Chapter Four - The Trap Closes

Anakin left his meeting with Yoda, feeling unsettled but determined. Clearly, the wizened Master suspected there was more connecting Anakin and Palpatine than mere politics.

Could it be he had sensed the full extent of Palpatine's influence and grooming over the years? The fatherly affection and patience, the subtle cultivation of Anakin's volatile emotions? Yoda had not said so directly, but his message was clear - the Sith Lord threatened far more than just the Chosen One.

Striding through the Temple halls, Anakin mulled over everything he knew about Palpatine. The man had insinuated himself into Anakin's life from the very beginning, even before he left Tatooine as a boy. At times, it felt as if the entire course of Anakin's Jedi training had been meticulously orchestrated.

Was he truly so uniquely important to Sidious' plans, or merely the ripest piece on the board to be captured? Either way, Anakin could not discount the terrible power Palpatine already held over him. Doubts and fears the Chancellor had groomed still clouded his judgment.

No more. From now on, Anakin resolved to trust only in the wisdom of the Jedi Council and his own feelings. The shadow would find no openings left to exploit. Whatever Palpatine's true goal, his manipulations would gain no further traction in Anakin's mind.

Approaching the training hall, Anakin felt part of his determination ebb. A familiar scowling face greeted him - Jedi Master Mace Windu, drilling younger apprentices through the sequences of Vaapad, his fiercely aggressive style. The stern Master had never quite approved of Anakin's volatile, emotional approach to the Force.

Yet perhaps that disapproval was deserved. Had the Council's lack of faith only pushed Anakin toward Palpatine's patient grooming? Swallowing his pride, Anakin moved to join the training.

"Master Windu. Might I request your personal guidance?"

Mace lowered his practice saber, one brow raised severely. "You wish to train under Vaapad's disciplines?" His disbelief showed plainly.

Anakin bowed his head. "You may find me...undisciplined still. I need to strengthen my focus and restraint." He met the Master's gaze. "I want to walk the light path with steady feet."

For a long moment Mace studied him, then nodded. "The Council's lack of faith in you has been...an injustice. Past faults are not destiny." He gestured Anakin forward. "Come. Vaapad's forms clear the mind and hone the spirit."

Gladly joining the session, Anakin felt himself open to Mace's instruction - and the Jedi Master in turn lowering his sternness. Together, the two outcast sides of the Order warmed toward mutual understanding. The harmony touched Anakin's heart.

Afterwards, Mace clasped Anakin's shoulder, an expression as warm as Anakin had ever seen it. "You have great patience when you so choose, young Skywalker. Never forget that." With a swirl of his dark cloak, the formidable Master swept away.

Buoyed by the encounter, Anakin decided to pay another deftly strategic visit. Entering the busy Temple hangar bay, he waved over an astromech droid. "Hey Artoo, how've you been?"

The little droid erupted into exuberant beeps and whistles, clearly delighted at Anakin's attention. Smiling, Anakin ran an affectionate hand over Artoo's domed head. "Yeah, I know it's been a while, buddy. But I'll always make time for you."

Kneeling, Anakin quickly scanned Artoo's systems and memory, making sure no hidden implants had been installed to report on Jedi activities. Finding nothing, he patted the droid fondly.

"Good to see you're still at peak performance. What do you say we go fly some maneuvers?" Artoo spun his dome in eager agreement. Together, they headed for the open skies and the simple joy of flight.

But Anakin's buoyant mood soon faded. Returning to the Temple, he sensed a disturbance ripple through the Force. Jedi knights rushed to and fro, urgently conferring. Anakin hurried to discover the cause.

He found Obi-Wan speaking intently with another Jedi. Catching sight of Anakin, Obi-Wan waved him over.

"Anakin, the Council has called an emergency meeting. Master Tiin was found unconscious in the clone barracks. Early evidence suggests his mind was probed for Jedi secrets."

Anakin's pulse spiked. "Someone is spying on us from inside the Temple." He gripped Obi-Wan's shoulder. "My friend, you know I must speak plainly. The Chancellor..."

Obi-Wan held up a hand. "Yes, I sense we can no longer ignore the truth." His eyes were grave. "Palpatine has woven his web well. But if he is the hidden Sith, today we will expose him to the light."

Together they hurried to join the gathering Council. Around the chamber, holograms flickered to life as Jedi leaders called in from battlefronts across the galaxy. For years, the shadow enemy had eluded them. But now the Jedi would turn the trap against the trapper at last.