Anakin looked around, cautiously.
"Was that the last of them?" he asked.
"Last ones we know about," one of the liaison wookiees reported. Chewbacca, Anakin thought his name was – the son of Attichitcuk.
"All right, good enough for me," Anakin decided, deactivating his lightsaber. "Skywalker to Five-oh-first command, report in?"
"Their attack has stalled, sir," Appo reported in. "We're preparing a counteroffensive move, but it's not urgent – I'd appreciate your input if you can give it, sir."
"I'll head back to the command post," Anakin replied, rolling his shoulder a little.
He had a pleasant burn in his muscles, and he'd done some really cool things so far today. Sure, he wasn't a Master, and that was still a bit annoying, but it was a lot harder for it to feel annoying when he was helping out to save an entire planet!
Again.
And saving a planet full of wookiees was particularly good at making you feel like you were completely kickass and amazing. If they needed help, and you could give them that help, it was well worth it. Especially as a sign that the Council was willing to let him pick his assignments.
Then his comlink crackled again.
"...guiding light to big handful," Obi-Wan's voice said. "Guiding Light to Big Handful, over?"
"Master, it's me," Anakin replied.
"You're supposed to say, Big Handful copies," Obi-Wan pointed out, reproachfully. "Really, Anakin."
"Sorry," Anakin said. "You know it's me, though. And I still think whoever picked that codename was being cruel. I wouldn't have picked it for me."
"Nobody picks their own codenames," Obi-Wan replied. "It's like nicknames. Anyway, Anakin – I've got some good news."
"Oh, that's… good?" Anakin replied. "Hang on, I think I remember, weren't you on Utapau?"
"Yes, but that was a while ago," Obi-Wan told him. "You must have missed the last update for the Council."
Anakin felt a bit guilty about that, except that he had been in the middle of a lot of fights on Kashyyyk over the last few days. So he'd probably just ignored his comlink when it was ringing, because he'd been trying to cut a tank droid in half or fend off STAPs or make sure his crashing hoverspeeder crashed into the enemy without anyone on board. Instead of crashing into their own command centre while there were still two liaison wookiees on board.
It really had been an eventful few days.
"I probably did, Master," he admitted. "So what's been happening on Utapau?"
"I beat Grievous," Obi-Wan said, just tossing it off there. "He was quite good, but not quite good enough. But before our battle I overheard him telling the Confederacy council to run away, heading to Mustafar."
"Mustafar…" Anakin repeated, thinking. "That's not all that far from here. I could probably head over-"
"Alas, you're too late," Obi-Wan replied. "The Open Circle fleet chased them to Mustafar. That's actually what I've been doing, I led the assault on the mining facility they were holed up in twenty minutes ago. The whole CIS leadership has been captured."
"Great!" Anakin said. "Does that mean we can bring an end to the war?"
"Not just yet, Anakin," Obi-Wan apologized. "I've been interrogating the Trade Federation leadership, and Nute Gunray is quite clear that he's been working for Darth Sidious for the last thirteen years at least – since before we met. Which is why I called you."
Anakin was silent for a long moment.
"...I don't get it," he admitted.
"I captured their computers, Anakin," Obi-Wan explained. "Including current comcodes to contact Darth Sidious. I'm hoping to get R2's help in tracing them."
"Yeah, he could do that," Anakin replied. "Though…"
"Though what?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm just thinking about something the Chancellor said, once," Anakin explained. "He said that, if Darth Sidious walked through the door he'd try and negotiate with him."
He shrugged, not that Obi-Wan could see him. "Just a thought."
"That might actually work," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin stared at his comlink, not that Obi-Wan could see that earlier.
"It might?" he asked.
"Well, it's a plan you came up with, Anakin, and I've had plenty of experience in how well those go," Obi-Wan replied. "Which is to say… distressingly well."
"Thanks," Anakin said.
"It's better than the alternative," Obi-Wan replied. "Unfortunately, the codes seem to be secured to this computer. We can't just send them to you or to the Chancellor."
"That's okay," Anakin decided. "I'll get back to the command centre and hook up R2-D2…"
"Chancellor, you must appreciate your position," Mon Mothma said, reasonably. "Your arguments that we are still in a crisis situation are becoming increasingly threadbare; this is not, necessarily, a problem that is impossible to solve, but it is a problem that needs solving."
"I hardly see how it would qualify as a problem, Senator," the Chancellor replied.
"The war is coming to a conclusion, Chancellor," Bail pointed out. "It is going to be time to transition back to normal governance at some point soon… that transition is going to go more easily, for you and for the Republic as a whole, if you are willing to make it rather than dragging it out."
"I'm not sure what you are insinuating, Senator Organa," Palpatine began.
"It's not an insinuation," Bail replied.
He shrugged. "It's a statement of fact. Speaking purely from the point of view of securing public support, it is a matter of fact that the public responds better to someone who is willing to face an electoral challenge than someone who fends it off as best they can. If you continue to run the Republic in a crisis situation until the end of the war, then – speaking purely in terms of fact – that makes it far more likely that you will lose the subsequent election."
Palpatine glowered.
"Assuming I accept your assessment," he began. "What is your suggestion, then?"
"Abandon your emergency powers, or make a clear statement with a short timeframe as to when those powers will be abandoned," Mon advised. "There are also issues relating to the courts, to be clear."
"I don't consider such issues to be issues at all," Palpatine said, then there was a beeping sound.
He picked up the comlink from his desk.
"Yes?" he asked, then smiled. "Anakin, my boy! It's good to hear from you. How have you been doing on Kashyyyk?"
"Is this… a bit impolite?" Bail murmured to Mon.
"Skywalker did call him," Mon replied. "You know how the two are friends."
"...that sounds marvellous," Palaptine said. "Oh? ...yes, I remember. I'd be happy to negotiate with the CIS leadership… I'm sorry, who are you talking to?"
"And… there we go," Static declared. "It's using a priority override key, the only one in the system. You'll show up as being Nute Gunray, since we know he had contact."
"Excellent," Obi-Wan replied, nodding to the expert. "Anakin?"
"Ready, Master," Anakin replied. "I've got the Chancellor on the other call, I'll put the comlinks next to one another."
"Very good," Obi-Wan said. "I'll do the same."
He triggered the system, and for a long moment nothing happened.
Then the call connected.
"Explain yourself, Nute," came a sinister voice, and Obi-Wan shuddered.
Who would ever think such a man had their best interests at heart?
"I assume you are referring to Nute Gunray?" the Chancellor said. "I believe he is not available. However-"
"Begone, then," Sidious snapped.
"Please, allow me to finish," the Chancellor requested. "This war has been going on for too long already, and I believe there are grounds for a peaceful settlement."
"A peaceful settlement?" Sidious asked, chuckling darkly. "What kind of peaceful settlement could you possibly be talking about?"
"Surely the conflict between the Jedi and the Sith has some basis in the past, but that was hundreds of years ago," the Chancellor pointed out.
"The conflict between the Jedi and the Sith is quite recent," Sidious replied. "The Sith have developed techniques which some would consider… unnatural… and the Jedi were opposed to them from the start. They wished to keep the secret of healing the very ill out of the hands of the galaxy… many of them won't even know it themselves."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling to ward off his intense dislike for the Sith.
That was an obvious tissue of lies, phrased to manipulate and with a built-in reason why the listener might not have heard of it.
"There must be a basis for peace," the Chancellor protested.
Sidious made an amused noise. "Very well, then, here is your proposal. The Jedi Order must be dismantled."
"I will not accept that," Palpatine replied. "Some Jedi are my personal friends. Anakin Skywalker, for example, is a hero."
Sidious chuckled. "You're not expecting me to change my mind based on that, are you?" he asked, sounding amused. "What if I revealed to you that the Jedi do not have your own best interests at heart?"
"I would be very much inclined to not believe you," Palpatine said, with a sigh. "Your Confederacy has caused enormous bloodshed!"
"The Confederacy was never a Sith creation," Sidious replied. "It was a creation of my apprentice, Count Dooku. But Count Dooku is not the Sith. What the Sith want – what I want – is to be free from the tyranny of the Jedi."
His voice became silky and insinuating. "Haven't the Jedi resisted your own influence? Prevented that hero you spoke of from achieving the rank of Master? What other reason could they have – they must be hiding something."
Obi-Wan felt sick for a moment.
The way this Sith was speaking was almost calculated to get under Anakin's skin, as well as that of the Chancellor.
"I… don't think the Jedi Order is quite so corrupt as you suggest," Palpatine replied, after a moment, which was almost worse than an agreement.
Did the Chancellor really think he could give orders to the Jedi?
"You know what it would take for a peace," Sidious said. "It's the only way to stop the bloodshed. The only way that the Sith would feel… comfortable… sharing our superior knowledge of the Force."
Then the call ended, unceremoniously.
"...well, that could have gone better," Anakin muttered.
"It was worth a try," Obi-Wan said, though he privately agreed with Anakin.
Static and Sparkle were checking if they'd managed to track down Sidious during the conversation, and once they delivered their verdict Obi-Wan would check with Anakin to see if R2 had achieved anything. Maybe he'd even managed to send a virus.
At least Sidious had stayed on the line for a while.
Palpatine heaved an enormous sigh of relief, setting down the comlink he'd been using to talk to Anakin.
He very much hoped to never have to do something like that again.
Then a tiny sound made him look up.
Bail Organa and Mon Mothma were staring at him. And, in a shimmering blue hologram, so were about half of the Jedi Council.
"...what. The kriff. Was that?" Mace Windu asked, eventually.
"Ah…" Palpatine began. "...performance art?"
Nobody seemed very impressed by that answer.
AN:
Holy double identity, Sheev-man!