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Chapter 19

Luke stood alongside the Nabooians, mourning for the amount of lives lost, and actively offering his own apologies to the separated families. He felt sick as he did so. They should resent him, but all of them seemed to view him as a hero.

He would deserve it.

Their contempt.

But he didn't receive it.

After the proceedings, he began walking inside a medical center, frowning slightly when he found a girl around the age of seventeen. Judging by her robes, she was a Jedi. She had dark hair and gray eyes and was of medium height.

"Hello," Luke greeted softly, sensing a surprising amount of scars on the woman—more emotional than physical. Was she abused? How could that be? She was a Jedi. That much was for certain. "I'm Luke Skywalker. What is your name?"

"I'm..." she started, chewing on her lip apprehensively, "I'm not supposed to talk to you," she elaborated, landing him with a fearful stare. "You're the vergence everyone has been talking about."

Luke nodded with a small smile. "I understand. May I at least know what your name is?"

A hesitant pause passed, and then... "Lorana Jinzler."

Lorana Jinzler? Why did the Force buzz so strongly in that moment?

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She seemed surprised by his concern, but she answered nonetheless. "Yes, I am."

"Is there something wrong, little one?" he asked kindly.

"-" she began, her mouth opened slightly.

"Padawan, what are you doing?" A voice cut behind her, nothing short of superiority. Luke stiffened. Holy kriffing...

Oh, hells!

A wild-eyed man moved in. Luke observed his chiseled face, tall, and of average build, and was considered fairly muscular. He had a neatly trimmed short beard. No matter, the Jedi Master recognized him.

Jorus C'baoth?!

"Sorry, Master," she sucked in a breath too quickly for Luke's liking, staring at him nervously. "I was onl-"

"Padawan, I told you not to talk with strangers," he scolded with disappointment and anger. Luke did not like the way his eyes darkened.

"I was concern for her," Luke said, and it took all within him to keep his tone cordial and respectful. "Please, do not fault her."

C'baoth hummed, peering at him for what felt like hours. Eventually, he found his voice. "Well, you have now surely found your way."

Luke nodded. "I have. I do hope you praise your Padawan. She takes direction well."

It took much to refrain from staring at him pointedly as he walked past, noticing Jinzler staring at him with barely concealed apprehension. It was natural for some of the younger Jedi to feel afraid around strangers, but she was far too fearful for Luke's liking.

He would have to find out what was really the deal between the two.

C'baoth's presence should not intimidate the girl!

Burying it in the back of his mind, he found the unconscious form of his old Master. He watched as the medical droids cut into him. They were cutting charred pieces of cloth and what burnt skin they could off of him. He wasn't the only one. There was a heavy amount of wounded inside the room.

At Obi-Wan's bedside, Siri Tachi sat, deformed. She had a little pink scar over her right eye now. Two markings on her brow traveled down to one point underneath her eye, but not making contact with the eye itself. Luke suspected if they had, she would have lost her sight.

Next to him, Jinn was staring with pained eyes at his Apprentice, who was covered with first- and second-degree burns.

When all was said and done, Obi-Wan was lucky. Oh, he would have some remarkable scarring across his chest and would be required to wear a respirator mask for the next few weeks, but he was expected to make a full recovery.

Siri glimpsed up at him temporarily before looking back down.

"Would you like to discuss his... state currently?" Luke asked after a moment, ignoring the uneasiness that he may have rushed this meeting.

That feeling was put to rest by her staring up at him and responding, "There's nothing to be talked about."

"You love him," Luke stated more than asked. "You don't have to fear telling me. That love makes you stronger." It was no coincidence that Jedi who fought with love and passion in their hearts were often stronger than their counterparts and various Sith.

Her eyes shot down to the ground. "I haven't seen him for five years," she said slowly, though her words lacked vigor.

"Feelings don't pass that easily," Luke said softly. "Love. Attachment. Affection. They strengthen your connection to the Force."

"Embracing your feelings is not the way of the Jedi. Those feelings can lead you down the path of the Dark Side," Siri dismissed, looking down at her hands regretfully. "While I hope for him the utter best, I can't give into them."

"Those feelings can be the very source that brings you away from the Dark Side," Luke responded solemnly, sensing that she didn't hold the Jedi in as high regard as Obi-Wan did. That could be helpful. "Balance is required. The more you deny your feelings, the more it eats you up, leading you to wish to revolt against them."

"No," she murmured, "we have to resist our feelings or it could lead to the Dark Side."

Luke nodded patiently. "But wouldn't you refer to that as a fear?" he inquired rhetorically. "Your fear of accepting your feelings, of refusing to admit that you love him, provides more of a detriment than not."

"I don't fear my feelings for him!" She replied a little too quickly, almost jumping out of her chair. "I mean I don't have any feelings for him." She sighed, closed her eyes, and steadied her emotions, "I just think that doing so would be a disaster in the making. Not only would we be expelled from the Jedi Order but we would have nowhere to go."

"Are you planning on ignoring him for long?" He asked, though not supercilious as one could take his tone, as he recalled his ex-lovers. Dani, Shira Brie, Tanith Shire, Shire S'ybll, Alexandra Winger, Gaeriel Captison, Mary, Jem Ysanna, Akanah Norand Goss Pell, Callista Ming, and lastly, his wife, Mara Jade. His beloved Mara. She was never able to fully recover from what the Emperor did to her, though she'd attempted to make the best of it.

"Until we pass into the Force," Siri answered, her voice venomous now. "Being a Jedi means everything to me. To him. We cannot give into any desires and wants. Balance is not the way of the Jedi."

Luke shook his head in disappointment. "Forgive me, but I don't believe that you would. If that were the case, you wouldn't be by his side."

"Are you implying something?"

"I'm only recommending that you two talk it out. You're not the only one with a dilemma, and continuing to ignore your feelings is obviously not doing you - any of you - favors." Luke said suggestively. That was all he could do. It was ultimately up to both of them how they wanted to approach this. "If you so heavily value your positions as Jedi, you could... value secrecy."

"Lie to the Jedi?!" She demanded in outrage.

"That way, you're being truthful to yourselves," Luke answered. "That is one of the major reasons why the Sith were successful in turning Jedi in the days of the Old Republic. Because Jedi wished to sever their feelings, when the Sith exploited such tactics against them, they were unprepared and unstable in the fight against an enemy."

Luke could see the wheels turning in her head, as she processed what was being told to her.

Eventually, she sighed, "Look, I may care for him! But if we do not discard our feelings we become fallible and vulnerable! They cloud our judgment! How could we do our duty for the Jedi Order if we cannot accept the basic tenets of the Jedi Code?" Tachi asked passionately. Or with farce passion.

His face became sterner. "Those are basic slogans, preventing you from thinking for yourselves. For no matter how you were raised in the halls of the Jedi Order, you're still people with thoughts and feelings of your own. To the average citizen, the Jedi are terrifying space wizards who warrant fear and distrust. You can't cut off an important part of what makes you a living and breathing sapient being and refer to it as an achievement."

"No, thousands of years have passed, and the Code remains correct. For instance, when Master Jinn's partner, Tahl, died, Jinn nearly succumbed to the Dark Side."

Luke noted that she didn't argue for people's perspective of the Jedi. He didn't know about the incident surrounding a woman who Jinn loved, but he would go off context clues.

"Only because he was unequipped to mourn and grieve over what was lost, I imagined. The Jedi Code wasn't passed by the Force to the Jedi. Adaption can be made."

Tachi appeared to be deep in thought.

"No, the Code wasn't, but it served for the longest recorded period of peace."

"A time when the Sith went into hiding instead. For the past thousand years, you have been playing in the hands of the Dark Side. There are always emotions, no matter if you attempt to discard them or not. It's one thing to achieve inner equilibrium and not allow your emotions to rule. Fear, hatred, and rage are normal emotions. You can't take that away from someone."

She shook her head, "You misinterpret the Jedi Code. It's not about how we can or cannot be influenced by our emotions. It's about the temptation that accompanies such. We have obligations. If you're not dwelling on attachments, you wouldn't have to worry about such things. It keeps the balance."

"An alternative is training yourselves to not allow your emotions to control you," Luke countered. "The Sith had to know their enemies so they could fight them accordingly. You're correct that finding emotional balance benefits the Jedi, but fearing your emotions allow the Dark Side to grow stronger, and eventually, you'll succumb to it through much pain and suffering, or be driven by frustration."

For a long time, Siri remained silent.

"I'll leave you to think."

He walked away from the woman, only to nearly run directly into Anakin as soon as he made it to the door.

"Hey, Luke..."

Luke grinned. "Hi, Anakin, giving your mother another heart attack, I see."

"N-no!" Anakin spluttered. "I wanted to see you, but you were talking to Ms Tachi and I didn't want to... and I'm sorry-"

"Easy, young one," Luke replied, sensing the boy was getting upset and defensive. That disgusted him to the extreme because aside from authoritative figures when necessary, Anakin shouldn't feel the inclination to explain to someone who was a total stranger for his presence. "I know one your age tends to grow curious and you have been worried too much."

Anakin smiled awkwardly as he followed him out.

"So what is it?" Luke inquired.

Anakin struggled for words for a few seconds before replying, "Padmé seems sad."

Kriff, Anakin was barely Ben's age. Thoughts of his son sent a pang down Luke's heart yet again.

"She's um... really, really sad. She's always happy. But when I saw her earlier, she looked like she was going to cry." Anakin continued, his own face broken in heartache. The boy thought extremely fond of the woman at such a young age. "-everyone is."

Luke didn't want to fracture the only innocence the boy had left, but he knew Anakin's connection with the Force had a disadvantage. "The Naboo would become happy again in time."

"That much is a guarantee," came a voice that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

Luke turned his head to see... him, an honor guard in tow. His eyes gleamed with slight pride. Cordial as possible, he greeted. "Senator."

"Chancellor actually," the man corrected.

"Of course, my apologies," Luke forced a bow. "'Chancellor'."

Palpatine waved his hand, giving him a soothing stare. "Son, you never need to bow or acknowledge me as such. While many here played an important part, you were the one who saved Naboo."

Palpatine smiled as he turned to face the boy, and Luke swore he was eyeing Anakin eye him like a demonic prize for a moment.

"Ah, Young Skywalker," Palpatine's eyes glistened with intrigue and interest. Luke wanted nothing more than to grab the boy and get him out of the sights of such a narcissistic bastard. "Queen Amidala is a dear friend of mine and she told me much about you." A lie, since the woman wouldn't have the time. "I hope for you to know that slavery is something I plan to handle one day."

How dare h-

"Thank you, Chancellor!" Anakin bounced up and down, giddy, unknowing of Luke's mental dilemma.

Palpatine chuckled, "No thanks is necessary. I too agree that the mess has been going on for too long. You may have a negative view of the Republic, young one, but I wish for you to know that not all politicians are like that. Remember."

"Sure," Anakin promised, nodding instantly.

Palpatine patted his shoulder. "You're a strong child, young one. Keep it up, and you'll make one hell of a man someday, excuse my language."

Anakin nodded.

Luke barely was able to hold back the vomit threatening to claw out. Unfortunately, he was powerless to do anything right now. If he'd acted hastily, it would cause confusion and skepticism. Likely, what Palpatine wanted. He had to make sure that the man didn't get his tentacles around Anakin, reinforcing the reason that he would have to disappear somewhere so he could conduct Anakin's Jedi training without Palpatine or any of his followers detecting them.

Palpatine looked at both Skywalkers, smiling with a delightful smile, "I intend to watch your careers with great interest. If you find yourself in need of something or simply want to talk, you can call my office or come see me."

Never...

The Chancellor and the guard left, leaving the two behind.

Luke's smile fell, his eyes following the disappearing Chancellor. He had no intention of speaking with him until Anakin Skywalker was ready. There would be no secrecy. He would inform Anakin of Palpatine's true nature when Anakin knew about the Jedi and Sith. Maul still being out there spelled a series of interesting changes.

"Wow, even the Chancellor likes you," he said, beaming.

But that didn't mean the Jedi Master couldn't caution him somewhat. "Something to always remember, young one," he said, "one, not to discourage yourself, but don't go off immediate assumptions about one's character. It can make you susceptible to manipulation. Two, never trust a politician such as him. Any of them that are like that, willing to give favors, and want constant communication are doing so to use you."

"Eh, he seems like a nice guy," the former slave shrugged, eyes still following the corner where the man walked down for a brief second.

"Looks can be deceiving," Luke answered ominously.

"They can?"

"Sometimes, your greatest friend could be someone not in plain sight, and vice versa. A true friend both supports and criticizes you, not give you the entire galaxy. Nevertheless, don't go off on speculation and hypotheses."

Luke was speaking from experience.

"Until he, or anyone, backs their promises, be cordial, but don't be sinecure."

Anakin nodded, looking at him now. "You're my friend."

"I am honored to carry such a title, little one," Luke nodded, "I want to make sure that you learning the Force is painless as much as it is an experience. Understand?"

"Uh, yes, Luke..." Anakin answered, squirming slightly.

His low self-esteem was something Luke would have to tackle, in time.

"Now, I wish to discuss with you about what you felt earlier."

"It was Naboo," Anakin peaked up, bowing his head. "I just..." He looked down, "-know it."

Luke nodded. "This is a lesson, unfortunate as it is. Remember, you must always cherish your loved ones, like your mother. But accept that death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Grieving is part of the healing process, feeling and processing all that arises is a necessary part of healing. You may mourn losses, but never forget yourself. Always let in, but be prepared to let go."

Anakin nodded as he followed behind the time traveler.

Kark it.

Damn him for not ever sensing the Skywalker boy before the Jedi. The child would have eventually made an excellent Sith Apprentice. He was a fragile piece of work, his emotions uncontrolled. Sidious wanted a servant, a weapon, one to be his Enforcer. He could potentially be a threat to Sidious, which wouldn't be too tragic obviously, but only if the boy truly embraced the Dark Side. That innocent face presented something beyond. The boy had such a darkness for him about slavery. If only he could have the time to manipulate that against Luke Skywalker, but that one interaction could be reversible and wouldn't leave a lasting imprint on him, given how intelligent Luke was.

It infuriated the Sith so much that he pondered murdering the pathetic girl in front of him.

Yet, curiosity held his hand.

"Chancellor-Elect," Queen Amidala started slowly, her tone bitter. "May I be so blunt? You worked for the Republic for decades. You must have noticed that something was off." Strange enough, there was no accusation in her tone.

Palpatine frowned. "I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, my dear."

"Either some Senators or the Jedi should be cleaning up the mess after the Trade Federation attacked Naboo. Yet I have the feeling that the Senate will continue to be a bloody mess. It will be just business as usual," Queen Amidala stated bitterly.

Sidious nodded. "I'm afraid it doesn't affect them. Unfortunately, Naboo is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things."

There was a surge of delicious anger and remorse in the Force. "I won't pretend to understand your motive."

Sidious was alarmed. Did she know who he was? That meant that she would have to be dealt with swiftly before she became more successful. Her successor would be more interesting.

However, a quick scan through the Dark Side disproved that.

Odd... what was happening?

"I know now what you probably accepted a long time ago. We need more power in the Senate." the Queen spoke brokenly. "It was awful thing, what happened to the Gungans. The Trade Federation did this to them."

"It was awful," Palpatine agreed. A pathetic waste of genetic resources. Truth be told, Sidious didn't consider their technology very suited for the kinds of warfare that he was planning on waging, and the Sith himself was a human supremacist, but he could respect it... and the threat they could have posed in hindsight. He didn't hold very many aliens in high regard, with a few notable exceptions. That said, the Trade Federation's increased paranoia did wonders for bathing Naboo in the Dark Side, the countless alluring screams fueling him. He added in a regretful tone, "Despite our differences, the Gungans' loss was indeed a tragedy."

Amidala sighed, running a hand over her hair. A few minutes of tense silence had passed.

Eventually, she spoke again. "I've always valued politics," she said, her voice a strained calm. "I have always been told that if we remained isolationists, divided from the galaxy, we would have been safe. I was brainwashed from a young age!" she snapped, losing her temper as her voice rose. She breathed heavily, "But after what happened, I can't trust the Republic anymore. How do we know another Chancellor Valorum won't be elected? He manipulated us! Used us! He's a traitor!"

"Yes, my dear?"

"I'm sorry," she gulped, I know you're planning change, Chancellor-Elect. I won't pretend everything will be perfect. I've learned the hard way that's impossible. I want to only make sure the system is being run well." Queen Amidala looked right at Sidious, eyes filled with ascertainment. "And if you're planning to reform the Republic into something bigger, better, watching out for all sovereign members, I want to establish an alliance."

That was not one of the things Sidious had anticipated the pacifistic Queen to say, and he could detect that she meant it.

Was this Skywalker's handiwork? A trick? Was she trying to trap him in a corner?

No doubt, the Naboo viewed the Jedi as a hero, but she seemed to be blind. What use was there to Naboo in his plans? Sidious did not doubt that manipulating the Queen or their successor against Skywalker was extremely unlikely. After this, Naboo would throw themselves into an army of Dark Jedi just to follow Skywalker to death and back without the weapons.

'Look deeper.'

Sidious obeyed the command of the Dark Side. Oh, oh! Skywalker harbored an incredible soft spot for the Queen, a mysterious bond that transcended deeply, perhaps shaping destiny, time, and space itself. If she remained at Palpatine's side, advocating for change, that would be a way to tighten Skywalker's leash even further. Even if Skywalker could act against him without detection, he would be remembered as a martyr who stood by the Queen in a time of peril and remained with his planet through times of suffering.

His administration would receive far more support.

Yet, he couldn't deny that sharing power for greater power was abysmal and repulsive. He needn't deal with Amidala's meager attempts at pacifism. The very idea would only paint him as incompetent, as more people than not were for a militarized government from the shadows. If he changed the plan, nothing would stop him from making it a decade-plus affair that ground down the galaxy and pushed it further to the brink. Except that his Empire would need even more power and resources to pick it back up, which he was more than fine with.

Perhaps, with Amidala's reinforcement when she eventually became Senator under his guidance and even before, the more compassionate local governments would be far more cooperative to Sidious's demands. Should the rising secessionist movement come out of place if Plagueis or another sought to short-circuit the Grand Plan, Amidala's presence could paint him as a stronger leader-for many in his position, whose loyalty they truly belonged with. Her speeches, albeit morphed, could still play a role. Oh, he would have to alter several plans and include her in it. Be cautious with any outward opposition to Skywalker as the man was to him. It was almost too much of a risk.

But if Sidious was someone to be described, he was someone who savored a good challenge. Skywalker and he would be... friends. That would do for now until Sidious summoned the instruments to destroy him.

"Of course, I would love to hear what you have to say."

Amidala would be most useful...