*/*/*/*
Obi-Wan and Anakin stood at the center of the Jedi council chamber once again. They had been called to present a report to the council members after the latest attempt on Senator Amidala's life. Anakin stood silently beside his master as Obi-Wan explained how the assassination attempt occurred while Padme slept and the subsequent chase and capture of the assailant hired to kill her.
Throughout the debriefing, Mace Windu's gaze remained keenly fixed on Anakin. The Padawan was restless and he made no effort to conceal his emotions. Anakin's usual bored facade was marred with a frown of tension and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other as Obi-Wan recited the report.
With all the facts put forward, the council dismissed the two Jedi so they could deliberate. In the meantime, Obi-Wan would continue to investigate the bounty hunter starting with the poisoned dart they recovered from the assassin. Anakin was to remain in the temple awaiting orders.
It would take Master Yoda and the other Jedi masters a while before coming to a consensus and Mace was in no mood to engage in a debate of their circular logic. With Anakin's growing unease at the forefront of his mind, Mace invited the padawan to join him in a sparring session, offering a reprieve from boredom while the council deliberated.
Anakin had no interest in sparring but he was too wound up to just sit around the temple doing nothing while Padme was in danger. The council was wasting precious time just talking while someone was hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce again. But he must wait for the council to decide their next course of action, so he reluctantly agreed to join Master Windu.
In Mace's private training room, master and apprentice took up their practice sabers and began to circle one another. Mace immediately started on the offensive and he had expected Anakin to respond in kind. Instead, Anakin's form was sloppy and he missed several openings to launch a counterattack. Anakin was not fighting in his usual energetic and aggressive style that had impressed Mace in the past.
Mace relentlessly attacked Anakin, testing his reflexes and putting him constantly on the defensive. Anakin grew increasingly frustrated as he lost ground to the Vaapad Master, and after one particularly painful blow from Mace's saber, he unleashed his anger. Recklessly he attacked Mace, his form lacking any style or finesse as he tried to brute force his way past Mace's impeccable defensive stance until Mace called a halt to the training.
Mace sensed deep unrest within his young apprentice. In a deep resonant voice filled with concern, he asked, "What is troubling you Skywalker? You were distracted in the council chamber earlier and now you've abandoned the form and discipline you've acquired these last few weeks. Does this mission disturb you?"
Anakin's gaze flitted away for a second before he snapped back at his master, his voice echoing off the high stone walls of the training room. "Everything is wrong! We're here sparring when Padme's life is in danger! I should be there protecting her, not here trading blows with you! And that sleemo who tried to kill her is still on the loose! He won't get away with it, I promise you."
Anakin turned his saber off, the room dimming without its electric blue glow. "Padme needs me, Master," he said his demeanor softening as he thought of her angelic smile. "She's... she's even more beautiful than I remembered. She's nothing like the handmaiden I met on Tatooine. She's a strong and compassionate woman. An angel," he said with reverence.
Then a shadow of frustration crossed Anakin's features as he continued speaking, his voice turning rough with bitterness. "But then Obi-Wan had to chime in, scolding me like a child right in front of her! He's always so quick to shut me down, to make me look foolish. I wanted to impress her, not... not be humiliated!"
Anakin's voice dripped with resentment as he paced back and forth in front of Mace like a caged rancor. "He never trusts me," he complained. "He's overly critical and treats me like a youngling. You all do! But I'm grown now," he emphasized with a slap to his chest. "I don't need you patronizing me or Obi-Wan's incessant lectures. He always reprehends me. He's trying to hold me back when I'm ready to take the trials and become a Jedi Knight."
Mace listened silently, his face inscrutable. Then, without warning, he moved. His saber swung out in a swift, fluid motion, sweeping Anakin's feet out from under him. Anakin hit the cold stone floor with a surprised grunt. His eyes shot up to meet Mace's in a menacing glare. "What was that for?!" he demanded while he pushed himself up.
Mace ignored the look and asked calmly, "How can you protect the Senator if you didn't even see an attack coming? You allowed your emotions to distract you." Mace
extended a hand to help him up, but Anakin shook off his assistance and leaped to his feet.
"I wasn't ready for your attack!" he complained, his ego wounded more than his backside.
"A Jedi knight is always ready for danger. Your emotions blinded you when you should be on guard. Failure to control your emotions is more dangerous than any assassin. One moment of distraction could cost the senator her life."
"I'm sorry Master," Anakin said conceding his fault. "It won't happen again."
"Good. Perhaps a session with the Staff of Redemption will bring you back to your senses?"
Anakin's sour mood disappeared immediately and he perked up. "Yes, Master," Anakin replied eagerly.
They walked back to Mace's office together and Mace took the opportunity to observe his padawan. The force was buzzing with anxiety all around the young man. "Anakin, you must be mindful of your every thought and emotion now more than ever," Mace said, turning to face the young Jedi. "It is a heavy burden to bear but to be a Jedi Master means to master oneself."
"Yes, Master," Anakin replied with a long-suffering sigh. He wasn't in the mood for another lecture. Why couldn't everyone see that he was trying his best?
Anakin's lackluster response piqued Mace's concern causing him to study the boy more closely. "You look tired, Padawan," Mace said after his inspection.
"I am. I haven't been sleeping well lately, Master," Anakin confessed.
"Are you still having dreams about your mother?"
Anakin nodded. "About that and... other things," he mumbled as a blush rose to his cheeks. If Master Windu ever discovered he was the star of Anakin's most secret dreams and desires... Anakin shivered thinking about it.
"What does Master Kenobi say about these dreams?" Mace asked unaware of Anakin's thoughts.
"He just says dreams pass in time. But Master, these dreams seem so real! And my mother... She's afraid and in pain. Has there still been no word from Tatooine?"
"None yet. You know that the Hutts run the planet. Nothing happens without their approval, helped along by a hefty bribe of course," Mace admitted. "We can only wait for their response."
"They will never reply if there is no profit in it," Anakin said angrily. "Nobody cares about slaves."
"I'm sorry Anakin." Mace placed a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder. "You must have faith in the force that you and your mother will be reunited."
"Yes, Master."
They reached the office and there was a message waiting for Mace. "It seems the Staff will have to wait for another time," Mace said. "The council has made their decision." He and Anakin arrived together at the council chamber taking their respective places. Mace seated next to Master Yoda while Anakin stood in the center of the council circle with Obi-Wan who gave him a questioning look.
"Kind it is, for you to join us, Master Windu and young Skywalker," Master Yoda said with a hint of teasing in his tone.
Mace looked stoic as usual not taking the bait of Yoda's gentle chiding, but Anakin bowed his head and apologized for being tardy.
"Track down this bounty hunter you must, Obi-Wan," Master Yoda pronounced getting down to business.
"And most importantly," Mace added, "find out who he is working for."
"What about Senator Amidala? She will still need protection," Obi-Wan asked.
"Handle that, your padawan will," Yoda answered.
"Anakin, escort the senator back to her home planet of Naboo. It will be your responsibility to ensure her safe arrival there. And don't use registered transport," Mace advised. "Travel as refugees."
"As the leader of the opposition, it will be difficult to convince the Senator to leave the capital," Anakin said.
"Until caught this killer is, our judgment she must respect," Yoda stated with finality, bringing an end to the meeting.
On their way out of the council chamber, Mace rejoined Anakin. "Come along Padawan you have much to attend to before you depart. You must go to the Senate and ask Chancellor Palpatine to speak to her about this matter."
"Who will accompany us to Naboo?" Anakin asked as they walked back to Mace's office.
"We cannot spare any more Jedi. You will be on this mission alone. Do you think you can handle it, Padawan?"
"Of course, Master," Anakin said with more animation than Mace had seen in a long time. "I think it's about time I go on my own missions. I'm ready to be knighted."
"Indeed?" Mace asked as he let them into his office. "Then perhaps a successful mission will convince the council you are ready for the trials."
"Do YOU think I'm ready, Master?" Anakin asked glancing up at Mace with an eager expression highlighting his youth.
Mace looked at Anakin with sincerity and a bit of pride. "You are the most talented Jedi I have ever trained," Mace admitted causing Anakin to beam under his praise but the proud smile died when Mace continued. "But you are also impulsive, overly emotional, and rebellious. If you can follow the orders of the council, control your emotional impulses, and keep the Senator safe on this mission, then I believe you will be ready."
"Obi-Wan doesn't think I am," Anakin said voicing his frustrations while pacing around the office. "He still sees me as a youngling even though I've saved his life multiple times. And I can best him in dueling now, thanks to you. But he still treats me like a child!"
"Perhaps Obi-Wan not only sees you as his apprentice but also... as his own child. You've been his responsibility since he became a knight himself. You're his first padawan. Becoming a mentor is a great honor but also a great commitment. Perhaps Obi-Wan sees your successes or failure as his own. It is a sign of great affection," Mace said. And also of deep attachment, he thought causing a chill of apprehension to tingle down his spine. "I think I shall have a chat with Obi-Wan before he departs on his own assignment. Until then, stay the course, and may the force be with you Anakin. The republic is counting on you."
"Thank you, Master. I won't let you down. I'm ready for this," he promised with a determined voice.
*/*/*
"Someone doesn't want us to know about the Kamino system," Obi-Wan said to Mace and Yoda as they accompanied him to his ship before he left for his mission.
"Which means there's something happening in their system we should know about," Mace said.
"Master, do you think a Jedi could have erased those files?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I hope not," Mace said as the reached Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter. "But this disturbance in the Force is making it hard to get a sense of things."
"I'm also concerned about my padawan Master. He is not ready to be given this assignment on his own."
"The council is confident in its decision," Yoda said with his usual confidence.
"The boy has exceptional skills," Mace pointed out to Obi-Wan. "And if the prophecy is true, he is the one who will bring balance to the Force. You must have faith in his training."
"But he still has much to learn, Master," Obi-Wan countered. "I understand now what you and Master Yoda said from the beginning, Anakin was too old to start the Jedi training. He should not be given this assignment. I fear Anakin will not be able to protect the Senator alone."
"Why?" Mace asked with a frown.
"He has an emotional connection with her. It's been there since he was a boy and they met on Tatooine." Obi-wan gazed thoughtfully at Mace. "Lately, his emotions have been erratic. He's confused. Distracted. And his abilities have made him... well... arrogant."
"Yes," Yoda agreed with a nod. "A flaw more and more common among Jedi. Hmm? Too sure of themselves they are," Yoda said and focused his critical gaze on Obi-Wan and then Mace. "Even the older more experienced ones."
"Obi-Wan," Mace said ignoring Yoda's implication, "you must have faith that Anakin will choose the right path. We've done all we can for him. The rest is up to Anakin and the Force."
Obi-Wan bowed his head. "Yes, Master." He climbed into his Starfighter and took off in search of a missing star system that could hold the key to the mystery of the Sith. And he prayed to the Force that Anakin would indeed choose the right path.
After Obi-Wan departed Mace stood on the landing platform thinking over his words. He had faith in Anakin. The boy had come a long way since he started training with Mace. He was more than capable of accomplishing this simple task. But could Obi-Wan be right? Was there something more than friendship between Anakin and the senator? Had they sent Anakin on an impossible mission?
*/*/*/*
The grand office of Chancellor Palpatine was bathed in the soft, ethereal glow of Coruscant's city lights. Here, among artifacts of the republic's ancient past, Anakin stood at attention. He was reluctant to ask for assistance from the most powerful man in the republic, a man he was lucky to consider a mentor and friend.
Palpatine's eyes brightened at Anakin's request for assistance in convincing Padme to evacuate the city. He readily assured Anakin that Senator Amidala would not refuse his executive order to return to Naboo. "And so," Palpatine said with a benevolent smile, "they've finally given you an assignment. Your patience has paid off."
"More thanks to Master Windu's guidance than my patience," Anakin replied. "I owe a great deal to Master Windu. He's been training me."
This declaration surprised Palpatine but he deftly redirected the conversation, his voice carrying a note of intrigue, "Is that so? It is a startling revelation considering Master Windu and Master Yoda were against your training."
"I know but recently he's taken me as his Padawan. He's been an extraordinary mentor, steering me on the right path in the force."
"You don't need more guidance, Anakin. In time you will learn to trust your own feelings. Then you will be invincible," Palpatine told the young man. "As I've often said, you are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met."
Anakin bowed his head timidly pleased by the Chancellor's praise. "Thank you, Your Excellency."
"I foresee you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, Anakin. More powerful than Master Windu and, with time, even wiser than Master Yoda. You need only remember that the Jedi may sometimes restrict your potential in their bid to maintain balance."
A flash of defensiveness crossed Anakin's face. He valued the guidance he received from all his Jedi mentors. "The Jedi only wish for peace, Chancellor. Their methods may seem stringent, but their intent is pure. I hope someday I will indeed be as wise as my masters. For now, I only want to match Master Windu in training and take my place on the council with him."
"Of course," Palpatine hastened to say. "I meant no disrespect to the honorable Jedi. I only observe their disdain for personal aspirations."
"The Jedi are not as restrictive as I once believed. In fact, Master Windu and the Council have decided to send a scout to look for my mother." The mere mention of his mother made Anakin's heart twist in longing. He did not notice the minute shift in Palpatine's expression.
A ripple of concern threaded its way into Palpatine's thoughts. This unforeseen development meant recalibration of his grand plan for the young Jedi now that the unexpected variable of Anakin's mother had been introduced. Palpatine had always known she could be a potent emotional catalyst for the boy. But her rescue at this juncture was not in his plans. Still, he was no stranger to adjusting his tactics. No single pawn, no matter how valuable, would disrupt the grand chessboard of his schemes.
"Well then, Anakin," Palpatine said as he ushered Anakin to the exit speaking with a voice as smooth as Naboo silk he said. "I am certain you will keep Senator Amidala safe. And Naboo is definitely safer than the bustling metropolis of Coruscant."
Anakin nodded eagerly, thankful for the Chancellor's support in helping him on his mission. He may be a powerful politician, but he was also a loyal friend and mentor who seemed to understand Anakin's aspirations.
"And as for your mother, Anakin," Palpatine continued with a hint of warmth in his eyes, "It's quite admirable of the Jedi Council to agree to your request to reunite with her. After all, we mustn't forget our past or the people we care about."
"Yes, Your Excellency," Anakin agreed. The meeting concluded, and Anakin walked out, bolstered by the Chancellor's support and totally unaware of the undercurrents his news had stirred.
Unbeknownst to the Anakin, the gears of a grand plan were shifting to accommodate this new variable. Palpatine's gaze turned back to the Coruscant skyline, his mind meticulously working through this new development. Anakin's mother would indeed be found, but what state she'd be in when Anakin met her, Palpatine had yet to decide.