SHEEV PALPATINE

He opened his eyes.

His head hurt. He tried to concentrate to understand what was going on, but he wasn't able to do that. Thinking was too hard, as if something was stopping him from formulating his thoughts fully. He started to look around, trying to find out where he was.

He was lying in bed, surrounded by some machines, quietly beeping every few seconds. Everything around him looked clean, with no sign of heavy use. There were various medical tools placed inside the room he was in, meaning he was probably in some kind of hospital.

The problem was, he wasn't able to remember how he got there. In truth he couldn't remember much at all. No matter how hard he tried to think about his past, he was only able to see some incomprehensible moments, like standing in front of clapping people or him wearing some black robe. It didn't help him much, only making him more confused in the process. Who was he? And why was he lying in a hospital bed.

He could feel some movement in another room. He didn't know how he was able to do that, as there were no windows in his room, but he didn't have enough energy to think about it..

Some people ran into the room, going in his direction. They were wearing medical uniforms, probably making them medics taking care of him.

"Chancellor Palpatine!" shouted one of them, looking straight at him. Palpatine? Was it his name? He still couldn't remember, but it sounded right. "You are finally awake! How are you feeling?"

He didn't know how to respond. He still couldn't remember anything. Not his past, not his name, nothing. He didn't know these people and he wasn't sure what his situation was. They called him Chancellor though. That sounded important. Or at least he thought so. The only question was what to do next.

It probably wouldn't be wise to admit his lack of memory for now. He should act as if everything was normal for now, at least until he would be able to understand the situation better. Who knew what these people would do if they knew about his problem. They would probably try to use it for their benefit.

He smiled at the medics as sincerely as he could.

"I am feeling just fine. I have a feeling I missed something quite interesting though. Could you bring me up to speed?"

PADME AMIDALA

She was sitting inside the senate chamber, waiting for the Chancellor's speech. Everyone was restless, knowing that the Chancellor wouldn't arrange it so fast after his awakening without a serious reason. People also suspected the most probable reason for the meeting. After the recent assassination attempt, the fate of the Jedi order was in the hands of Palpatine.

Padme was angry. She already talked with Anakin, who explained to her the true nature of the Chancellor. It honestly disgusted her. She believed in democracy with all her heart and to learn that the position of chancellor- the most important position in the republic, was corrupted by machinations of some power hungry cultist was sickening.

The worst part was that everyone thought he was in the right! It showed how deeply the Sith corruption spreaded, erasing history about their wrongdoings and changing public opinion about the Jedi without anyone noticing. Even she wouldn't know it was all intentional if not for the sudden reveal of Palpatine being a sith!

The saddest thing was that this situation couldn't be entirely blamed on Palpatine. The truth was that for centuries the Jedi order neglected to care about its reputation in the republic, leading to widespread distrust among the population. Even now, most of the jedi didn't know what to do, unused to political problems, leaving problems to fester. She tried to help, but she wouldn't be able to change the public opinion about the Jedi on her own!

There was a notification on her screen, meaning that Palpatine was ready to speak. She dreaded this moment, afraid that he would order the order's dissolution or even arrest the order's members, especially Anakin. She didn't even know if anyone except her would even disagree with such a decision.

She saw Palpatine's platform floating to the center of the chamber. What she noticed after looking at it was unusual to say at least.

Sheev Palpatine looked exhausted and weak, probably still curing himself after the attack. He was standing straight though, full of energy and his gaze was hard. Whatever his condition was, she could feel he was determined to do something, though she didn't know what.

But the most striking thing was his company. Band of sycophants standing behind him was normal, as they were a standard addition to his attire. But there was also someone else there. Someone she didn't expect.

Obi-wan Kenobi was standing next to Palpatine, his posture tense and face frowning, but not doing anything. He was even armed, with his lightsaber on his side. It was quite unexpected, causing a commotion among the senators, who couldn't believe that Palpatine would allow someone from the order to stand so close to him.

As if not caring about the outburst in the senate, Palpatine waited for everyone to quiet down. After making sure that no one would interrupt him, he started his speech.

"I would like to thank everyone for coming, as I know it was quite unexpected for me to arrange this meeting in such a short notice" he began, looking at his audience "I am sure everyone knows what happened. I was assaulted in my own office by people who were supposed to be the sworn protectors of the republic. Many would consider such thing a treason"

He looked at the senate, speaking with a calm voice. Padme started to panic, fearing the worst.

"But I am not one of these people. I understand that such a situation happened because of the justified grievances between the sith and the jedi. I've studied the sith history after my recovery, trying to understand the reason for the attack. Thanks to that I was able to understand that the sith in the past were responsible for many problems, often directly affecting the jedi order" he looked at Obi-wan, who made a sour face, probably knowing what would happen in advance. Padme calmed down, knowing that Anakin would be safe for now, but it didn't make sense. Why would Palpatine, ancient enemy of the order, help them with their crisis, especially after they tried to kill him?

"That's why I would like to ask master Obi-wan for forgiveness on behalf of the sith order. In the same vein, I forgive the order for any actions taken against the sith in the past, as well as attack on my person. I believe that the sith and the jedi have to end their conflict. We should create a space of cooperation and trust between two orders, entering a new era of enlightenment and prosperity!" Palpatine was shouting now, full of emotion. Senators, previously uneasy about the speech, now started to get emotional too, convinced by chancellor's speech.

"the jedi and the sith shall walk together, just as the force intended!" He ended the speech, making everyone clap. It was like magic, in one move Palpatine gained a lot of popularity in the republic, already high after recent assassination attempt, and put the order in his debt, as they would always know that he could have destroyed the order if he wanted. He probably wouldn't even need restrictions placed on the order, making everyone believe that the oversight and actual officers in place of Jedi would help Jedi regain the trust of the republic.

Everyone was in high spirits, impressed by the Chancellor's benevolence and strength of character.

Only Padme was silent, knowing it was part of the sith lord's devious plan, unable to do anything to stop it.