Chapter 80: Heroes on Both Sides
Fear is a great motivator.
Recap: Conflict With no end in sight. Across the galaxy, the quagmire of war continues. While clone troopers suffer casualties at alarming rates, The Galactic Senate convenes an emergency session to debate the true cost of the war.
The Galactic Senate was in full session. The entire auditorium was in a full-on debate as shouts and yells echoed around the room.
"Order. Order. Let Senator Saam finish!" stated Mas Amedda to the entire audience chamber.
"This is a matter not of philosophy. More troops are needed. The Republic cannot afford to let the Separatists gain any more ground." stated Senator Saam as in her repulsorpod, Padmé was listening to all of this and making a face.
"Our generals inform us that troops in the field continue to perform valiantly. What we cannot afford is to be irresponsible. The Republic is near bankruptcy due to the cost of this war." replied Senator Organa as he was also speaking some truth.
Some cheers and jeers resonated with what Organa said as they were on the brink of being broke because of this massive war.
"Bankruptcy is not necessary, my friends. If we pass Senator Saam's bill to open new lines of credit, we will gain access to the needed funds," said a Neimoidian representative.
"Won't this bill essentially deregulate the banks?" asked another senator.
"A small price to pay to finance the war, is it not?" said another senator.
"We must keep the war going!" shouted more senators.
"Get a bill on the table!" responded other senators.
Now the entire room devolved into an argument. Two sides shouted at each other, expressing their vote on what side they thought was the best course of action. Padmé was listening to all of this as it made her uncomfortable, thinking they were all at each other's throats.
"Members of the Senate!" shouted Padmé as she made her repulsorpod move to the floor. "Do you hear yourselves? More money, more clones, more war. Say nothing of fiscal responsibility; what about moral responsibility? Hasn't this war gone on long enough?"
"Senator Amidala, are you suggesting we surrender to the Separatists?" asked Senator Saam.
"Of course not. But negotiation might be a better course of action," stated Padmé.
"You can't negotiate with those animals!" shouted a senator.
"Keep the war going." yelled out another senator.
"Vote now!" shouted someone as the whole place was in an uproar. Even with Padmé's suggestion, it didn't do much.
Anakin and Ahsoka were listening in on this discussion as the girl had a worried look on his face while the Jedi Knight had a stern expression.
"Members of the Senate, I suggest we table any emergency bill until it is determined whether or not deregulation is the right course of action," stated Organa.
"Very well. We shall let calmer heads prevail," declared Mas Amedda to the entire room as they were dismissed.
Sometime later, some representatives were shown entering a room. They were Lott Dod, Senator Saam, and a male Muun named Nix Card.
"That legislation would have meant billions for us," said Nix Card as he was unhappy about how things turned out.
"I tried my best to push the bill through," stated Senator Saam.
"You did your part, Representative. Senator Amidala is the problem," said Lott Dod.
"I thought age might temper her idealism," said Nix Card as he sat down at his desk.
"I know people who could do something about her," offered Senator Saam to his companion.
"That task is more difficult than you presume," said Lott Dod, as he knew how hard it was to get rid of Padmé.
"Gentlemen, the Banking Clan and Trade Federation are about business, not violence," said Nix Card.
"Hmm, in this case, our business is violence," responded Lott Dod.
"Precisely. With or without Senator Amidala, the Galactic Senate is unlikely to deregulate the banks until this war hits home," stated Nix Card as he looked out the window to view Coruscant.
"What exactly are you proposing?" asked Lott Dod.
"Perhaps some unexpected bloodshed on Coruscant, uh, may change a few minds," smiled Nix Card.
"Coruscant? Coruscant has not been attacked in over 1,000 years," answered Lott Dod.
"Then it has a false sense of security. There are some powerful clients on the other side who could help us, uh, shall we say, make the point?" said Nix Card with a sinister smile.
"Ooh, I like this plan," said Senator Saam.
"No one cares what you think," scoffed Nix Card.
"Storm? Storm?!" said Twilight as she was knocked on a door.
"Give me a second, Sparky," said the boy from the other side.
The door then opened as Twilight took a step back. Emerging was Rarity as she stepped to the side. Soon another figure emerged as it was none other than Storm. But yet, there was something different about him.
"Well, what do you think?" said the boy, currently wearing new clothes.
Rarity had gone out of her way to make Twilight and Storm some new Jedi threads. New robes that were only easy to move but also infused with a bit of magic. As it turns out, Rarity also experienced a similar encounter. One day the girl was making some clothes when all of a sudden, she began to make this levitate around her workshop.
She told the pair as Twilight also spoke of how she could do magic blasts from her hands when she thought of it. Eventually, the girl began to design some new clothes for her friends as she added a bit of enchantment magic to them. She not only made them moveable for the Jedi Knights but also added some durability to wear so they wouldn't tear so easily. For the princess, Rarity simply went with the colors of Twilight's hair for the base with touches of blue to match her eyes. And for Storm, she made his outfit mostly black with touches of gold lining along the sleeves of his robe.
The fashionista presented the outfits to her friends once the meeting ended. Rarity didn't just make new outfits for her friends; she also made some new clothes for Ahsoka, Obi-wan, and Kenobi due to Storm's request, just without any magical enchantments like she had put in for her friends.
"Wow, you... look nice," said Twilight.
"Rarity outdid her herself, again," said Storm as he was still looking over how good he looked in his new threads.
"Oh, Storm, you're gonna make me blush," Rarity waved a hand. She then looked at Twilight as she whispered something to the princess. "No doubt, you're interested in Storm's new appearance, right, Twilight?"
"Maybe," said the girl as she blushed upon seeing Storm, as the girl didn't admit it, but she was rather drawn in by the boy even more due to his new look.
"Anyways, the meeting should be over. We should meet up with Anakin and the others. Thanks again, Rarity."
"My pleasure, Storm," said the fashionista as she waved goodbye to the Jedi.
Both teens made it to the Senate building as the meeting had just finished. The pair saw their friends exiting the auditorium as they caught up.
"You must ask the Jedi council to speak with Chancellor Palpatine," said Padmé to her husband.
"Don't involve me in this," responded Anakin, as he didn't like his wife asking him of that.
"A peaceful solution is the only way out of this morass of war,"
"That's not my role, Padme!" stated Anakin.
"Why not? Why isn't it your role? Aren't we Jedi knights? Isn't it our duty to speak our minds to advise the Chancellor?" said Ahsoka as she walked up to Padmé's side and addressed her teacher.
"Let's not forget two things, Ahsoka. One, we're peacekeepers. We don't get involved with matters lest we risk them getting worse. And second, you're not a Jedi Knight yet; you're still a Padawan." stated Storm as he reminded the girl where she stood among the ranks. Safe to say, Ahsoka was anything less than pleased by what her friend said.
"I suggest you teach my young padawan a thing or two about politics," said Anakin to his wife.
"After today's debate, I was hoping she learned a great deal," said Padmé.
"Truthfully, I don't understand any of it. I know the Separatists are evil, but all anyone argued about was banking deregulation, interest rates, and, well, almost nothing about why we're fighting in the first place." said the girl.
"War's complicated, Ahsoka. But let me simplify it," said Anakin to his student. "The Separatists believe the Republic is corrupt, but they're wrong, and we have to restore order."
"Simple and clean," said Storm as he backed up Anakin's statement.
"Maybe talking to the Jedi council isn't the role for you after all. Both of you," said Padmé as she seemed to think her friends were narrow-minded in thinking it was as simple and good vs. evil.
"What's that suppose to mean, Padmé?" said Storm as both he and Anakin felt offended by what she meant.
"Don't worry, leave the sophisticated stuff to people who understand the world of politics," teased Twilight as she knew what Padmé was talking about as she had her fair share of dealing with negotiations.
"Thanks for your help. Come on, Ahsoka, Twilight," said Padmé as she instructed the girls to follow them.
"Hey!" said Anakin and Storm as they felt left out.
"You told me to teach her about politics. So I'm going to," snickered Padmé as they kept walking.
"Women. Think they know everything," mocked Storm as he and Anakin left to do some guy things.
In a deep part of space, a Separatist ship was shown. Aboard the ship was General Grievous as he was being contacted by Count Dooku.
"There is a problematic situation brewing in the Senate. We must ensure that everything my master has set in motion does not unhinge. My representatives in the Republic are relying on you, General. See that your droids complete their mission." said the Sith Lord.
"But of course, Count. They will not fail," responded Grievous.
The transmission ended as Grievous got up from his seat to execute the plan. Back on Coruscant, Ahsoka and Twilight were in Padmé's office.
"If only I could talk to Senator Bonteri," said Padmé.
"Who's he?" asked Ahsoka.
"Technically, he is a she, a senator in the Confederacy of Independent Systems," answered Twilight.
"You know that?" said Ahsoka as she was caught off guard by the princess, knowing that piece of info.
"I'm not just a Jedi, Ahsoka. I'm a princess, and like Padmé, I deal with my share of politics from time to time," stated the teen.
"Back to the matter at hand, your friend is a Separatist? One of Dooku's pawns?" said Ahsoka to Padmé.
"The Separatists used to be a part of the Republic. I was close with many of the senators who left. I may not agree with them, but they're more than pawns." answered the Senator.
"If you think negotiating is the right thing to do, let's talk to her," said Ahsoka.
"The Senate's made it illegal," responded Padmé.
"Illegal?" said Twilight.
"They say official meetings would only legitimize the Separatists," said Padmé.
"Well, Master Skywalker and I hold what we call aggressive negotiations all the time," stated Ahsoka.
"Funny, Storm calls it diplomatic solutions," said Twilight as it seemed both partners had different terms for the same thing.
"It's a shame you can't hold more peaceful talks when you want," stated Ahsoka.
"You just gave me an idea. You're a Jedi, which gives you special clearance," said Padmé to both girls.
"Right," answered Ahsoka.
"Technically, Ahsoka doesn't have full clearance since she's still a Padawan. But I, on the other hand, do," said Twilight as she was ranked higher than her friend, which meant she had special privileges she didn't get.
"I see. And Jedi are allowed to travel to neutral worlds like Mandalore, where we could board a cargo ship to a Separatist system. And it helps that you're a princess, meaning you're a royal figure." said Padmé.
"Are you suggesting Twilight uses her status as a Jedi and princess to smuggle you behind enemy lines?" asked Ahsoka.
"It's just that you could get us through to meet with her, and I haven't seen her or her family in so long," stated Padmé.
"I... I don't know," said Twilight as she was hesitant about doing this since it felt so dirty to do something illegal.
"Relax. I'll help you," said Ahsoka as, unlike Twilight, she was willing to do illegal stuff. "Besides, Master Skywalker said you should teach me about politics."
"Right," said Padmé.
"You know, you two have more ln common than you think. It's no wonder you get along well," said Twilight.
At that moment, Padmé hesitated at what Twilight said.
"Huh. Of course," said the Senator.
While Ahsoka didn't pay much attention, Twilight noticed the slight hesitation Padmé did when she said her statement. In fact, the way she reacted almost looked like what one would do if they were "close" with someone.
"So where are we heading?" asked Ahsoka.
"Raxus," said Padmé as they all left.
Onboard the Separatist ship, Grievous was contacted by Count Dooku and Nix Card.
"Have all the preparations been made?" asked the Sith Lord.
"I'm about to deploy the infiltrators," replied the cyborg.
"You must hurry. The Senate is restless," stated Nix Card.
"I don't take orders from you. Only Count Dooku!" stated Grievous as the transmission ended.
The cyborg marched as he was walking in front of some infiltration droids.
"You have been designed for this mission to be the ultimate infiltration units. Some of you may not return. Actually, none of you Will return. But don't let that get ln your way." stated Grievous. "Is that clear?"
A droid gave a response to the cyborg as they prepared for their mission.
"Get them to Coruscant!" said Grievous.
"Roger, roger."
While the Separatists were making their move, our heroes were shown flying along in space. They came to the planet Raxus; inside the ship were the Jedi and Padmé as they wore cloaks to conceal themselves. They managed to sneak by the Separatist blockade as they entered the planet's atmosphere.
They landed on the platform as droids approached them to inspect everyone getting off.
"Move along, please. Move along." said a droid to the passengers.
"Identification, please," said another droid.
The girls and Senator were shown carrying luggage bags as they walked away. A B1 droid spotted them and was about to ask them for some ID when a woman got in front of the droid to ask a question.
"Excuse me. Is this Platform B?" asked a woman.
"Uh, Platform B..." said the droid as he tried to answer the woman's questions.
At that moment, another person came up behind the trio as she began to lead them.
"This way."
Having bypassed security, the woman brought her guests to the person that wanted to see them.
"Hello, old friend."
"Ahsoka, Twilight, this is Miina Bonteri. She was my mentor when I was growing up on Naboo," said Padmé to the girls.
"You're a separatist?" said Ashoka.
"Well, of course, my dear. What were you expecting? Now, come. I have a transport waiting." said Bonteri.
They were all taken to the woman's place as it was a mansion.
"Lux, come down here and help our guests with their luggage, please," stated Bonteri to her son, who had watched them arrive.
"Padme, it's so good to see you," said Bonteri as she pulled her friend in close and hugged her as they walked.
"Yes. How things have changed since the last time we met," said the Senator.
"Let's go inside. There's much to discuss," stated Bonteri as the two of them walked off.
"Please, allow me," said Lux as he took Padmé's bags. He then approached the girls. "May I?" said the boy as he grabbed Ahsoka's hand before she pulled it away.
"I can handle it," said Ahsoka as she retracted her hand and didn't bother to let Lux take her luggage. The Padawan looked at the son of Padmé's friend as she didn't seem to trust him, given that his mother was a Separatist.
"She's a bit hostile, especially learning that the Senator's friend is a Separatist," said Twilight to the boy. The princess then allowed Lux to take her bags as she also gave him a gem as a little something.
Sometime later, the Jedi were in a hallway and off to the side. While Ahsoka stood at attention, Twilight was examining the mansion's interior as she was getting some inspiration for her castle staff. Padmé was looking out of a window, seeing the gardens as sitting on a bench was Lux.
"He's grown so much, Mina," said Padmé to her friend as she brought some drinks.
"Time won't stop, even if we are at war. And I'm afraid these events are shaping his young life," said Bonteri as she looked at her son.
"With all due respect, as a Separatist, didn't you create this war?"
"Ahsoka!" yelled Padmé as she felt what the Padawan said was disrespectful.
"It's all right. That's a very polarized point of view, my dear. Would it surprise you to know that many of the people you call separatists feel the same way about the Republic and the Jedi?" said Bonteri to the Padawan.
"Well, not really... to them, they think we're the bad guys. I guess... if you were to ask someone who's at fault for this war, it'd be a matter of perspective," said Twilight.
"Smart girl," said Bonteri, giving the princess credit for using her brain and thinking rationally and logically. "Lux's father was like that."
"Maybe I could speak with him," suggested Ahsoka.
"If only you could. A year ago next week, he was setting up a base on Aargonar when clones attacked. My husband fought bravely in self-defense but was killed." said Bonteri as that got Ahsoka to gasp at hearing that, while Padmé and Twilight had a sympathetic look.
"Excuse me. I think I'll get some air," said the Padawan as she excused herself.
"I'll keep an eye on her," stated Twilight to both representatives as they nodded.
Back on Coruscant, the droids that Grievous sent were shown rolling onto the district as they were disguised as cleaning droids.
"Ah, the cleaning droids. Finally. Don't waste any time. Get to work." said a clone as he instructed the droids as they left to do their real mission.
At the same time on Raxus, Ahsoka was walking down the stairs outside as she approached Bonteri's son. The girl pretended to not see the boy sitting on a ledge. She purposely walked close to him as she knew she had caught the boy's attention. And sure enough, it worked, but not because of the girl herself, but of her weapon, as that was where his eyes were drawn to.
"You're a Jedi, aren't you?" asked Lux.
"Yes. Why do you ask?" said Ahsoka as she turned around with her arms behind her back.
"Before the war, I was always told Jedi were good," responded Lux.
"And now?" asked Ashoka.
"I don't know anymore. There are a lot of terrible things happening, a lot of killing. And now my friends are saying the Jedi are to blame." said Lux as he hopped down and walked down the stairs.
"Well, can you blame them?" said Twilight as she was at the top of the stairs and was walking down. "We're the first Jedi you've ever met, correct?
"Well, um... Yes," said Lux to both girls as they all walked down the stair in a triangle formation.
"Look at me. I'm not so bad, am I?" asked Ahsoka as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
Lux was now looking at Ahsoka as he was scanning her from the bottom to the top.
"No, not bad at all," said Lux with a smile.
"Uh. Well, it seems boys are the same whether they're Republic Or Separatist," said Ahsoka, slightly disgusted as she could tell he was checking her out a bit as she began to walk away.
Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at seeing her friend checked out by the opposite sex, as it wasn't something that often happened. She reached the bottom of the stairs and walked with Ahsoka.
"Wait. How many separatists have you both met?" asked Lux as he caught up with the girls.
"What?" said Ahsoka as she didn't expect that question.
"Well, I mean, you think we're all the bad guys. But how many of us have you actually met? And droids don't count." said Lux as he knew the girls would respond with that.
"Well, other than military officers like Grievous and Ventress,"
"Don't forget, Sunset," chimed in Twilight.
"None, I guess. You and your mother are the first," responded Ahsoka to the boy.
"Well, look at me. Am I so bad?" asked Lux as Ahsoka shifted her eyes to the side as she thought about that.
While the kids were talking in the gardens, in the mansion, Padmé was having a conversation with her friend.
"I sense Dooku's dirty hand ln all of this," said Padmé as she took a sip of her drink.
"He's just the leader of the Senate. He's not the leader of the entire universe," responded Bonteri.
"Oh, I forgot. You actually admire the man," said Padmé as she had a scowl.
"We'll never entirely agree on Dooku, my old friend, but we can agree on the need to stop this war. The question is how," said Bonteri.
"That is why it was so urgent that I speak with you. The Republic Senate is holding a critical vote on whether or not to escalate the war effort. However, many of the delegates are undecided as to what to do." said Padmé as she relayed the info to her friend.
"How interesting. You would find the Separatist Parliament in a similar dilemma," said Bonteri, as it seemed both sides were in the same situation.
"I am certain if you could convince your representatives to extend an olive branch of peace towards the Republic, there might be enough sympathy in the Senate to finally open negotiations."
"I admire your spirit, Padme. I can at least put the motion on the floor."
"Thank you, Miina. That's all I ask."
"To peace, then," said Bonteri as she stood up and raised her cup.
Padmé, for a second, looked out of the window and saw Bonteri's son talking with the girls as they were all sitting down in the distance.
"To hope," said the Senator as she raised her cup.
Sometime later, Bonteri was in a cathedral as she was in a meeting with other Separatist members.
"How many lives on both sides have to end before we see the futility? Surely there's room in the galaxy for Confederate and Republic planets to coexist. I move that we immediately open peace negotiations with Chancellor Palpatine on Coruscant." stated Bonteri as she got some cheers and jeers.
"The Corporate Alliance will never allow this to happen!" said another representative.
"This is a democracy, and unlike the Republic, corporations do not rule us," countered another representative as he agreed with Bonteri.
More cheers and jeers were heard as the entire room was in uproar. Sitting down in disguise were Padmé, Ahsoka, and Twilight as they listened in to see how things were going.
"Quiet!" said Dooku as his hologram was shown above on a high pedestal. "In accordance with the bylaws of Independent Systems, a voice vote is required. All in favor of initiating peace negotiations with the Galactic Republic, say aye." asked the Sith Lord.
"Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye." said many people.
"All those opposed," said Dooku.
"Nay. Nay." responded the other half.
"The ayes have it," declared Dooku as there were more people in favor of having peace than continue fighting.
Bonteri smiled as she looked in the direction of where her friends were. Padmé smiled as it seemed her peace plan was starting to come to fruition. On Coruscant, Dooku met with Lott Dod, Senator Saam, and Nix Card.
"This is quite troubling, your own Senate voting to end the war," said Nix Card, as this wasn't how he envisioned things going.
"I assure you, gentlemen, your worries are gravely exaggerated," said Dooku as he knew the peace plan wouldn't work.
"How can you be sure this groundswell of peace won't continue?" asked Lott Dod. "Where is the attack we were promised?"
"We need fighting to feed the machine and our profits," stated Senator Saam.
"After our attack, the chances of peace will disappear. The Banking Clan, the Trade Federation, and the Techno Union will all get their fair share and then some," assured Dooku to his allies. Everyone soon smiled.
"Well, this is goodbye. I've been disappointed before, and yet, I almost feel as if this time, the tide has turned in the war," said Bonteri to Padmé as she and her friends were leaving.
"You should hurry. Goodbye, young ones," said the woman to both girls wearing their cloaks.
"You really believe the Republic will vote for peace?" asked Lux to Ahsoka.
"I hope so. I wouldn't want to meet you on the battlefield, for your sake," joked the Padawan as she and Lux smiled at each other.
"Go, you three, quickly," stated Boneri as they all left for boarding their shuttle.
On Coruscant, the cleaning droids were rolling about as they picked up some litter. Once they picked up a piece of paper, they looked around as no one was around. One of them began to make contact as Grievous appeared before them.
"Team leaders, come in. Commence phase two," stated the cyborg. "Proceed with high-security infiltration."
All the droids were given the order as they began to roll out. They soon met and conversed in a single location as they moved about in lines. They turned the corner and came to a clone inspection point.
"All right, everybody, have your passes out," ordered the clone commander to all those in line. Once the people were let through, the droids approached them as one of them pulled up his fake pass. "Hmm, generator maintenance, eh? Yeah, well, everything checks out. Good luck down there," said the clone commander as he let the droids pass.
The droid turned the corner to the right when the clone saw them.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Power generators are that way," said the clone as the droids beeped and went the opposite direction. "Stupid droids." scoffed the clone.
In the Senate building, Padmé and the girls had returned from their trip as the Senator was talking with Chancellor Palpatine about her mission.
"Well, well, well. This is quite a stunning development," said the Chancellor.
"Your Excellency, we would be remiss, if not irresponsible, to reject the Separatists' proposal," stated Padmé.
"Of course," replied the Chancellor.
"An end to the fighting would mean there's no need to borrow money for more clones," replied Padmé, trying to add more to her point.
"I can see why you would want so badly to believe that the separatists desire peace," said Palpatine to the Senator.
"I don't understand," responded Padmé.
"In the past, whenever we've reached out our hands in peace, they've been slapped away. Can we believe that they're ready to sue for peace so easily?" stated the Chancellor.
"If I might speak with you confidentially, I know that this is sincere. I've been in contact with my old friend Miina Bonteri, and the origin of the proposal is with her," said Padmé.
"Bonteri?" stated the Chancellor as he made a face. "How was the dialogue established?"
"Does it matter, Chancellor, if the result is an end to the war?" countered Padmé.
"I see your point, my child. Then we shall put the vote to the floor," smiled Palpatine.
The power generators were shown as the droids rolled in a line toward their destination.
"Sweeper droids? We didn't schedule a cleaning," said one of the workers.
At that moment, the droids all transformed as they stood up and began to open fire on everything around them. They entered the power generator rooms and began to dispose of all the workers as the next phase of the plan began to get underway. At the same time, Padmé was speaking to the Senate.
"Given that the Separatists have put a call for negotiations on the table, the need for additional troops seems ill-timed," said Padmé.
"Which means there is no need to deregulate the banks," responded Organa as he supported Padmé's claim.
"I say we vote that down now," said another senator.
The droids in the power generator control room were now merging together and sticking all over the room as a timer counted down.
"There is a move to vote on the proposed bill to lift regulations on the Banking Clan," said Mas Amedda to the entire Senate.
"Dooku promised he would stop this vote," whispered Lott Dod to himself as it seemed things were going in favor of our heroes. The timers were still counting down as only a minute was left.
"You may enter your vote," said Mas Amedda to everybody.
Just as everybody had placed their votes, the droids went off. A huge explosion occurred as the entire power generator was destroyed. It caused the entire city of Coruscant to shut down as the lights went off. A commotion began as Ahsoka and Twilight leaped out of their seats and looked down at Padmé; the Senator was trying to see if the Jedi saw anything but nothing. On the streets, lights shut off as some nearby explosions went off and made people run in fear.
"We're under attack!" shouted Senator Orn Free Taa.
Everybody in the Senate began to evacuate as explosions went off out on the streets like a terrorist attack. Soon the image of Coruscant was shown as air raid sirens rang out and flames were shown.
"The bombing of the power generator has been confirmed as a Separatist attack. They must pay for what they have done," said Senator Saam.
"But it was the Separatist congress that issued the bill of peace," countered Padmé.
"Obviously, a tactic to lower our defenses and launch this attack," countered Mas Amedda.
"No. That's not true!" shouted Padmé.
"I move to immediately deregulate the banks," said another senator.
"We need a bank loan to get more troops now!" agreed another senator.
"What are we waiting for?" shouted another senator.
More senators began to chime in as they seemed to agree to this idea.
"I'm afraid we've been given little choice. To ensure the safety of the Republic, we must deregulate the banks," stated the Chancellor to everyone as many cheered that idea.
Padmé fell back in her seat as she shook her head. Her plan had failed as both girls looked at the Senator with a sorrowful look. Meanwhile, Lott Dod and Senator Saam were smiling at one another as it seemed Dooku kept his word and the war's bloodshed would continue.
Once the meeting was dismissed, Padmé and the girls were shown walking in the hallways as they came upon Storm and Anakin, talking with another Jedi who relayed the details. They soon left as the trio approached them.
"I'm returning your padawan," said Padmé to her husband.
"I'm sorry your talks with Bonteri failed," responded the Jedi Knight to his wife and student with a scowl.
"How did you know?" asked Ahsoka with hesitation.
"We have eyes and ears everywhere, Ahsoka!" shouted Storm.
"Storm..."
"Zip it, Sparky!" yelled the boy to his partner as that got Twilight to back up and be afraid of the Jedi Knight.
"That was dangerous and careless, going to Raxus, Not to mention illegal!" shouted Anakin as he, too, was not happy with what they did.
"And it's not just us, princess! Celestia is pissed off as well!" said Storm as the Jedi Master was not happy with Twilight, which disappointed the girl that she failed her teacher.
"You went too far this time!" said Anakin.
"You would do the same. You do the same all the time," said Ahsoka as she tried to reason with her friends as they all began to walk.
"This was too much," replied Anakin.
"Maybe so. But I did realize something. The politics of this war are not as black and white as I once thought they were." said Ahsoka as it seemed that Padmé's attempt to get her to see things beyond the surface was a success as the Senator smiled. Seeing his wife smile slightly made Anakin ease up as he was glad to see his student learning.
"Storm, let me explain," said Twilight.
"Never did I once think that you, of all people, would do something illegal," said the boy. "Now I gotta watch my back to see if my partner is doing something against the rules. What else are you hiding, princess?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" said Twilight, standing her ground.
"Why didn't you come to me? You could have told me. We could have worked something out! I maybe could have convinced Anakin to be on board with this idea. But instead, we have to find out that our partners went off without permission!" said the boy.
"And who informed you of what we did?" stated Twilight.
"Does it matter? The point is that I'm sick of defending myself and the Jedi from everybody who accuses us of this goddamn war when we didn't start it!" yelled the boy. "I'm tired of people pointing the finger at us, saying we were the cause of all this. We're the ones trying to make things right. Nobody seems to understand I'm doing my best to play some hero."
"You really are a Jedi, huh?" spoke Twilight softly.
"What's that supposed to mean, Sparky?"
"I thought you would be so much more than just a Jedi," said the girl.
"I've told you and everybody before. I am a Jedi, like my master before me. She gave me everything. Everything I know, I was taught by her. I owe my life to her. If she didn't come along, I would have died. To that, I only repay her the way I've been taught. And that's to reach the pinnacle of my training and become a Jedi Master. My role is to be a Jedi, Twilight. Your role is a princess and to become Queen of your planet." stated Storm.
"We really live in opposite worlds, don't we?!" stated Twilight, with tears starting to slowly form. "You say I'm just a princess. Some girl that needs a big strong man to take away her problems. Sweep her off her feet and live happily ever after. Maybe you don't know who I really am."
"Maybe you don't know who I really am either," countered the boy as he stared down. "Guess there really are two sides to everything."
"Yeah," sniffed Twilight as she wanted to not be anywhere near the boy.
The girl was looking to leave as she walked by the boy. Suddenly, she was yanked by her arm as Storm had a strong grip on her. The princess tried to wiggle free from the boy's grip as she wanted to leave. Twilight soon found herself pinned against the wall, but Storm had his arm out to the side as if to not allow her to escape. The girl looked at her partner as he brought his other hand up to grab her chin and look deep into her eyes.
For a while, nothing was said as both teens merely locked eyes with each other. Twilight still had water in her eyes as Storm let go of her chin and brought his hand to wipe them as the girl let him do it. Once Storm wiped away Twilight's tears, he continued staring back at Twilight as neither said anything. For both, the words they spat at each other rang in their heads as they stared one another down. But yet, a small part of them was feeling something different. Not hate, not anger, but something warm. And it would continue to grow as the pair stared at one another with their faces ever so close to each other.
Author's Note: So as it turns out, just because you're labeled as "Separatists", doesn't make you a bad person. As shown, there are even some Separatists that want peace and for the war to end. The same could be said for the people of the Republic; there are those who want peace and those who support the war and want to win. It just goes to show that putting a label on something doesn't fully describe you. And in another lesson, fear is one of the biggest tools you can use to scare people and persuade them to join your side of things. Also, this is the point in the show where the characters have their designs changed for the rest of the series until the end of the war. As always, leave a review expressing your thoughts.