Author's Note: From now on, chapters will post one a day until all of Midnight, plus a couple of bonus scenes at the end, is up. Midnight also has two prequels, one of which, Masters of the Game, is already completed on here. It tells the story of Palpatine's disastrous first campaign for sectorial senator and how Sereine basically saved his career.
The second prequel is called What Lies Beneath. This tells the story of the slavery issue in the Republic and how Palpatine used it to climb to prominence, while elegantly sticking it to the Jedi Order, of course. Oh, and started falling in love with his campaign manager/mistress in the process ... while vehemently denying it to himself.
I am now working on the rest of the Midnight prequel story, which will bridge What Lies Beneath until the time when it's all gone too far and Palpatine finally has to break it off with Sereine. Until then, be prepared for Trade Federation Directorate murders, Palpatine struggling valiantly not to fall in love, and a covert romantic rivalry with Finis Valorum, whom he comes to hate for more reasons than one.
- "If you wanted a subtitle for these movies, you could...it could be, 'Fathers and Sons.'" - Ian McDiarmid.
Of course there was to be an attack on Padmé's life. Palpatine would not sit idly by while she, instead of one of his lackeys, ascended his podium as the next Supreme Chancellor. Anakin knew this.
The problem, of course, was where? How? Would there a bomb be smuggled into the Senate building? Would there be a sniper on a rooftop? Would there be a convenient mechanical problem with the official shuttle that conveyed Padmé and her entourage to the ceremony?
After several days of worrying about it, Anakin decided to chuck it all. Predicting Palpatine in this case would be next to impossible. But it was certainly possible to preempt him.
The holocams followed everything at the Senate building the day of the inauguration. Two hours before it was set to take place, the news showed footage of last minute decorations being put up, crowds lined up early for a glimpse of the new Chancellor, a special carpet rolled out, even custodial droids sweeping the walks. "And they're rolling out the red carpet now," intoned the holojournalists, describing the most mundane details in their war for the highest viewership.
At half past the eighth hour, the official shuttle set out to collect Padmé Amidala from her Senatorial apartments. The holocams followed it as it docked at her veranda.
The explosion that rocked 500 Republica several minutes later reached several billion households across the galaxy.
Safe inside the Valorums' 300 Republica apartment, Anakin, Padmé, Finis, Sereine, Bail, Breha, and several staff looked on at the explosion along with the rest of the viewing audience.
"Right on time," said Padmé, turning to look at her husband. Anakin grinned.
"What will they say when they find out nobody was even in the apartment?" said Breha.
"It won't matter," said Anakin. "I'll say I had everyone moved two days ago because I suspected an attack. It's the truth."
"If anyone ever discovers that you planted that explosive yourself...that's where it will get interesting," said Finis.
"They won't," said Anakin, straightening his shoulders. "It'd be the last thing anyone would ever consider. And anyway, if we want to blow up our own house, it's our right to. It looks ugly on the holonet, but that wasn't enough explosive to cause any more than minor damage to the floor below us."
"I think we may have to remodel the living room, though," sighed Padmé.
Smoke billowed from the Naberrie-Skywalker veranda. Holocams mounted on speeders zoomed in to capture the emergency vehicles arriving on the scene. A medium-sized FireSpeeder and a smaller one buzzed up to the veranda. Burly firedroids repulsored themselves down and hosed the burning remains of the government vehicle with arm-thick blasts of water sprayed through spoutlike chrome hands.
A speederful of clonetroopers arrived and rushed into the smoke. "And the desperate search for survivors begins," breathed the news commentator.
Padmé stirred. "I'd better get to it," she said. "People are worried about us."
She borrowed the Valorum's comm unit and had herself patched directly through to Coruscant's Chief Justice, who had been preparing to administer the Oath of Office.
"Madame Senator!" the tall Rodian exclaimed, waving his robed arms in surprise. "You're alive! Are you unharmed?"
"Yes, we weren't even home," said Padmé. "We had flown over to pick up the Organas."
"Thank the Force you're safe. Shall we continue with the ceremony as planned? I can send a squadron of clonetroopers to fetch you."
"No, Your Grace, I have a different idea," said Padmé. "I don't trust the security arrangements in the Capitol. I want the entire Senate building double-swept for explosives, and I do plan to be sworn in today - but I want you to come to me."
And half an hour later, the one hundred and seventy-sixth Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic was sworn into office in the middle of the Valorums' living room, with two holonet crews specifically checked and approved by her husband recording the event for posterity.
Deep within the Jedi Temple, quiet footsteps resounded down an empty residential hallway along with the measured tap of a walking stick. Just before Master Yoda reached Mace Windu's door, a soft sigh reverberated between the walls.
He rapped once with his stick, and heard, "Enter!"
The door slid open.
The Korun master looked up from his cross-legged seat on his meditation chair. "You came."
"Promised you I would, I did."
"Thank you," said Windu stiffly, his face and voice tight, "for allowing me the opportunity to speak to you about this in private."
"Owed it to you, I did," said Yoda. "Longtime friends and colleagues, we are."
"Exactly!" Harsh lines appeared from Mace's nose to the corners of his mouth. "I know Obi-Wan was just following your lead in this. I don't blame him. I blame you! How could you do this? How could you have this information about someone I was close to, and not tell me? How could you even suspect that I was - that I would - How could you do it, Yoda? Explain it to me, because I'm not getting it!"
The little green Jedi master paused, considering his words carefully. His long ears quivered. At last he spoke.
"With regret I made the decisions, and took the actions, that I did. Certain of the right course, I was not. Err on the side of safety, I did. Know this wounds you, I do. Intend to hurt you, I did not."
"Intent is beside the point!" snapped Windu. "Obviously, you believed - actually believed - after all they've done, that I could join the Sith!"
The smaller being waited for the anger to subside. Then he said, "A great risk it would have been, to reveal the truth to anyone. Believe, I do, that correct Chancellor Valorum's theory was. Any sudden move, any attack on Palpatine while still in power he was, and lost, all could have been."
"And you believed what?" Windu waved his hands in the air. Yoda said nothing, and after a moment the Korun master answered for him.
"You believed I would rush to confront him. Or you believed that I was already a Sith, and I'd warn him!"
"Consider these possibilities, I did. Necessary, it was."
Windu was silent for a moment, hard lines crinkling around his eyes. Finally he said, "Now I know exactly what you think of me. After all these years, it's good to know the truth."
Yoda shook his head once. His ears drooped. Then he raised his head.
"Know all of the truth, you do not. See the truth within yourself, you do not wish to. Fallen, many Jedi have, in the course of this war. Anger...vengefulness. The downfall of these Jedi, they were. Understandable, the feelings are, but the same, the result is.
"Blind, I was, to these feelings in you, for weeks...months. Only until raised the possibility, young Skywalker did, did I allow myself to consider. Want to see this anger in you, I did not. But there, it surely is. Been there, it has, since returned to us poor Depa was . Been there before that, even. When ask myself, I had to, whether fall you could ...deny it, I could no longer."
Windu's hands balled into fists. A dark fire burned in the brown eyes.
"Pain me to say this, it does. But look within your heart, you must."
Mace's eyes narrowed. Within the small room, the Force felt tight enough to snap.
"Get out."
"Speak of this to the Council, I must. Asked, I will be. Even if ask me, they did not...speak of this, must I still."
"Get out!"
The morning after the inauguration dawned cold over Coruscant. A misty chill hung in the air; beings on the sidewalks breathed little puffs of steam. Early speeder traffic winked in and out of gilt-edged clouds.
A tap shook Master Yoda from his morning meditation. The Force revealed his visitor.
"Enter," he called out. His door slid open.
"Master Windu."
The Force flowed more calmly around the Korun master than Yoda had felt it do in quite some time. Shame, contrition, and a sense of resignation permeated the room.
Mace Windu gave him a quick bow. "Yoda," he said. "I wanted to talk to you, before the Council meeting this morning."
Yoda's ears twitched. "Certainly."
Mace settled himself on a meditation pallet and paused, as if he were searching for words. At last he began.
"I want to apologize to you for the way I acted yesterday. I did consider more fully what you had to say.
"I didn't want to admit it - I didn't think it was possible...but you were right. I have been angry over what I've seen these past three years. Angry enough that I would have crossed the line. Look at the way I came at you, just for being right. I'm sorry."
"Understandable, these feelings are," said Yoda. "A great test, this has been, for every Jedi. Much suffering, the Sith have wrought. If angry, we could not feel, uncaring beings would we be. Not in the anger, lies the fault, Mace."
Mace bowed his head, unable to meet Yoda's eyes. After a moment, he looked up. "Being willing to do anything - there lies the fault," he said. "Knowing what I know now, I can see that Palpatine was leading up to telling me. If he had told me...if I had not been ordered by the Council to do nothing...the Force knows what I would have done. For the briefest moment yesterday, I - I nearly drew my lightsaber on you." He rubbed his forehead. "I feel like I scarcely know myself. And...I feel ashamed."
"Punish yourself, do not, Mace," said Yoda gently. "If able to see this about yourself, you were not, different it would have been. But that path, you did not take. A cause for pride, this is. And learning."
Mace shook his head. "I see something else, too. I never liked Anakin. In fact, I actually disliked him. I would've died rather than admit it..." His voice trailed off. "We're actually a lot alike."
The two old friends sat in silence for a moment. Then Mace said, "You've changed, too. You're different."
"Mmm," rumbled the smaller Jedi. "Taught for many years, I did, that exist, anger should not. That purged from one, it should be, if a proper Jedi, one wished to become. See now, I do, that possible, this may not be, nor even desired.
"Taught me much, this war has. Reflected, I have, on things I believed to be truths. The absence of anger...a point of view, that is. A state of mind, reached by perspective and knowledge, not by discipline."
"Perspective?"
"Lady Valorum. Young Skywalker. Some anger they have toward Palpatine; but not what we on the Council feel. Hate him, they do not. The reason for this, is that understand him they do, and love him they do as well - not simply did they tell themselves, that bad anger is. More have they been capable of, than any master. Perspective. Knowledge...of Palpatine. Taught, this cannot be. The path to it, one may teach - but the wrong path, have I taught."
Mace shook his head again. "The highest masters. Leaders of the Jedi Council. Thought we knew everything, didn't we?"
"When know everything, you think you do, time to start over again, it is. Or so it would seem."
"So, what do we do...with what we now think we know?"
Twelve High Masters faced one another across the High Council chamber. Ki Adi Mundi had been chosen to lead the meeting.
"As I see it," he began, "we have only three real options for dealing with Lord Sidious. One would be what we certainly would have done had we discovered him during the war - destroy him. The second, and perhaps most obvious option, would be to subject him to the due process of law, as with any other war criminal. Our third option, and this would be the one which would encompass the request of the Skywalkers and the Valorums, would be to treat this as strictly a Jedi matter, and subject Lord Sidious to a private Jedi tribunal. Obviously this would have to be undertaken in secret, if the Coruscant judiciary were not to be involved. This is the situation that lies before us. I will call on each of you, and we will hear your thoughts on this matter."
Shaak Ti and Stass Allie had rearranged the seating in order to sit next to one another. Master Ti raised her hand. "Master Mundi, if we may speak first. We have collected evidence that we feel will bear heavily on this decision."
Mundi nodded gravely.
Master Allie began. "As you know, my cousin and predecessor, Master Gallia, was a great friend of Chancellor Valorum and better connected to the political scene than any of us. Master Ti and I took it upon ourselves to visit a few in the judicial system to whom she was close, and without revealing the specifics of the crime, we conducted some research as to what course a capital case against a former Supreme Chancellor would be likely to take in the court system, and which justices would be called upon to hear it."
Master Mundi's eyebrows rose.
"It would appear," said Master Ti, taking over, "that no matter which possible route through the court system we traced, every justice who might preside is a Palpatine appointee. He's been in power for many years and appointed over sixty-five percent of the justices currently on the first benches. In very many of these cases, Palpatine has done important favors for certain justices, or there is some question of their being...obligated to him in some manner."
"Our concern," said Stass Allie, "no matter what the ultimate disposition of the case, is that it may take many years to be resolved...in which case the former Supreme Chancellor would no doubt be free on bond and able to move about as he liked. Given the amount and type of political networking he's done in the past, and the disastrous results it has had..."
Shaak Ti took over. "We fear that the second option, subjecting him to the due process of law, would result in yet more attempts at subversion, and if we should lose track of him altogether...My masters, Master Allie and I recommend against this course of action."
Upon seeing that they were finished, Master Mundi proceeded to Stass Allie's left. "Master Kolar."
"I fear that treating this solely as a private Jedi matter would be a grave disservice to the citizens of this Republic. They have suffered more than anyone else as a result of the actions of the former Chancellor. Shall we hide the truth from them? I cannot see that as ethical, my masters, or in any way correct!"
To Master Kolar's left sat Mace Windu. "Master Yoda and I have much that we wish to bring forward."
Three days passed. Now it was Sereine's turn to harangue Anakin: "What news? What news?"
The Skywalkers had relocated temporarily to the Jedi Temple, for maximum security and to be with their babies until their home could be properly secured. The Organas were in hiding with the Valorums - somewhat inconvenient, as the former Chancellor's apartment was quite small - but the news hadn't caught wind of their whereabouts yet. The four of them huddled over the news reports and conducted what state business they could over the comm system. Midmorning on the fourth day after Padmé's makeshift inauguration, Sereine and Bail sat in the Valorum's living room, sipping kaffe and scanning the headlines anxiously for any news of Palpatine.
"I can't understand why he hasn't left the Capitol," said Bail. "Surely he can see that he's lost. Or perhaps he's not finished trying to have us assassinated yet?"
"With Palpatine you never know," said Sereine. "Coruscant is crawling with his contacts."
As if they had summoned it, an old holo of Palpatine flashed before them suddenly, followed by footage of a med transport surrounded by medical droids. Coruscant's most popular newscaster appeared below the image.
"Former Chancellor Palpatine was rushed to Coruscant City Hospital early this morning, apparently suffering from a rare blood disorder. This is the second hospitalization for the former Senator from Naboo in less than two months..."
Sereine put her mug down. Her face went white.
"Do you think it's even the truth?" asked Bail Organa. "Or is it just a ruse of some sort?"
The door chime rang. Sereine's protocol droid answered it, and Anakin Skywalker rushed into the room.
"Sereine," he said. "We're wanted in the High Council chamber. They've reached a decision."
They stood together in the center of the circle. Sereine's heart beat with odd little jerks; she fought the urge to grip Anakin's hand.
"Anakin Skywalker," said Master Windu. "By your actions, you have shown yourself more than deserving of membership in this Order. We wish to extend to you an offer to resume your station as a Jedi knight...if you choose to accept."
Anakin's eyes widened; he opened his mouth, and then stopped himself. "My masters...I'm not going to divorce my wife," he said.
Ki Adi Mundi spoke. "We will not require that," he said. "Consider this, if you will. I, too, am married, although for different reasons than you. If you accept, that will make two of us. Times change, Anakin, and so must the Jedi Order. It has been proposed that a new subsect of the Jedi Order be created which does allow its members to marry. It will require special study and training, of course, and will be restricted only to those who hold the rank of Master. You and I will be the founders of this subsect and will design the requirements and the course of study needed for admission."
Anakin's mouth fell open. His throat worked, but not a sound came out.
Master Mundi smiled kindly. "This proposed subsect does not yet have a name. You and I would decide that as well. Presumably."
Sereine watched as tears came into Anakin's eyes. "Only the rank of Master..." he said. He looked at Yoda. "Do you mean...?"
"Not immediately, young one," said Master Yoda. "But in due course, a Master, will you be."
"I - I - " Anakin stammered.
Obi-Wan leaned forward. "Anakin," he said. "We would be honored if you would join us."
"I don't know what to say..." said Anakin. "Except - thank you."
"It is decided, then," said Master Windu. "As to the matter of Lord Sidious. The Council has determined that, while it is not in the best interests of either the Sith lord, or of this Order, to wantonly commit murder in this case, for reasons of the public safety it is neither in the best interests of the Republic to turn Lord Sidious over to the due process of law. We have elected to handle this privately, as a Jedi matter."
Sereine's heart beat faster. This time she did reach over and grab Anakin's hand. "And how exactly will this Jedi matter be resolved?" she asked, struggling to steady her breathing.
Yoda spoke. "In keeping with this policy of 'minimal restraint' you have employed, have, we do, a small outbuilding attached to this Temple. Commonly known as 'the Pavilion,' used, it was, to house Jedi residing offworld, who were returning to the mother house for a short time, for reassignment or other purposes. Since the ending of the war, many fewer Jedi there are, and empty, the Pavilion now stands. Armored, it will be, monitored and guarded.
"Remanded to this location Lord Sidious will be, there to live out the remainder of his natural life. Allowed, he will be, to observe the Force in such manner as he sees fit, but no outside contact will he have, save with the two of you. Allowed to be active in the outside world, to pursue political or business dealings, he will not. Communications, he will not be allowed. Safe from him at last, will the Republic be. Only what is necessary to protect this galaxy from him, will we do. No more. No less."
Joy lanced through Sereine's heart. It was all she could do not to scream. It was all she could do not to jump up and down like a schoolchild.
Anakin asked it for her. "Masters...what about our proposal of attempting to turn him to the light side of the Force?"
"To achieve this, impossible will it be. But access to him, the two of you have. Interested, will we be, in the results of your efforts. If helpful I may be, my assistance, I will offer."
Sereine couldn't believe what she had heard. Was it possible? After all they had done, all they had been through, was it really possible that they had gotten everything they had wanted?
She looked up at Anakin. Anakin stared wordlessly back at her. They looked back at the bemused faces of twelve Jedi masters.
"Young Skywalker," said Master Windu, in a tone not entirely serious, "if you actually manage to turn that Sith disease, I'll sponsor your name for Mastery myself."
Sereine laughed and looked at the floor, trying to hide the joyful tears that threatened. She couldn't stop smiling.
"Necessary it will be, to capture the Sith lord and inform him. Since experienced at this, the two of you are, your opinions on this matter, we wish to request."