contained, among many others, the pod that belonged to the delegation of Naboo. When they got to the entryway, they saw that the door that led to the chamber was closed as the session had already started and the guard, who was stationed outside, was under strict orders not to let anyone else in.

As soon as Anakin told the man that Padmé had invited them, he nodded and let them go in.

Walking into the small antechamber, the pair stopped in front of the doors. When they slid open a few minutes later, both Master and Padawan entered the room and got their first look at the massive chamber.

As the doors slid shut behind them, the fourteen year old stepped forward and leaned against the right side of the short walkway that led into the pod when it was attached to its magnetic berth. She let out a long winded sigh as she stared at the multitude of different beings who were currently gathered together to discuss the war and whether or not they had enough money to allow it to escalate any further.

Politics, like diplomacy, was not one of her strong subjects.

The young girl tilted her head as she heard Mas Amedda, who was the Vice Chancellor, call for order from the Speaker's platform and ask that one of the Senators, whose name was Saam, be allowed to finish his argument.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is not a matter of philosophy," Saam said as a camera droid floated in front of him and then moved off to the side. He continued as though he hadn't seen it. "We need more troops. The Republic cannot afford to let the Separatists gain any more ground!"

Padmé, who was listening to everything that the male Ishi Tib was saying, she narrowed her eyes since it didn't sit well with her. All the while, Captain Typho, who had returned from visiting his family, was standing right behind her with his arms crossed over his chest. Then she shifted her eyes over to Bail and listened to him as he began his counter argument.

"Our Generals inform us that the troops whom we currently have fighting in the field are continuing to perform valiantly," the Alderaanian Senator said. "What we cannot afford to do is be irresponsible. My fellow colleagues, this war has cost the Republic greatly. If we take out any more money from our already dwindling budget, then I fear we will go bankrupt soon."

Rosella crossed her arms over her chest as the entire chamber erupted into applause and cheers as well as some shouts of disbelief and jeers.

Bail was about to continue when Lot Dodd, who had already detached his pod from its magnetic landing, interrupted him.

"My friends, my friends..." the Neimoidian Senator said as he directed his pod up beside the one that the Techno Union member was in. He waited for a few minutes as the last few members grew quiet and then continued. "We don't need to worry about bankruptcy. If we pass the bill that Senator Saam has proposed, it will open new lines of credit which will give us access to the needed funds."

Mon Mothma, who was Chandrila's Senator, spoke up from her pod, which was still anchored to its magnetic berth. "Won't that essentially deregulate the banks?" She asked. It was clear by the tone of her voice and apparent frown on her face that she didn't like the idea.

Halle Burtoni, who was the Senator for the planet of Kamino, stepped forward. "A small price to pay to finance the war, is it not?" The elderly woman asked. Her species, the Kaminoans, were slender, towering and pale-skinned. They hadn't really been a part of the Republic up until the beginning of the war. The only reason they had been granted a seat was because she had used her planet's role as the source of the clones' creation as a bargaining chip.

It seemed that the female's retort, although it was phrased as a question, had the desired effect that she was hoping for as the entire chamber dissolved into a free-for-all, with many of the Senators and some of the Representatives yelling from their pods even though they were still magnetically attached to their landings. It seemed that they wanted one of two things.

Most of them wanted the war to keep going. Others wanted to get a bill on the table.

Padmè couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rising from her seat, she moved over to her pod's controls. "Members of the Senate!" She called out as she pressed a button and let her pod move out onto the floor on its automated track. The floating machine came to a stop beside Bail's. "Have you stopped to listen to what you're saying?" Without even waiting for a response to her rhetorical question, she continued speaking. "Some of you are asking for more money. Others are shouting for the war to continue." She sadly shook her head. "Say nothing of our fiscal responsibility, what about our moral responsibility? This war has been going on for two years. Haven't you all grown tired of all the fighting?"

"Senator Amidala," Senator Saam said, causing the female to look down at his pod since it was floating below the one that she was in, "are you suggesting we surrender to the Separatists?"

Padmé shook her head. "Of course not," she responded. Shifting her gaze away for a second, she took a deep breath before looking back at her fellow Senator. "I'm simply saying that negotiation might be a better course of action over allowing the war to continue."

One Senator seemed to be appalled by the idea. "You can't negotiate with those animals!" he bellowed. "I say we keep this war going and vote now!"

Suddenly the chamber was filled with shouting.

As the chamber began to fill with shouting, it only added to Rosella's growing confusion.

"Members of the Senate," Bail said, raising his voice so he could be heard over the last few voices who faded away as the room grew quiet. "Might I suggest that we table any further discussion on this matter until it can be determined whether or not deregulation is the right course of action for us to follow."

Mas Amedda, who had been listening from his position beside the Chancellor, nodded and said, "Very well. We will reconvene at a later date and hopefully by then everyone will have calmed down."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After everyone had been dismissed from the Grand Convocation Chamber and subsequently left the building where the meetings were held, a good number of Senators, as well as their aides, headed to the Senate Executive Building since they had work to do or meetings to attend in their offices which were located in the smaller building. One such office belonged to the InterGalactic Banking Clan.

The door slid open as three men approached it. None of them looked very happy.

Nix Card, the tall Munn who had been appointed Senator of his homeworld and the representative for the money lending organization, threw his hands up in the air as he walked through the doorway. "That was a disaster!" He exclaimed, frustrated that the bill hadn't gone through. "We would have made billions if that legislation had been passed."

Lott Dodd was the next person to walk through the wide entryway, followed by Gume Saam.

"I tried my best to push the bill through," he said. "But even with the added assistance, there just wasn't enough political sway to convince everyone to pick our side."

As he followed the Muun over to his desk, Lott turned his head slightly to the left so he was looking at the Ishi Tib, who was walking behind him. "You did your part, Representative," he said, nodding to him before turning to face the taller man, who'd just reached the chair behind his desk. "Senator Amidala is the problem."

"I thought for sure that her age, combined with the experience of working in the Senate, would be enough to temper her idealism," Nix said as he took his seat and stroked his chin with his hand.

Saam, who was walking towards the desk, placed one of his clawed hands on his chest and said, "I just so happen to know some people who would be more than willing to do something about her if I ask them to."

Lot Dodd, who glanced over his shoulder at his fellow Senator, nearly snorted as he shook his head. "That task is far more harder than you presume," he said, thinking back to the time when the Federation had blockaded the planet of Naboo. After that ploy had failed, he had gotten Dooku to hire a bounty hunter to go after her. That plan, which would have ended with her dead in one of the arenas on Geonosis, had also crashed and burned.

"Gentlemen," Nix said as he sat up and took his hand off his chin, "do I have to remind you that both the Banking Clan and the Trade Federation are about business, not violence." The Munn turned his chair around and took in the view outside his office while crossing his hands over his chest.

"Hmm," the Neimoidian mused as he turned to face the back of Card's chair. Turning once more to face the rest of the room, he continued speaking. "In this case, our business is violence."

"Precisely," the Muun said as he uncrossed his arms, placing his hands on the arms of his chair. "With or without Senator Amidala, I find it very unlikely that the Senate would approve the deregulation of the banks." He tapped his long fingers together. "Not unless the war hits home."

"What do you mean by that?" Lott asked as he moved away from the window.

Nix Card lowered his head and continued to tap his fingers together as he thought of a plan. Then he slowly smiled and moved his hands away from his face. "Perhaps some unexpected bloodshed on Coruscant might be enough to change a few minds," he said.

"Coruscant?" He asked, his voice betraying the slightest hint of disbelief as he watched Nix spin his chair around. "This planet hasn't been attacked in over 1,000 years."

"Then it has a false sense of security," the tall male said as he got up out of his seat, towering over the other two as he strolled casually around the desk. "There are some powerful clients on the other side who would be more than willing to help us, shall we say, make the point."

Saam placed a finger in the air and said, "I like how you think, Senator."

Nix leaned closer to him and said, "No one cares what you think."

Strolling past the Techno Union Representative, the Muun led the way out of his office.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On one of the lower levels of the building, Anakin, Rosella, and Padmé were walking down the hallway. As they rounded the curve, passing by two Senators who were speaking to each other in hushed whispers, the Senator glanced over at her secret husband and asked, "Is there any way you can convince the Jedi Council to speak with the Chancellor about opening negotiations?"

Anakin shook his head and said, "Padmé, please don't get me involved in this."

"But a peaceful solution will be the only way to officially end this war," she told him.

The Knight let out an unhappy sigh, as both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had instilled that fact in him ever since he had been accepted into the Order as a child. "I know," he said. "But you know that's not my role."

"Why not?" Rosella asked as she quickened her pace and moved around the group so she was walking slightly ahead of Padmé. Turning her head, she looked at her adopted parents. "I understand that the Jedi and the Senate have different roles to play, but aren't we Jedi Knights?" Well, Anakin was a Knight. She wasn't one yet, but her role was still important. "Isn't it our duty to speak our minds and give advice to the Chancellor?"

Anakin, who really didn't know how to answer the second question that Rosella had asked, uncomfortably cleared his throat and looked at Padmé. "I was hoping that you could teach my padawan a thing or two about politics," he said.

Shifting her eyes towards the teenager, Padmé said, "I was really hoping she learned something after watching today's debate."

"Truthfully, I don't understand any of it," Rosella said, moving ahead of the group as she raised one of her eyebrows. "I get it. The Separatists are evil. It's obvious that everyone knows that. But the only topics that were discussed were interest rates and the possibility of deregulating the banks. What I really want to know is why no one was talking about the war and the real reason why we're fighting in the first place."

Anakin glanced at his apprentice with a slightly worried expression on his face. Quickening his pace, he moved forward, turned around and held up his hand, forcing the small group to come to a halt in the middle of the corridor. "This war is complicated Rosella, but let me try and simplify it for you." He said, crossing his arms over his chest, just like he had done while watching the debate. "The Separatists believe that the Republic is corrupt, but they're wrong, so it's up to us to restore order." A tiny smirk appeared on his face as he finished speaking.

The look that Padmé gave her husband while she tilted her head to the right and crossed her own arms over her chest told him how unimpressed she was with the response that he had come up with. "You certainly have a very black and white way of looking at things, Ani," she said. "Clearly, you aren't the right person who should be speaking to the Council about this." Uncrossing her arms, she walked forward, forcing Anakin to move to the side. "Thanks for your help. Come on, Rosella."

Rosella tossed him a teasing smirk as she followed the Senator, who was already walking down the hall.

"Hey!" Anakin indignantly protested as he watched his wife and daughter walk away.

"You did ask me to teach her about politics, so that's what I'm going to do," Padmé told him without even turning around.

Turning around, Rosella glanced at her father and shot him an amusing grin. Then she smiled at Padmé before paying attention to where she was going.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I have just been informed of a problematic situation that is brewing in the Senate," Dooku said. Even though he was stationed somewhere else, he was still able to communicate via hologram. "We must make sure that my master's carefully constructed plans do not come unhinged." The Sith Lord was currently speaking to Grievous, who had been placed in charge of the entire Separatist droid army. The cyborg, who was currently sitting in the captain's chair aboard a Separatist frigate that was somewhere out in space, listened to the instructions that his superior gave him. "My representatives in the Republic will be relying on you, General. See that your droids complete their mission."

"But of course, Count," Grievous responded. "They will not fail."

Once the Count's hologram faded away, Grievous got up from his seat and left the bridge.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rosella crossed her legs while leaning against the right side of Padmé's desk as she inspected her nails. Even though she hadn't been out on a mission since her trip to Mandalore, she still tried her hardest to keep them clean.

Meanwhile, Padmé, who was currently standing in front of the large window that was located at the back of her office, was staring off into the distance with her hands clasped together, thinking about everything that had been discussed in the meeting. Just as the sun was about to dip below the horizon, she let out a soft sigh and lowered her hands away from her chest. "If only I could talk to Senator Bonteri," she said.

Whether the Senator's words were meant to be overheard or not was out of the question as Rosella, without even looking up from what she was doing, asked, "Who's he?"

The name was not one that she was familiar with. Even though she knew the names of some of the Senator's closest allies, this one was not on that list.

Padmé, who remembered that Rosella knew almost nothing about her past, besides the fact that she had been elected Queen at the age of 14, turned around and glanced at her daughter as she moved away from the window. "He is actually a she," she responded. "Senator Bonteri just so happens to be a part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems."

Rosella's eyes widened as she took a few minutes to absorb the information that she had just heard. Dropping her right hand down onto the desk and using it to brace herself, she turned around to look at her mother, watching as she turned around and walked back over to the window. "Your friend is a Separatist?" She asked, unable to keep the shock and evident disbelief out of her voice. "Doesn't that mean she's one of Dooku's pawns?"

"The Separatists used to be a part of the Republic," Padmé replied as she glanced at the skyline one last time before turning around and walking over to her chair. She placed one of her hands on the back of the chair and continued speaking. "I was close with many of the Senators who left. I may not agree with everything that they've done, but I do know that they are definitely more than pawns."

Getting off the desk, the padawan didn't say anything for a few minutes as she quietly thought about what her mother had said. She had never even stopped to consider just how many friends the Senator had lost since the conflict had started. One of the things that was starting to intrigue her was the fact that Padmé could still be friends with someone who was now considered to be evil, since she was a Separatist and had more than likely joined Dooku's cause because he was offering something far greater than what the Republic ever could.

"Well then, let's go talk to her," Rosella said. "I'm pretty sure that would be a good place to start considering that you think negotiating is the right thing to do."

Padmé sighed, her facial expression turning into a conflicted one. "I'm afraid we can't do that," she said, placing her other hand on the back of the chair. "The Senate's declared it illegal."

The young girl's hazel eyes widened slightly. "Illegal?" She asked.

Padmé nodded and let out yet another sigh. "They say that official meetings would only legitimize the Separatists," she responded as she let go of the chair, causing it to swing slightly to the right as she walked back over to the window.

"I'm pretty sure the Separatist Government is already legit. After all, we have been at war with them for over a year now," Rosella said as she turned to the right, walked around the desk and stopped in between the two chairs. "One of the subjects in my Government - Foundations, Democracy & Politics class is all about the different types of governments that exist in the galaxy. There can be multiple forms and even though it's not always easy to agree on certain things, the idea can and has worked for more than a few star systems that currently reside within the Republic." Then she let out a sigh, glancing at the top of the desk. "I know that Anakin and I get to hold what he likes to call 'aggressive negotiations' all the time. I think it's a shame that the Senate won't allow you to hold any peaceful talks with them when you want to. The way I see it, if that had been done before all the fighting had started, then maybe this entire war could have been avoided."

Padmé softly smiled and turned her head so Rosella could hear her. "That gives me an idea," she said, her voice suddenly sounding much more optimistic than before. Turning around, she continued speaking. "You're a Jedi, which means you have special clearance."

"Right..." Rosella said, sounding slightly confused since she was trying to see where the Senator was going with her current train of thought.

"That means you are allowed to travel to neutral worlds like Mandalore where we could catch a ride on a cargo ship that will be heading to a Separatist system," she said as she walked towards her desk, hoping that the teenager would agree to help her.

"Hold on a minute!" Rosella protested as she glanced up at the Senator, her eyes going wide. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, it sounds like you're asking me to use my status as a Jedi to smuggle you behind enemy lines just to hold an illegal meeting."

Padmé's eyes widened for a brief second. "It's just that, you could get us through to meet with her," she said as she moved towards her chair and placed her hands on the back of it. She did have another reason for the visit, but she wasn't so sure that Rosella would agree to go if she told her what it was. So, she came up with a simpler one. "Plus, I haven't seen her or her family in a very long time."

Rosella sighed and took a few minutes to think about what the Senator was asking her to do. On one hand, she knew that her father wasn't going to be very happy about this when he found out. But deep down, she knew that her mother was going to go through with this no matter the consequences as she could be pretty persuasive - and stubborn - when she needed to be. "I'll come with you Mom," she said. "But only to make sure that you don't get in trouble. Besides, Dad did ask you to teach me about politics."

"Right…" Padmé said.

"You know," she remarked, watching as her mother walked around her desk, "you and Anakin have a lot in common. Maybe it was fate that led to the two of you ending up together."

The Senator softly smiled. "Maybe it was," she replied, remembering the conversation that she and Anakin had on Geonosis before he had gone with Mace and the strike team to rescue Obi-Wan.

"So, where are we heading?" The young padawan asked as she walked towards her.

"Raxus," Padmè responded. Turning away, she headed towards the door.

Rosella's eyes widened once she heard where they were going. As she followed the Senator out of her office, she was unable to prevent herself from feeling a little apprehensive. This wasn't like her trip to Alderaan, where she had been part of Padmé's security team. They were heading deep into the heart of Separatist territory. She knew that she would have to be on high alert, since the capital was no place for a Republic Senator and a teenager, who just so happened to be a Jedi.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Grievous had just finished making sure the droids that he was using for this plan were in good condition when his imagecaster went off. Walking away from the line, he pulled the device out from where he kept it and held it out in front of him. After composing himself, he turned it on, watching as the figures of Count Dooku and Nix Card popped up before his eyes.

"General, have all the preparations been made?" Dooku asked.

"Yes, Count," he responded. "I'm about to deploy the infiltrators."

"You must hurry," Nix told him. "The Senate is beginning to grow restless."

"I do not take orders from you," Grievous told him with a slight sneer. "Count Dooku is the only person who is allowed to tell me what to do." Ending the call, the cyborg turned off his holocaster and put it away. Turning around and clasping his hands behind his back, he walked back over to the droids and marched down the line. They all stood at attention, waiting for orders. "Now, you have all been designed to be the ultimate infiltration units. This mission that you are about to embark on is highly dangerous and some of you may not return." Knowing that wasn't true, he decided to rephrase his last statement. "Actually," he said, turning to face the nearest droid as he walked up to it, "none of you will be coming back. But don't let that get in your way. Is that clear?"

The droid nodded and rumbled something in some form of binary that Grievous didn't really understand.

The cyborg stepped back, turned around and walked in the other direction as the droids began to shake and collapse, turning into cleaning droids. As he passed by each one, it would move forward, falling into line as they headed towards a ship that was waiting for them.

Grievous stopped in front of the last one, who had just transformed into a cleaning droid. Turning to face the battle droid that was standing there, he said, "Get these droids to Coruscant at once!"

"Roger, roger," the droid said. Then it turned to the left as the cyborg marched out of the hanger and walked over to the ship, waiting by the ramp as the cleaning droids filed into the cargo hold.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As soon as the Gozanti-class freighter that Padmé and Rosella had boarded left hyperspace and began its final trek towards Raxus, the blond-haired teenager peered out her window, taking in the view that lay before them.

It was a little strange, seeing the massive fleet of Separatist warships that surrounded the planet. She had never seen so many of them in one place before. The fact that none of them were attacking was a little weird to her, but that was because she was used to it, having seen it all the time when she was out on the front lines.

Now that she thought about it, this was what the galaxy had looked like before the war. Minus the blockade of ships. If she ignored the fact that they were currently headed towards a Separatist planet, then she could totally imagine that this was a similar scene to what would be widespread when it was over. People going about their daily business, with no need to fear a sudden and violent disruption to their day.

Unfortunately, with the state that the galaxy was in right now, she knew it would be a long time before any of her fantasies ever came true.

She watched as the ship passed by a Providence-class dreadnought, along with a few Lucrehulk-class battleships. Turning her head to her left, Rosella glanced at the Senator who turned and gave her a small smile. Managing to send her one in return, the young Padawan turned her attention back to the window and let out a quiet sigh.

This was the first planet that she was heading to where she wasn't going to be fighting in a battle against the Separatist forces to win it back for the Republic and the fourteen year old wasn't sure how she felt about that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raxus was a beautiful world. Instead of having massive buildings everywhere like Coruscant did, the land was covered in trees, grass, more than a few hills and mountains and some oceans.

As the ship approached the landing platform that was situated on the side of a grand building in the middle of the capital, Rosella's senses were on high alert as she noticed the battle droids that were guarding the area. Making sure that their cloaks were on and covering their faces as the ramp touched the ground, the pair walked down the smaller flap at the bottom and kept their heads down as they swiftly walked away from the ship.

A few droids were going around, stopping passengers and asking them for their identification. Rosella immediately grew tense as a lone battle droid spotted the two of them. Just as it started to walk towards them, a woman who had blue eyes, short black hair and was wearing a purple dress with a blue belt around the middle stepped in front of it and asked if the platform they were on was Platform B.

While that was going on, another woman came up to them. She was wearing the same outfit as the other lady, but she had blonde hair instead of black. Rosella's gaze fell on her as she placed her hand around the teenager's shoulders and guided the pair away from the droid. "This way," she quietly whispered.

The trio walked over to one side where a woman was just standing there with her back turned to them. She had short, dark brown hair that was slowly turning grey at the ends and decorative tattoos on her neck and arms. She was dressed in a simple, but elaborate purple dress. Her head slightly turned to the left as she heard their footsteps approaching from behind. Upon turning around, her eyes lit up as she saw Padmé. "Hello, old friend," she said, approaching them with a genuine and warm smile on her face.

Padmé turned and looked at the padawan who was standing beside her. "Rosella, this is Mina Bonteri," she said, watching as her daughter's facial expression changed a little. "She was my mentor when I was growing up on Naboo."

Rosella raised her right eyebrow in a slight bit of surprise as she peered at the older woman from beneath her hood. Whatever she had been expecting, this was not it. She had a ton of questions racing through her mind, but only one stood out. How could this woman, whose kind smile made it impossible to imagine that she would ever side with an enemy of the Republic, be a Separatist? From the way that she had spoken to Padmé, it sounded like she was happy to see her old friend again.

"You're a Separatist?" she asked warily, hoping that she was not coming across as rude, even though she was still suspicious of the woman who stood in front of them.

Mina chuckled and replied, "Well of course my dear, what were you expecting?" Turning to her left, she gestured for them to follow her. "Now, come! I have a transport waiting."

And with that, Rosella, Padmé, Mina and the two women who had helped them bypass security - she presumed that they were the senator's handmaidens - made their way towards a smaller transport on an adjacent landing platform.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As soon as everyone was on board and sitting in their seats, Mina turned towards the driver and told him to take off. A few minutes later, the transport lifted off and began to make its way through the atmosphere towards the Senator's residence. Once they were outside the capital city, she turned to both Rosella and Padmé, who were sitting across from her, and told them that it was okay to drop their disguises, since everyone with them were kind and loyal to her.

Since she didn't want to be rude to their host, Rosella slowly removed her travelling cloak and put it in one of the two suitcases that Padmé had brought with her. Then she turned to her right and looked out the window as the grass and trees rushed by.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ten minutes later, the transport began to slow down and both Rosella and Padmé got their first glimpse of the Senator's palatial manor. At a distance, the teenager could see that it was very large and beautiful. It rested on a hilltop with orange leafed trees surrounding it, giving the house a natural environment that would make people jealous.

Once the shuttle pulled up and landed on the pad outside the house, all three of them stood up. After the Senator and Padawan had collected their things, they followed Mina over to the door and began to disembark once it opened.

As Mina made her way down the ramp, Padmé right behind her, she shifted her eyes up towards a boy who was sitting on the edge of the railing partway up the staircase, staring at them. "Lux!" She called out. "Come down here and help our guests with their luggage, please."

Rosella, who was carrying the heavier suitcase in her right hand, followed both of the Senators. As she heard what Mina said, she looked around before noticing the boy. She raised one of her eyebrows as she took in his appearance. The clothing that he wore was very formal looking and he looked to be about the same age as her, if not slightly older.

Lux, who knew better than to disobey his mother, uncrossed his arms as he hopped off of his perch, stood up straight and began to make his way down the staircase towards them.

The padawan paused in her tracks and let Mina and Padmé walk on ahead as she gave Lux one last curious glance. Then she softened her eyes and nearly scowled as she moved to catch up to the two women.

"Padme, it's so good to see you," Mina said as she wrapped her right arm around the younger woman's shoulders and gave her a quick side hug.

Padmé smiled as she glanced at her former mentor. "It's good to see you as well," she replied before letting out a soft sigh. "So many things have changed since our last meeting."

"Let's head inside," Mina said, removing her arm from where she had placed it as she led Padmé towards the stairs. "We have a lot to talk about."

Lux walked up to them. "Please," he said, placing his left hand on his stomach as he gestured towards the lighter suitcase that the Nubian Senator was carrying, "allow me."

Padmé smiled and handed her bag over before allowing Mina to lead her inside.

Instead of walking up to her, Lux decided to wait where he was since Rosella had to pass by him to get to the stairs anyway. "May I?" He inquired as she walked up to him, reaching for the suitcase that she was carrying.

Even though Rosella knew that he was trying to be nice, she still didn't trust him. As soon as their hands touched, she swung the larger item out of the way as she turned away from him. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm perfectly capable of handling it on my own," she told him. Shooting him a light glare, she continued forward, heading up the stairs.

As Lux followed her, she tried her best to ignore him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After heading inside and dropping off both pieces of luggage that they were carrying in one of the guest rooms, Rosella and Lux split up and went their separate ways. While the Senator's son quickly made his way back outside, the Padawan walked into the brightly lit room that the two women were in. She was surprised to see that Padmé was the only person there at the moment. Once she learned that Mina had left to get refreshments, she decided to relax a little, knowing that they were relatively safe from prying eyes.

Two minutes later, as the older woman walked back into the room with two glasses that were half filled with what Rosella could see was some sort of drink, - most likely it was juice - Padmé stepped over to the row of windows that overlooked the gardens. She softly smiled as she noticed Lux, who had chosen to sit on top of one of the stone railings. "He's grown so much, Mina," she remarked as she turned to face her friend.

Mina turned her head towards the window, glanced at her son and sighed as she shook her head. "Time simply will not stop, even if we are at war," she said as she handed Padmé one of the glasses. "But I'm afraid that these events are helping to shape his young life. And not in a good way."

Rosella tilted her head to the left, glancing at both of the Senators. The fact that the older woman seemed to be unhappy because of the war came as a complete surprise to the young Jedi. Knowing that she had to find out why the Senator felt that way, she took a few steps forward. "I don't mean to sound rude," she said, coming to a halt in front of a medium-sized decorative planter as they both turned to look at her, "but as a Separatist, didn't you help create this war?"

"Rosella!" Padmé said sharply, nearly shooting the young girl a glare as she was not at all happy with the Padawan's apparent lack of respect.

The frown that was on Mina's face seemed to vanish as she glanced at Padmé. "It's all right," she said, holding up her free hand in order to stop her former student from reprimanding the girl even further. Shifting her eyes back towards the teenager, she continued speaking. "That's a very polarized point of view my dear." Then she began to move towards the Padawan. "Would it surprise you to know to know that many of the people you call Separatists feel the same way about the Republic? Some of them are even saying that it was the Jedi who started it." She stopped a few meters away from where Rosella was standing and remained silent for a few minutes to let the words sink in before finishing off her train of thought. "Lux's father was like that."

Although she detected a slight hint of sorrow in the Senator's voice at the mere mention of the boy's father, Rosella, who was watching the Senator as she walked away from her, couldn't help but quietly wonder what sort of information the man had been hearing about the Republic and the Jedi. Then an idea came to her and she turned to face Mina, her eyes slightly wide. "Maybe I could speak to him?" She politely asked. She figured that once she heard what he had to say, then she would be able to help him see that the Republic was only doing what they thought was best for its citizens and that the Jedi were still fighting for peace and justice, with some of them even giving up their own lives to protect the innocent.

"If only you could," the older woman responded in a soft spoken voice as she moved past the planter. Rosella raised her eyebrows as she realized that the Senator was extremely upset about something. Remaining silent, she listened as the woman continued. "A year ago, next week, my husband was setting up a base on Aargonar when the clones attacked. He fought bravely in self-defense, but was killed."

The small amount of guilt that had manifested inside the young Jedi wasn't enough to overpower her growing confusion over whether or not the Separatists were truly evil. As she began to process the new information that she had just learned, she began to wonder if what she had been taught was wrong. Here, standing before her in the room, was this peaceful, and relatively normal woman who had been really nice to them from the moment they arrived on Raxus. Even though Mina knew that she was a Jedi and that Padmé was a Republic Senator, she hadn't reported either of them to the authorities nor had she objected to them staying in her home.

"Please, excuse me," she mumbled, knowing that she had a lot to think about. "I think I'll get some air."

Padmé watched as Rosella left the room, walking out the same door that Lux had gone through. Then she turned and walked towards Mina, watching as the woman turned around at the sound of her footsteps.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was evening on Coruscant when a Taylander shuttle landed at the docks. This particular one was home to one of the power plants in the political district.

Behind all of the workers who were currently disembarking, came the droids. They immediately split into pairs and headed in different directions as they filed off the shuttle and rolled up to the two clones who were on duty.

"Finally," one of the men said, "the cleaning droids are here." He jerked his head towards the trash that was laying on the ground. "Don't waste any time. Get to work."

The droids rumbled in acknowledgement and did as they were told. For now, that's what they were. Simple cleaning droids.

Until the signal came.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After quietly stepping outside and letting the door slide shut behind her, Rosella looked at the ground, mentally chastising herself for what she had done. She lifted her head as she walked towards the top of the staircase, knowing that Padmé was going to have her apologize to Mina once she went back inside. As she began to make her way down the first flight of stairs with both of her hands clasped behind her back, she noticed that Lux was sitting on top of the stone railing.

Ultimately deciding to try and ignore him, she looked away and began to think about everything that the Separatist Senator had told her. Once she stepped onto the landing, Rosella rounded the corner and headed down the second flight. That was when the teen felt his gaze land on her. She could also feel his unease through the Force, as if he was a little unsure of how to act around her. Sensing that his gaze was now focused on the weapons that were attached to her belt, she knew that it wouldn't be long before he started asking questions.

"You're a Jedi, aren't you," he said, his voice making it sound more like a statement rather than a question.

Rosella stopped moving and raised her eyebrows as she heard his rather obvious choice of words. "Yes," she responded in a neutral tone of voice as she turned around to look at him. Feeling her curious nature beginning to return, she chose her next set of words carefully. "May I ask why you needed to know if you've already seen my lightsabers?"

Lux thought about his answer for a few minutes before replying. "Before this war started, I was always told that the Jedi were good," he said.

"And what about now?" She asked, wanting to know what he thought. "Has your opinion changed?"

"I'm not sure…" he slowly admitted as he jumped down from his spot on the railing and stayed where he was. Then he began to walk down the stairs. "There are a lot of terrible things happening all over the galaxy. A lot of killing. My friends have been telling me that the Jedi are the ones to blame."

Rosella began to walk down the stairs even though she was still looking at him, suspecting in the back of her mind that Lux was simply repeating whatever his friends had been telling him. "I'm going to guess that I'm the first Jedi you've ever seen in person. Right?" She asked, turning back around so she could see where she was going.

"Well," he said, hesitating a little as he looked away, "um…yes."

As soon as Rosella stepped onto the path, she stopped moving and unclasped her hands, bringing them out into the open as she turned around to face him. "Look at me," she said, crossing them over her chest as she turned to the right. "Do I really seem all that bad to you?" A teasing smirk appeared on her face as she watched his expression change.

Lux raised his right eyebrow as he took in her appearance. Sweeping his eyes upwards, he softly smiled. "No," he told her, slightly shaking his head. "Not bad at all."

The blond-haired teen shook her head as she simultaneously rolled her eyes, slightly disgusted by his apparent attempt to flirt with her. "Ugh," she said. "Well, it seems that boys are the same whether they're Republic or Separatist." Spinning around, she started walking down the path.

Lux glanced up, a slightly surprised expression on his face. Running down the last couple of steps, he raised his right hand into the air as he stepped onto the path. "Wait!" He called out, slowing down to a comfortable walking speed once he caught up to her. "How many Separatists have you met in person?"

"What?" She asked, turning to look at him as she was caught off guard by the question.

"I mean, you seem to think that we're all bad just because we're Separatists," he told her. "So, now I want to know how many of us have you actually met? Oh, before I forget, no droids. They don't count."

Rosella frowned and looked away as she thought about her answer for a few seconds. Then she let out a sigh. "Well, the only other Separatists that I've met are Grievous and Ventress. But since their part of the military, I guess my answer would have to be none," she said, coming to a startling realization that perhaps she didn't know as much about those who had chosen to join the CIS as she thought she did. Glancing up at him, she stopped walking. "You and your mother are the first."

Lux moved forward so he was a few meters ahead of her. "Well," he said, turning around and spreading out his arms so she could see him, "take a look at me. Am I really that bad?"

Rosella looked at him again as she raised her right eyebrow. This time, she didn't see anything other than a normal teenage boy. Granted, he was still a Separatist, but then she remembered what he had gone through over the past year. Quickly averting her gaze, she took a few minutes to finalize her response. "No," she said, glancing back at him. "I guess not."

He smiled at her as he lowered his arms. "Well, I'm glad that's out of the way," he replied. Glancing at the gazebo behind them, he gestured towards it. "Come on. Let's sit there and get out of the warm sun."

Rosella nodded. "Alright," she responded.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Padmé sighed as she moved her glass away from her lips. "I'm no Jedi, but I have a strong feeling that Dooku is involved in all of this," she said.

"Dooku is nothing more than the leader of our Senate," Mina told her. "He's not the leader of the entire universe."

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Padmé said as she let her shoulders drop. Shooting her friend a light-hearted glare that had no real heat to it, she continued. "You actually admire the man."

Mina softly chuckled and shook her head. "If there's one thing we both know, it's that we'll never see eye to eye on Dooku, my old friend," she replied. "But we can, at least, agree that this war needs to be stopped. Now all we need to do is figure out how."

"That is part of the reason why I needed to come speak with you," Padmè responded. "The Galactic Senate is getting ready to hold a critical vote on a bill that could escalate the war if it gets passed. But many of the delegates are unsure of what they want to do."

Mina's eyes were narrowed in thought as she took a sip of her drink. Moving the glass away from her lips, she said, "How interesting. The Separatist Parliament is in a similar predicament."

Padmé's warm, brown eyes shimmered softly as she spoke. "I'm certain that if you could find a way to convince your fellow representatives to extend an olive branch of peace towards the Republic, there might be enough sympathy in the Senate to finally open negotiations," she said.

"I like the way you think, Padmé," the older woman said. "I can't promise anything, but I can at least put the motion on the floor at our next meeting."

"Thank you, Mina," Padmè said, nodding in acknowledgment. "That's all I ask."

The Separatist woman stood up and raised her glass in a toast. "To peace, then," she said.

Padmé followed her actions and was about to raise her glass when something caught her eye outside. Shifting her gaze towards the window, she saw that Lux and Rosella were sitting together in the gazebo, chatting. Looking at her old friend, she raised her own glass. "To hope," she replied.

Both women clinked the rims of their glasses together.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After heading back inside and apologizing to Mina for her earlier comment about accusing the Separatists of starting the war, Rosella was surprised to learn that the older Senator was going to put forward a peace proposal to the Separatist Parliament.

Raising her eyebrows, she glanced at both of the women and wondered where the idea had come from since Padmé had told her that she only came here to visit Mina and her family. As she realized that they must have talked about the current situation that was going on in the Republic Senate while she had been outside with Lux, the teenager sighed and slowly shook her head.

Leave it to Padmé to turn an illegal meeting into something positive.

Then the Naboo woman asked her if she would like to attend the meeting with her to see if the delegates were going to vote for or against the idea.

Rosella agreed as she was a little interested in seeing where their meetings took place and how they worked as opposed to the debates that took place in the Republic Senate.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, after both Padmé and Rosella had breakfast with Mina, Lux wasn't present since he had to leave to go to school, the duo put on their traveling disguises and accompanied the Senator to the Separatist Parliament building.

When they arrived, Rosella was surprised to see that the delegates who served in the Parliament held their meetings in a chapel style building. Once they got inside, since Mina had graciously provided them with ID so they could get past security, she and Padmé made their way up to one of the upper galleries that was set aside for spectators and took their seats.

While waiting for the session to begin, the teenager glanced around, noticing that the room was considerably smaller than the large, open arena that was used in the dome-shaped building on Coruscant. She was glad that they had been seated far away from where Dooku was since she was currently shielding both herself and Padmé via the Force.

Even though the man was presiding over this meeting via hologram - he wasn't physically present since he was required to be away from Raxus as he was seen as the face of the Separatist's side of the war - she didn't want to take any chances. Upon closer observation, she noticed that there was no central platform for the Count to use during the proceedings. Instead, the communication device that he used to project his life-sized hologram was stationed in a box at the front of the room. It had built in sound amplifiers so everyone would be able to hear him.

The other thing that was different was the fact that there were no pods to be seen at all. Instead, there were these brown, wooden benches that were covered in a green velvet lining on either side of the area that each Senator sat on. If one of them wanted to speak, they would have to physically get up and walk to the speakers area, which consisted of four modern looking consoles spaced out on either side of two long tables in the middle of the room.

She was pretty sure that there were vocal amplifiers embedded in each of them so that way everyone would be able to hear what was being said. Sensing that the meeting was about to begin, she leaned back against the soft velvet and watched as Mina and a few other Senators took to the floor.

A few hours later, after another heated debate that had ended with a not so positive result, everyone began to calm down and stop talking as someone banged a wooden instrument against a block of wood. As the last couple of Senators fell silent, Mina spoke up. "How long are we going to let this war go on before we begin to see that the need for all this suffering and pointless violence is getting us nowhere?" The older woman demanded as her voice rang out throughout the room. "Just look at how many lives have already been lost on both sides of this conflict. Surely, there's more than enough room in the galaxy for Confederate and Republic planets to coexist. Therefore, I move that we immediately open peace negotiations with Chancellor Palpatine on Coruscant!"

Many of the delegates actually stood up and began to clap, as well as cheer, in approval. It seemed like a lot of them were on Mina's side. They were tired of the constant fighting and now wanted peace.

Amidst all the clapping that was going on, a new voice spoke up. "The Corporate Alliance will never allow that to happen!" The green-skinned alien female said, glancing at her fellow Senator out of the corner of her eye. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she stood in front of her console which was located at the table next to Mina's.

"This is a democracy," a male Senator said as he leaned towards his console which was directly across from the one that the woman was standing in front of. "And unlike the Republic, corporations have no real power here!"

Once again, just like before, the entire room broke out into lively chatter.

At the front of the room, the holographic form of Count Dooku raised both of his arms in the air. "Quiet!" He said. "Now, in accordance with the bylaws of the Independent Systems, a voice vote is required. All those who are in favour of initiating peace negotiations with the Galactic Republic, say aye."

Many of those who were in the crowd stood up and said aye, including Mina and the male who had come to her defense.

As soon as it was quiet, Dooku continued. "All those who are opposed?" He asked, raising his left hand.

A small group of people, including the woman who had argued against the proposal, stood up and said nay.

Again, Dooku raised his hand, calling for silence. "The ayes have it," he said.

Mina turned to her left and shared a secret smile with Padmé, who returned it with one of her own. Even if the negotiations were started, it was going to take a while for both sides to come to a mutual agreement that satisfied everyone.

When the meeting finally ended a few minutes later, Padmé and Rosella swiftly stood up and made their way outside with the rest of the onlookers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was late at night on Coruscant when Dooku was finally able to contact Nix Card and the others, who were all gathered in the Banking Clan's office. After telling them about the vote that had recently taken place, he fell silent and waited for one of them to speak.

"This is quite troubling," the Munn said, "after all your own senate has just voted to end the war."

"Gentlemen, I can assure you that your worries have been greatly exaggerated," he responded.

"How can you be sure that this groundswell of peace won't continue?" Lott Dodd asked as he waved his left hand through the air. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Saam and I heard that you have an attack planned for the city. Where is it?"

Gume Saam stepped forward. "We need this war to continue so we can keep making money," he said, raising a fist in the air.

"Not to worry. After our attack, any chance of negotiating for peace will disappear," Dooku said, "and the Banking Clan, Techno Union and Trade Federation will each get more than their fair share."

All three gentlemen smiled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that afternoon, after a quick stop by the Senator's house for lunch and to make sure their things were packed, Mina, Lux, Rosella and Padmé were standing on the same platform that they had arrived on.

Padmé, who had turned around to see that the Gozanti-class freighter was getting ready to leave, turned back to face her friend. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," she said.

"In the past, I have always been disappointed whenever one of our peace proposals would be rejected and yet, I almost feel as if, this time, the tide has turned in the war," Mina said in a hopeful tone of voice. Then she quickly stepped forward and gently pulled Padmé's hood over her head so that no one would be able to recognize her. "You should hurry." Taking a step back, she turned towards Rosella. "Goodbye, young one."

Rosella bowed her head in respect, which was something she could never have imagined happening when she first heard that her mother's friend was a Separatist.

Lux, who had been watching as his mother and Padmé exchanged goodbyes, glanced over at Rosella for a minute and then shifted his eyes to the ground. "Do you really think that the Republic Senate will vote for peace?" He asked as he took a few steps towards her.

"I hope so," Rosella replied in a sincere tone as she took a step forward. "Besides, I would not want to have to meet you on the battlefield. I don't think that kind of life would be good for someone like you since you've never even been in one before."

Lux took a few minutes to process what she said before his eyes widened. Then he softly smiled.

Rosella couldn't help it and gave him one in return.

Mina quickly grabbed both of Padmé's hands and gave them a light squeeze. "The two of you had better hurry before the transport leaves!" She said, letting go of the Senator's hands.

Padmé nodded and turned around, heading for the freighter.

After giving Lux a final smile, Rosella turned and followed her mother. This trip had really helped her gain a new outlook on the war. And yet, she couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for the boy. It was a feeling that she had never felt before for someone who was meant to be her enemy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The evening train rushed by as two of the droids, who were part of the team that Grievous had sent to the planet wide city, were going around, doing their jobs. No one noticed them since they were just cleaning droids and it was their job to pick up litter that had been dropped on the pathways and sidewalks. Just like they had been programmed to. As one of them picked up two pieces of trash, its red optical receptor flashed a few times, indicating that someone was trying to contact it.

After determining that no one was nearby and watching, the droid came to a stop and projected a hologram of General Grievous into the air.

"Team leaders, listen up!" The cyborg said, coughing as soon as he finished speaking. "Commence phase two. Proceed with high security infiltration."

The orange droid beeped in response and turned the holo turned off. The same thing happened with the other two groups. All three groups left their jobs behind, whether or not the area that they were assigned to was clean. Soon, all six droids were together as they continued towards their target. A protocol droid was forced to quickly move out of the way of the oncoming droids.

They kept going, only stopping when they reached the entrance to the generator for the Senate District.

"All right, will everyone please make sure that your passes are ready and out in the open?" Fox asked. He, along with three other clones, had been tasked with protecting the entrance to the central power distribution grid which was 5,000 levels below the surface.

The droids waited their turn as everyone else who was ahead of them had their pass checked and was let though. When they reached the front, the leader projected the pass that had been given to them into the air.

Fox bent over as he took a closer look. "Hmm, so you're here for generator maintenance, eh?" he asked, straightening back up. Tilting his head to the left, he took another look at the pass before deciding that they were clear to proceed. "Well, it looks like you're clear to go on through. Good luck down there." He stepped to the side and pointed down the alley as they filed past him. As he turned slightly to the right and saw the direction that the group was headed in, he frowned underneath his helmet. "Hold on a minute."

All six droids turned around and looked at the clone. The orange one beeped as if he was asking a question.

"The power generators are that way," Fox said, pointing to his left.

The droids beeped an apology, turned and rolled away.

Fox scoffed as he glanced at them and then turned around. "Stupid droids," he said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After safely arriving at one of the spaceports on Coruscant, Rosella quickly ushered Padmé over to a nearby speeder that no one was using. As soon as they put their luggage into the back, the Senator climbed into the front passenger seat while the teenager walked around and got into the driver's seat.

Once the coast was clear, Rosella started the engine, backed away from the platform and headed to the apartment complex that her mother lived in. When they landed on the veranda, both Typho and Dormé were there to meet them. Since they both knew where the duo had gone, they said nothing as Rosella turned off the engine and Padmé got out.

Dormé quickly stepped forward and collected both suitcases from the back before leading the Senator to her bedroom so she could get changed.

A few minutes later, Padmé came down the stairs and walked into the room, dressed in her usual Senate outfit. Typho turned around and told her that she was needed at the Senate Rotunda soon as the Chancellor had called a meeting to allow the members to vote on what to do about the war effort. Padmé nodded and told him that she needed to make a quick stop at the Senate Executive building.

The man nodded and gestured to the speeder that was parked on the veranda. The pair walked towards it and got in. While Padmé and Rosella were sitting in the back, Typho was in the driver's seat. He started the engine and then they took off.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As soon as Typho parked in the space that was reserved for the Naboo woman and turned off the engine, they all got out. After escorting them up to the floor where the Chancellor's office was located, he waited for a few minutes as the Senator spoke to the Rodian at the front desk and got clearance for herself and Rosella to go in. Then Padmé turned around and told the man to wait outside as they wouldn't be long.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rosella stood there with her hands clasped behind her back as she watched Padmé draw her arms back to her sides since she had just finished speaking to Palpatine. There was something about the man, who was dressed in a new set of robes, that seemed wrong and slightly off-putting to her. She knew that he wasn't to be trusted, but that was probably due to her father not being able to fully trust him. Besides, he was the one whom the Senate had voted to be in charge of the Republic, even though he hadn't really done anything to try and bring an end to all the fighting. If there was one thing she knew, it was that she didn't like him.

"Well, well, well, this is quite a stunning development," he remarked as he glanced at Mas Amedda, who was standing behind him. Then he shifted his attention back to Padmé.

"Your Excellency, I believe that we would be remiss, if not irresponsible, to reject the proposal that the Separatists are preparing to offer," she said.

"Of course," Palpatine told her kindly while still holding a cocktail glass in his left hand.

"If we put an end to all this fighting," Padmé said as she continued to press her case, "then we wouldn't need to place an order for more clones which would mean that we wouldn't have to borrow more money from the Banking Clan in order to pay for them."

Palpatine walked towards his blue protocol droid and set his glass down on the silver tray that it was holding. Then he turned towards Padmé. "I can see why you would want so badly to believe that the Separatists want peace," he said as he reached out, placed his right hand in the middle of her back and ushered her away from where they had been standing.

The Senator glanced at him. "I don't understand," she said.

"I'm sure you know that in the past, whenever we've reached out our hands in peace, they've been slapped away," he said as he spread out his hands in a wide gesture, clearly trying to make a point. Then he clasped his hands together and glanced at her. "Can we really believe that they're ready to sue for peace so easily?"

The Chancellor turned to his left as he came to a stop, prompting Padmé to walk around to his other side.

"If I might speak with you confidentially," she said, lowering her voice so that no one would be able to hear what they were speaking about, "I know that this is sincere." Hoping that the Chancellor wouldn't be too angry with her, she took a deep breath and continued. "I recently began speaking to my old friend, Mina Bonteri. She was the one who convinced the Separatist Parliament that now would be the time for peace and not more war."

"Bonteri?" Palpatine asked, sounding slightly surprised and a little suspicious as he turned his head in the other direction for a moment. Clearly, Padmé's actions had left him feeling a little unsettled. "How was the dialogue established?"

"Does that really matter right now, Chancellor?" Padmé asked. "After all, this could very well lead to the end of the war."

Palpatine turned to face her. "I see your point, my child," he said, his suspicion now gone as he reached out to stroke her cheek with his left hand. "Well then, all that's left to do is bring this before the Senate and let the other Senators decide which option is better." Turning away, he strode over to Mas Amedda.

Since their conversation was now over, Rosella unclasped her hands and let them fall to her sides as she silently moved towards the Senator. After leaving the office, she glanced at her mother with a somewhat hopeful expression on her face. Then they met up with Typho and made their way out of the building.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once the droids made it to the correct floor, they got off the lift that they had taken and proceeded to make their way across one of the walkways towards what had to be the main building. Since they were there to clean the place, none of the four workers, all of whom were busy speaking to each other, paid any attention to them. As soon as the group got inside, they split up. Two of them went down a different hallway while the others continued ahead until they rounded one of the corners that led to the main control room. Then they were spotted.

"Sweeper droids?" One of them asked in mild surprise as he looked at his follow worker who shook his head even as the man continued speaking. "I'm pretty sure we didn't schedule a cleaning for today."

The droids, who knew that they weren't there to clean, quickly transformed into their demolition forms.

Both of the men took a step back as they didn't know what was going on. As they began to try and make their escape, the orange one noticed and trained its blasters on them. Marching forward, it opened fire, letting loose a spray of red lasers. While the first worker halted in his tracks and ducked out of the way, the other one turned around and tried to run. Before he could get very far, one of the lasers struck him in the back and killed him on the spot. A few minutes later, he straightened up, thinking that it was over. That, unfortunately, proved to be his downfall as he was instantly struck down by a laser that hit him in his stomach.

Blaster fire continued to ring out in the hallway until the entire area was silent.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inside the control room, there were six men.

Four of them were sitting in front of different consoles, working hard to keep all the lights on. The fifth one had gotten out of his seat so that he could read something off of one screen while continuing to get his work done. The last man, who was most likely their shift leader, was standing in front of one of the consoles, making sure that everything was running smoothly. All of a sudden, one of the workers who was sitting in front of his console that was built into the wall on the left side of the room, took his hands off of his workstation as he glanced at the door.

Behind him, two of the other workers also stopped what they were doing and looked at each other instead of turning to face the door. Just as the third worker looked up and focused on the door, it slid open, revealing the demolition droids.

They marched into the room. The same droid who had killed the two workers in the hallway earlier took its right claw off of its blaster and reached out, grabbing the nearest man by his shirt. With one simple gesture, the worker was tossed through the air like he was a piece of trash. The other men watched, one had to duck out of the way, as their friend slammed into the wall beside a red display board at the front of the room and fell to the floor.

Ignoring the screams and cries of the humans, the demolition droid proceeded to fire its blaster throughout the room, killing everyone who was there. No one was to be left alive. There were to be no witnesses, even through all of Coruscant would witness the destruction that they would leave behind.

One of the workers, who had managed to hide, glanced at his dead co-worker's arm before shifting his eyes over to the gun that was stored there in case of emergencies. As he heard the sounds of metal feet filing into the room, he grabbed the weapon and leapt up from his hiding place. Pointing it at one of the droids, he squeezed the trigger, firing off two shots that bounced right off of its metal chest plate.

The droid looked up and fired its blaster six times, ensuring that the last person was dead.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once everyone was assembled inside the Senate Rotunda, Chancellor Palpatine called the meeting to order. Then, after letting Lott Dodd, Gume Saam and Halle Burtoni state their reasons for wanting to deregulate the banks, he let Padmé and Bail detach their pods.

Both Senators came forward to make their argument against making such a move.

"Given that the Separatists have put a call for negotiations on the table, the need for additional troops seems ill-timed," Padmé said.

Bail maneuvered his pod beside the one that Padmé was in. "Which means we have no need to deregulate the banks in order to get the funds that would have been used to pay for them," he said.

Senator Onaconda Farr, who was still seated in his pod, which was still firmly anchored to its magnetic landing, stood up. "I think we should vote that down right now," he said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was time.

With their mission nearly over, the droids transformed themselves back into their simple disguise. Then they transformed one final time. Two of them linked together to form a bomb on the right side of the room while in the middle area, one of the green droids remained in its demolition form in order to lift an orange droid into place. It leapt into the air and transformed, linking up to form the other half of the second bomb.

Over on the left side, the final two droids transformed and linked up to form the final bomb.

Their timers appeared and began to count down. The droids didn't care if they were destroyed. It was part of their programming.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mas Amedda was standing on the right side of the speakers platform while Chancellor Palpatine stood in the middle. "There is a move to vote on the proposed bill to lift regulations on the banking clan," he said.

Lott Dodd stood in his pod, which was floating out in the middle of the arena. "Dooku made a promise to put a stop to this vote," he quietly muttered to himself, knowing that no one would be able to hear him.

A few minutes later, after waiting for everyone to calm down and stop talking, Mas Amedda looked around and said, "You may now enter your votes."

All around the room, buttons were being pressed as one Senator after another cast their vote.

As Padmé and Bail finished entering their votes, the Naboo woman looked up and smiled, feeling confident with what she had done. The Senator was certain that the war was going to end. She knew that it would take a while, but as long as everyone worked together and continued to remain friendly, there would be peace.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

All three timers reached zero.

A few seconds later, there was a large explosion that managed to disintegrate not only the droids, but the worker's bodies as well. The power generator shot out one final blast of electricity as it collapsed, causing the generators that were nearby to stop working.

Up on the surface, numerous districts went dark as they began to lose power.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inside the Senate chamber, a few of the members looked up from the screens in their pods as the lights suddenly flickered and went out. Then the emergency lights came on, bathing the entire chamber in an eerie red glow. Padmé, who had a frightened look on her face, turned and locked eyes with Bail for a few seconds as Captain Typho moved up behind the Senator. Then she turned towards the controls for her pod as she glanced around the room.

Rosella, who had been sitting on top of the right side of the magnetic landing that was used to hold the pods in place, jumped down as her senses were now on high alert.

The Naboo woman turned around and focused her attention on the Padawan as she glanced at her and then looked out at everyone else.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Out in one of the smaller city blocks that was located within the Senate District, there were a few people walking around. Once the lights went out, they all stopped and began to look around, wondering what was going on. All of a sudden, a small explosion that burst forth from one of the buildings. Some of the residents began to scream as the ground started to shake beneath their feet, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We're under attack!" Senator Taa wailed as he, along with everyone else, began to hear the air raid sirens that were going off all over the planet. He soon started to panic, even though his pod was still attached to its magnetic landing.

The Senators who were still on the floor reached out and pressed another button that caused their pods to head back to their assigned magnetic docks. Once Padmé's pod was firmly locked in place, Rosella nearly leapt into it as she had decided to stay with her mother until the perpetrator had been found and it was safe to depart from the Senate since the entire building was on lockdown.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On the right side of the skylane, one male took off as he was going to try and get help as another explosion went off in one of the buildings. He quickly darted past two people who were in the middle of a disagreement about something. One was a male Ithorian and the other was a creature who was covered in fur with what looked to be a scarf tied around his mouth.

Over on the left side, a male Twi'lek, who was wearing goggles, was running through the street carrying a box in his arms when he bumped into a protocol droid. As it fell to the ground, he backed up, moved over and continued on his way as a blue-skinned Twi'lek ran past him.

No one stopped to help the poor droid up.

Then two more fiery explosions went off, causing even more civilians to duck and run away in fear for their lives.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The air raid sirens were still going off.

It had taken a few hours, - and some assistance from those who were at the Jedi Temple - but most of the damage that had been done to the Senate District had been cleaned up and the civilians who lived or even owned a business there had either been taken in by relatives or had chosen to go to a temporary shelter until they could get back on their feet.

Although the explosions had ended, there were still some fires that continued to burn brightly in the district.

Back in the rotunda, Senator Saam had detached his pod from its landing. Maneuvering it out onto the floor of the arena, he stopped directly in front of the speakers platform. "The bombing of the power generator has been confirmed as a Separatist attack!" He exclaimed, his voice ringing throughout the room. "They must pay for all the damage that has been done to the city!"

Rosella was now leaning against the wall near the door that led to the hallway outside. Her arms were crossed over her chest. As she turned her head so she could see what was going on, she wondered what Lux and his mother were going to say when they heard about this.

"But it was the Separatist Parliament who voted for peace!" Padmé exclaimed in protest.

"That's what they wanted us to think," Mas Amedda said as he looked at her before glancing around the room. "Their so called olive branch of peace was just a trick to get us to lower our defences so they could launch this attack."

"No! That's not true!" Padmé shouted desperately, trying to continue her argument. Before she could say anything else, she was cut off by the Kaminoan Senator.

"I think that we should deregulate the banks immediately!" Halle said.

The male Senator who had spoken during the last session that had been held a few days ago quickly agreed with her. "We need a loan from the bank right now in order to get more troops!" He said.

Amidst the rising cascade of voices, one Senator's voice was louder than all the others. "What are we waiting for?" He asked.

Palpatine had a grim expression on his face. "This attack has left us with no other choice," he stated. "In order to ensure the safety of the Republic, we must deregulate the banks."

A majority of the Senate began to cheer in response.

Padmé was left feeling disheartened as she sat in her seat. She shook her head, not at all happy with how the vote had gone.

Quietly moving up behind her, Rosella shook her head in disappointment before narrowing her eyes a little. From what she had seen on her trip, she knew that there was no logical way that the Separatist Parliament could have been behind this, not when so many of them had voted in favour of peace. The entire situation felt like it had been deliberately orchestrated, as if someone else, she didn't know who, didn't want the negotiations to proceed.

Even though he was on the opposite side of the room, Gume Saam nodded and then smiled at Lott Dodd. The Neimoidian returned the smile and nodded, knowing that their plan had been a success.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few minutes later, the late night session finally came to an end.

Once they exited the large room, Rosella accompanied Padmé through the dimly lit hallway in silence until they spotted Anakin, who was speaking with a Mon Calamari. She watched as he glanced in their direction, then turned back towards his companion. Typho had gone to the parking area to make sure that no one had stolen the speeder that the group had used to get to the Senate building.

Quickly wrapping up their conversation, Anakin and the male nodded at each other. Then he crossed his arms over his chest as they turned to face the approaching pair.

After glancing at the Mon Calamari and realizing that he was a Jedi, Rosella gave him a slight nod as a way of greeting. The aquatic being gave her one in return before walking away.

"I'm returning your padawan," the Senator said as she glanced up at her husband. She still sounded disappointed and she had every right to be, since most of the Senate had just voted on a bill that was going to escalate the war effort and keep her away from her family.

Turning to face her adopted parents as she listened to their conversation, Rosella placed her left hand on her shoto.

Anakin, who, by now, had picked up on his wife's emotional state, let out a small sigh even though he kept his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm sorry your talks with Bonteri failed," he responded in a somewhat subdued manner, even though all he wanted to do was hug and comfort her. Turning towards his apprentice, he narrowed his eyes a little.

Rosella glanced down at the floor for a few seconds with a slightly confused look on her face. "How did you know?" She asked, her expression changing into a shocked one as she looked up at her father.

Anakin walked over to her. "We have eyes and ears everywhere, Rosella," he said in a stern voice. Before he continued his lecture, he glanced around and spotted two Senators who were quietly speaking to each other. Realizing that they were standing in close proximity to them, he turned back to his wife and daughter. Lowering his voice, he uncrossed his arms, raised his right hand and pointed his index finger at the young girl. "Your little trip to Raxus was dangerous and careless." Shifting his gaze over to his wife, he added, "Not to mention illegal." Then he calmed down a little and let out another small sigh as his voice returned to normal. "You went too far this time."

Turning around, the Knight began to walk down the hall, prompting both Rosella and Padmé to quicken their pace so they could catch up to him.

"But you would have done the same thing," Rosella responded, sounding slightly frustrated since she knew that he frequently disregarded a few of the rules and regulations that the other members of the GAR had to follow from time to time while they were out on missions. "You do it all the time."

Anakin glanced at her and said, "This was too much."

The teenager sighed. "Maybe I did go a little too far," she replied. Then she remembered how kind Mina had been and the conversation that she had with Lux. "But I did learn something. The politics of this war are not as black and white as I once thought they were."

Anakin raised his eyebrows upon hearing Rosella's response and glanced at his wife, only to find her looking at the young girl. Then the Senator shifted her gaze over to him and softly smiled as she was glad that the Padawan had learned a somewhat valuable lesson. That seemed to lift her mood slightly since the Knight could sense that she wasn't as disappointed as she had been before.