AN: Once again, thanks for all your support with this story, and I'll give another shout out to FractionalSith and Tracyn for their efforts to help me adapt this story, or at least find all my typos/continuity errors.
MaySail199 - Thank you! You are too kind. Yes, haha, this has definitely become a novel in length, and it is nowhere near complete, so hopefully you will continue to enjoy the story, and while they are certainly not my apprentices (both having their own stories that I help beta for), FractionalSith and Tracyn are very gifted and help me a ton.
Chapter 58 - A Skirmish in the Senate
Obi-Wan, Siri, Kastor, and Fay moved swiftly through the maintenance tunnel, drainage water from the last rainfall sloshing at their feet, the sound of their movements echoing through the tunnel.
Examining the valve that caused the alarm hadn't taken long. Obi-Wan was sure the malfunction had been caused by a blow from some sort of tool, bashing in the pipe, making it unusable. He didn't understand the damage, but it at least told him that Omega and Zan Arbor were here.
They kept moving through the tunnels, hoping to find some trace, or to hear something that would give Zan Arbor and Omega away.
Obi-Wan's comlink signaled, and he grabbed it. The reception was poor, and the connection was patchy.
"Obi-Wan, I must meet with you. Where are you?" Tyro said urgently.
"In the maintenance tunnels, adjacent to the water tunnels. Tyro, I don't have time — "
"Listen to me. I've dug back, looking for links, and I stumbled on something. Something . . . much more . . . terrible."
Even through the poor connection, Obi-Wan heard the fear in Tyro's voice. "I know about the assassination plot on Palpatine," Obi-Wan told his friend.
"What? No . . ." The comlink crackled again. ". . . can't talk about it over a comlink. We must meet. This involves the highest level . . . great evil . . ."
"I know, Tyro!" Obi-Wan hissed into the comlink, exasperated. "Sano Sauro!"
". . . only you can truly understand . . ." Tyro said through the static.
"Tyro? I can't pick up what you're saying! I'll get back to you as soon as I can." Obi-Wan shut off the transmission.
"Obi-Wan, do not get so lost in the mission that you lose sight of other possibilities," Kastor cautioned. "Tyro sounded scared of a great evil. He might not have been speaking of the situation we have found ourselves in."
"Then what?" Obi-Wan asked.
"The Sith," Fay said quietly. "Or the war we've all worried about. Perhaps he stumbled upon the plot to destroy us."
"Let's focus on the here and now," Siri said softly. "We will talk to Tyro after we have dealt with this threat."
"We can't ignore the possibility," Fay said with a shake of her head. "Tyro should be heading to the Senate Chamber for the debate. I can go there and meet him while you three continue to hunt for Omega."
"Good idea, love," Kastor said.
"Obi-Wan, over there is a schematic," Siri said, pointing to a blueprint on the side of the tunnel. "That can tell us where to go and help Fay get to the Senate."
"Yes, love," Obi-Wan said, and he hurried over to examine the schematic.
The blueprint was fashioned by raised laser lines that responded to touch. When Obi-Wan touched one part of the blueprint, it lit up in far more detail. Just like the blueprint at the factory on Falleen.
"Could these match the tunnels on Falleen?" Kastor asked, studying the schematic.
"Perhaps," Obi-Wan said, trying to think back to Falleen to see if he could compare this schematic to that one.
He closed his eyes, remembering the tunnel on Falleen. Had there been a clue there that he had missed? In his mind, he saw the tunnel he was standing in and matched it to the one on Falleen. Something was different, he knew. What? Suddenly, he realized something crucial.
"Vents," Obi-Wan said. "This tunnel has no vents, unlike the tunnel on Falleen."
Siri accessed the grid and quickly found where air and water tunnels both connected to the maintenance tunnels for repair access. The closest grid to them that matched what they were looking for matched the grid on Falleen.
Obi-Wan realized then what he should have realized on Falleen. Zan Arbor had attempted to transmit the Zone through water to a large population. She had failed.
TRACK A EXPERIMENT VOIDED.
TRACK B EXPERIMENT BEGUN.
Siri understood his thought process and gasped.
"We fell into their trap," Siri said, and Obi-Wan nodded.
Kastor frowned, and Fay looked at them in confusion.
"They wanted the Senate water tunnels to be shut down," Obi-Wan explained. "Zan Arbor failed to transmit the Zone to a large population through the water. She's going to transmit it through the air. It was all a diversion."
"Here's your path, Fay." Siri gestured, and Fay nodded before she took off. "This way for us," Siri said, studying the schematic for a moment before she ran off, and the other two Jedi hastened to follow.
Fay disappeared down a different tunnel, and they wished her luck. They moved through the tunnels until they found a passage that had access to the air tunnels. Siri opened the door and they ran through and then jumped onto a platform before racing through the new tunnel. They kept running, making the turns as needed, moving towards the one that went to the main Senate chamber. Before long they heard a faint humming noise.
A speeder.
They took the next turn and saw them on a slow-moving speeder. Kastor reacted first and reached out with the Force, causing the large speeder to come to a jerky halt, straining against Kastor. Siri quickly joined Kastor's efforts, the two Jedi being more than a match for the slow-moving speeder.
Obi-Wan ran forward to apprehend Omega and Zan Arbor, but Omega hit a button on his wrist causing four lids to pop off of crates in the back of their speeder and dozens of miniature seeker droids came flying out, immediately starting to open fire on the three Jedi.
Obi-Wan went on the defensive immediately, and he felt a sense of satisfaction when Siri and Kastor hurled the speeder into the side of the tunnel rather than release the speeder as they transitioned to defend against the droids.
Obi-Wan looked at Zan Arbor who pulled a portable grenade launcher out of the totaled speeder and hefted it to her shoulder, aiming towards the air vents.
'The Zone!' Obi-Wan thought. He concentrated for a moment, dancing around the blasts from the droids and reached out with the Force. He ruthlessly ripped the grenade launcher from Zan Arbor's grasp, causing her to fall to the floor hard and the grenade launcher to fly towards Obi-Wan, who returned to focusing on defending from the droids.
Omega gave him a look of rage before he and Zan Arbor rushed down the tunnel, away from their speeder and the fight.
Obi-Wan deflected bolts back, dropping droids, with Siri rushing forward and cutting droids down, using Ataru. Kastor kept adjusting between Form III and VII sometimes on the defensive, blocking shots before switching to a vicious offensive to cut groups of droids down.
Soon, the last of the droids had been destroyed and the three Jedi were running again, knowing where they were going: the Senate landing platform. They saw an air vent dangling off its hinges, a small charge having clearly blasted it open, and they rushed to it and peered inside, seeing the crawl space. Obi-Wan took the lead and started crawling through after the two criminals.
The landing platform was kilometers long, big enough to park space freighters in, though most often it was used for the smaller transports of the Senators and important guests. Vehicles were parked in orderly rows.
Obi-Wan, Siri, and Kastor spread out, looking for any sign of their quarry. They were sure they were racing for their transport, planning to escape, but at the same time, they couldn't be sure they had foiled the whole plan. The Zone's deployment had been prevented, but had that been the entirety of the plan?
The three Jedi reached out with the Force, hunting for the two who were trying to conceal themselves, and Kastor called out. "There!" He pointed towards the third aisle.
They raced down a parallel aisle, hoping to surprise them. They stealthily moved around a gleaming transport. Across the aisle, Omega and Zan Arbor were already seated in the cockpit of a sleek space cruiser. Omega was quickly instituting takeoff procedures.
No time for delay or to make a plan. The Jedi charged. Siri took a page from Kastor and reached out with the Force, grasping the transport, to try and prevent it from leaving. Kastor leapt, slashing through the left rear engine before landing onto the windscreen, startling Zan Arbor. Obi-Wan landed on the roof, and lit his lightsaber to cut through the material.
"It really gets tiresome to be continually underestimated," Omega's voice sounded through a speaker.
Obi-Wan started to cut.
"Do you really think you have foiled my plans, simply by showing up here? If you cut through that door panel, Obi-Wan, you will kill thousands of Senators."
Obi-Wan continued to cut, but Siri's soft voice drew his attention.
"Obi-Wan," Siri whispered.
"That's right, Master Tachi. This will be a day the Senate will long remember. A bloodbath."
"He has a transmitting device," Kastor said from his position outside the windscreen.
Obi-Wan stopped his effort.
"Ah, better. Let me explain. I have programmed hundreds of seeker droids with the identifying information to key Senators as well as Palpatine. All I have to do is push the button."
Obi-Wan felt his anger growing, knowing that Omega was using the same strategy as he had when he killed Yaddle. He knew that Omega was telling the truth, but Obi-Wan couldn't let Omega get away. If he did, likely the seekers would be released as they were.
Kastor moved, slashing through the windscreen with his blade, and simultaneously using the Force to blast the melted frame into the cockpit onto Zan Arbor and Omega. Kastor reached out and copied Obi-Wan's earlier move, ruthlessly ripping the transmitter out of Omega's hand and pulling it to his own.
"It's over, Granta," Kastor said.
Omega snarled. "Not yet!" He triggered the engines recklessly to full throttle, causing the one still functioning engine to launch the transport in a death spiral, throwing the two Jedi off of the transport. Siri was thrown forward in her efforts to keep hold of the transport, and they all scrambled to their feet seeing the ship dropping hundreds of levels fast, having already clipped another cruiser. The rear engine fired off, and the three Jedi knew it was Omega trying to control their crash landing, but he had escaped them. They'd need a transport to catch up.
"He's already triggered the droids," Kastor said. "This transmitter is locked, and I can feel Fay in some sort of fight."
"We need to get to the Senate," Siri said.
"I'll notify the Coruscanti police about Omega," Kastor said, already pulling out his communicator as they started to move back towards the tunnels, knowing it was the fastest way to the Senate chambers.
*The Will of the Force*
Anakin wasn't sure if his master had failed or if he had been very correct in their worry about something else from Omega. As much as Anakin wanted to think that maybe it was the former, and that if he'd been there, things could have been different, he suspected it was the latter, which meant his master had been very wise to have him stay with the Chancellor.
Hundreds of seeker droids were pouring out of vents and firing shots in volleys in random directions, causing chaos and disorder as the droids moved around, clearly seeking for specific targets, but intent on maiming those they could while searching. Guards were trying to shield their charges and the aides and staff around them, and being targeted for their efforts.
The doors to the Chamber had been locked remotely, trapping everyone in their pods or the waiting areas just outside of the pods near the entrances. People were fleeing to the ground level or hiding in their pods or in crevices near their entrances, but the floor was becoming one of the safer places.
Ferus, Anakin, and Fay, who had arrived through an air vent just as the chaos was starting had quickly moved the Chancellor, Mas Amedda, and Sly Moore down to the floor, where Senate guards could help protect him, along with Ferus and Anakin.
Ferus had already sent out a quick S.O.S. to the Temple, and Anakin had contacted Asuna in a rush before they'd both started doing their best to protect the Senators, aides, and guards around them and the Chancellor, while they waited. They knew backup wasn't far away, but there were too many for just the two of them.
Anakin found himself somewhat glad that it was Ferus with him. Other than maybe Darra or Tru, there weren't many other Padawans Anakin would feel comfortable fighting overwhelming odds with. It was a bit of a dawning realization on him, that he trusted Ferus to have his back.
He was going to give Siri the credit. That might rile the stuffy Padawan up a bit if he complimented Siri for loosening him up. That would make Anakin's day . . . assuming they survived that long.
Fay was cutting a hole through a door on the floor, creating an opening so that they could start getting Senators and aides out of the room, but she was constantly being interrupted by the seekers, who must have also had orders to prevent people from escaping.
Anakin slashed through another two droids that came towards the Chancellor, and Ferus deflected several shots back at another one. The fight wasn't looking good. The only reason the death toll wasn't catastrophic yet was the efforts of the few guards, and that the droids were seeking for specific targets, and mainly dealing collateral damage on accident while causing chaos.
Suddenly Anakin felt the Force surge and he smiled as his master, Siri, and Kastor burst from a set of vents and started cutting down droids. They were leaping about, cutting down the droids, but with the seekers in the air, they had an advantage.
"Pods!" Kastor called out, and Anakin watched as he used the Force to pull several of the Senators' pods from their positions and move them higher, providing jumping points for Jedi to attack the droids in the air.
Obi-Wan started assisting Kastor, pulling more pods from their slots while Fay, who had just finished cutting open the door, shielded them and Siri leapt from pod to pod, cutting down droids.
Guards started providing cover fire while Senators and aides tried to cram through the opening, but that was causing them to bunch up and make them easier targets.
"Anakin, go!" Ferus called, and Anakin nodded, running and using the pods, like Siri, to jump about the chamber, cutting droids down.
The fight was going in their favor as more Jedi poured into the chamber, having cut holes in other entrances, with Mandalorians, Antarian Rangers, and more Senate guards with them, which also created more exits for Senators and aides. Anakin saw Shaak Ti, Coleman Trebor, and Adi Gallia leaping from pod to pod while Allara, T'ra Saa, and Stass Allie assisted Kastor and Obi-Wan ensuring more and more pods were being pushed to where they were best able to help the Jedi with their efforts.
Antarian Rangers started shielding Senators and their aides, gunning down droids that came close by. The Mandalorians all had jetpacks and took to the air, blasting seekers that were too high for the Jedi to reach easily.
Anakin's attention was distracted when he watched Kastor jump to the higher pods, and then darker emotions surged as Kastor started unleashing emerald lightning from his hands, frying droids that were grouped together above.
Anakin shook off his awe and turned back to where Ferus was still shielding Palpatine, who was bleakly gazing out at the carnage. Not far away, running in Palpatine's direction was Roy Teda, with a seeker on his trail.
Omega had betrayed him. That was clear, but it seemed the former dictator wanted to ensure he took someone down with him. Anakin wasn't going to allow that. He jumped down, behind Teda, and destroyed the droid, and then he used the Force to leap past Teda, who raised a blaster. Anakin deflected the shot back at Teda, who screamed in pain as the bolt went through his chest, and he fell back, coughing weakly as his life started to fade away.
Anakin didn't give the former dictator another thought as he leapt back into action, destroying several more droids and then helping to herd a group of Senators down to where a group of Antarian Rangers and Senate guards were helping to provide protection as they were guided out of the chamber.
"Good work, Skywalker," a familiar voice said, and Anakin turned to see Asuna, in full armor, a rifle in her arms as she skillfully sent careful shots into various droids.
"You too, Lok," Anakin responded.
"The tide has turned," she said, and Anakin nodded.
"But the fight isn't over yet," he said, and leapt back into the fray, only to pause as he heard his Master cry out.
"No!"
Anakin turned, worried at the call and he saw Obi-Wan running towards a fallen form, cutting down a droid as he went. Ferus and Palpatine were right there, so Anakin jumped down to his master, wanting to provide protection since Ferus was focused on the Chancellor.
He made his way over to where Obi-Wan had knelt down, and Anakin felt his sorrow rise recognizing Obi-Wan's good friend, Tyro. Obi-Wan was grasping the Svivreni's trembling arm, looking into his sad eyes.
Tyro lifted his hand. It trembled as he opened his palm toward Obi-Wan. He closed his hand into a fist and placed it against his heart before he was gone.
Anakin felt his master's turbulent emotions, and he stayed ready to destroy any droid that might take advantage of the situation, but the fight was nearly over. The last of the droids were being cut down or blasted apart, and the rest of the Senators and aides were being pushed out of the chamber into safety.
He watched his master bend over Tyro, place his closed hand against Tyro's chest and bow his head.
"The journey begins," Obi-Wan whispered. "So go."
*The Will of the Force*
The next day, the vote was finally held. There was no debate. Bog's proposal to bar the Jedi from any action taken on behalf of the Senate was soundly defeated. Even Sano Sauro voted against it. It was noted that the two of them had arrived well after the previous day's events.
Bog was disgraced. He was now dealing with even his greatest supporters back on his home planet demanding his resignation, and at the same time, he had been alerted that his wife had left the planet with his son, and he had no idea where they had gone. Obi-Wan of course knew that Astri and Lune were still on Coruscant, but Bog didn't need to know that. His career was over, and his greed had also cost him his family.
Because of his coolness on the day of the attempted massacre, Palpatine's stature increased, and he was more powerful than ever. With the growing danger in the galaxy, a vast majority of the Senate were vocal in their belief that Palpatine was the best person for the Chancellor position, and that they could accept no one else.
Sixteen Senators, eleven aides, and nearly seventy Senatorial and personal guards died that day. Dozens more had been injured and the reason the dead and injured count wasn't higher was largely attributed to the Jedi Order and their allies, and their swift response and actions.
The attempted massacre started a storm in the Senate after the memorials and speeches, with blame and lectures, and demands of accountability being thrown around. Open debates were being held on growing strength, giving more power to Palpatine, but also giving more power to the Jedi Order.
Allara and the Council were actively meeting with many Senators to propose removing the Ruusan restrictions allowing the Jedi Order to build a military again. It was looking very promising with Omega being the planner of the attack, and his affiliations to the Sith Empire being known. The Jedi Order was already charged with bringing him to justice.
Obi-Wan however chose to mourn for those few days that he could. He and Siri attended Tyro's memorial service together, which was packed with friends, people spilling out into the hallways, unable to see or hear, but wanting or needing to be present. There were many other Jedi present either in the memorial or in the hallways with others including Kastor, Fay, and Adi. He noted many Senators including Padme Amidala, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and Riyo Chuchi.
His memorial was solemn, but afterwards his friends and family remembered him fondly, telling their stories, talking of his Senate rants, his knowledge, his passion. He had been well loved, and would be missed.
Siri was with him through the whole event, and even now as Obi-Wan sat in Tyro's cluttered office, days after, Siri was with him. It was here in Tyro's office that Obi-Wan felt closest to him, among his beloved files and documents.
He and Siri had searched through Tyro's files, through his datapad, through everything he could think of, but they could not find whatever threat . . . whatever great evil that he had discovered. Now that the attack was over, Obi-Wan had to agree with Kastor that his focus had been too much on the mission, and he'd discounted what his friend might have found . . . something he greatly regretted now for a number of reasons.
Tyro's death was hitting him hard. He'd been smart, choosing to hide himself near the Chancellor, where Anakin, Ferus, and several Senate guards had been, making it one of the safer places in the skirmish. However, he'd left the safety to run to speak to Obi-Wan, just when the situation was turning around, and he'd been cut down in an unexpected crossfire. The droid had come out of nowhere, almost seeming possessed before firing on Tyro and in the direction of Palpatine, who had been shielded by Ferus.
Afterward, he wondered. Kastor and Allara had mentioned feeling a burst of the Dark Side appear during the skirmish, but they had been unable to feel where it had come from, especially with Kastor's own darker emotions fueling his lighter variant of Force lightning. However, Obi-Wan, when thinking back on Tyro's death, had felt a pit of coldness seize him just before his friend was cut down, and the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that it had been the Dark Side of the Force.
So, the question then, was Tyro the target or Palpatine? Whatever Tyro had found very well could have made him a target to the Sith, and maybe they'd seen their chance and seized it. Or maybe their distrust of Palpatine was unwarranted and the Sith were trying to get rid of him? Nobody had come to any solid conclusion other than that the Senate needed to be watched with care.
Tyro's files were to be moved to the Temple in the hopes that whatever it was could be found. A team headed by Jocasta would go over everything, but they might never know what Tyro had found.
Obi-Wan glanced over at his companion, smiling slightly, admiring her as she leaned against Tyro's desk. She was watching him with concern. Despite her own mourning, she was stubbornly worrying about him.
She hadn't been as close to Tyro as he, but she'd still been friends with him. They'd done group lunches and dinners together when Obi-Wan wanted to thank his friend for his help. Tyro had been at the Temple for Kastor's potlucks, and Obi-Wan had even had him in his own quarters to cook dinner for him, Siri, Ferus, and Anakin.
His heavy heart lightened somewhat, despite its best efforts, as he gazed at the beautiful woman who held his heart. His decision was made.
He thought of both Tyro's and Kastor's words and chuckled internally. He thought it fitting that he followed Kastor's footsteps in this area, and that it was Tyro's office, where his friend gave him the push, where he would make this leap.
Siri's eyes narrowed in suspicion on him as she sensed his changing mood and he smiled softly at her.
"What are you planning, Kenobi?" She said warningly, and he laughed.
"Something bold, Tachi," Obi-Wan replied, grinning when Siri frowned at him in suspicion.
"That's not usually your style," she said.
"Maybe Anakin's rubbing off on me," Obi-Wan remarked. "Or Kastor in this case."
"Should I be worried?" Siri drawled, an eyebrow raised.
"Probably," Obi-Wan replied, and Siri narrowed her eyes again.
"Spit it out, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan chucked, the banter helping more than she realized. He moved forward until he was next to her, and her narrowed eyes faded and were replaced with surprise.
"Siri, I love you more than I can put into words," Obi-Wan started, and she gasped slightly. "You're beautiful, smart, and incredible in every way. You challenge me like few can, you keep me on my toes, and you make everyday exciting. I can always count on you to bring up my mood, kick me when I need it, and brighten even the darkest of times. I thank the Force and Kastor kriffing Shan everyday for what we have."
Obi-Wan knew Siri would enjoy his word choice to describe Kastor, and he was rewarded with a slightly watery chuckle.
"It's more than I ever hoped or dreamed for, but there's one more thing I want. I want to tell everyone that you hold my heart. I want to show you everyday that we are together, that I love and cherish you, and that I will spend the rest of my life trying to be the person worthy of your love. Siri Tachi, will you marry me?"
Siri beamed at him, her eyes slightly watery, which was a rarity for her, but she paused and then she smiled wide.
"Obi-Wan, I love you with everything I have, and I always will. You're my strength when I'm feeling weak. You're my happiness in the dark. Of course I'll marry you . . . in my eyes, we've been married for years."
Obi-Wan smiled wide, hearing Elena Shan's words, and he moved forward and met Siri's embrace in a passionate kiss.
"I must say, this was never something I thought I'd walk in on Obi-Wan Kenobi doing, but I did have some hopes for this," a familiar voice, filled with humor, said.
Obi-Wan pulled back from Siri and they both looked towards the door where Astri was standing smiling at them.
"Well, sadly it's been a while, so you aren't aware of all the changes in the Order," Obi-Wan said with a smile. "Siri just agreed to marry me."
Astri's eyes widened in shock, but she smiled wide before she ran forward, acting just like her old self and she crashed into them both with a fierce hug.
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Astri squealed. "You two are so perfect for each other!"
Obi-Wan chuckled, and reveled in the hug, enjoying seeing the woman he'd always found comfort from shining through her experiences.
"Thank you, Astri," Obi-Wan said.
"When did that change?" Astri said curiously. "I thought the Order was anti-attachments?"
"Kastor," Obi-Wan and Siri both said at the same time, and Astri smiled wide.
"Ah," Astri said. "Well, I'm so happy for you. This is much better compared to how I thought I'd find you."
"Tyro would have been proud of me doing this," Obi-Wan said softly, and Siri hugged his side tightly, and Astri nodded. "I'm always happy to see you, but what brings you here?"
"I was told I would find you here," Astri said softly. "I wanted to thank you. Thanks to you, Bog has been stripped of power, and he is now useless to the Commerce Guild and Sano Sauro. That means he is powerless to hurt Lune and I too."
"So what will you do now?" Siri asked curiously.
Astri shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Didi wants to return to Coruscant, but I don't know." She hugged herself and shivered. "It has changed. I don't like it here anymore. I'm fearful here, but I don't know of what."
"I know what you mean," Obi-Wan murmured.
He guided Astri and Siri out of the office, switching off the lights as they left Tyro's office for good, and he whispered a final farewell in his mind.
"My advice," Obi-Wan said, "is to pick a pleasant world with a genuinely democratic government. Maybe talk to Kastor or Rhys for some ideas. I suspect they'll recommend a world that we visit often. Find a new home. Raise your son." He smiled. "Keep Didi out of trouble. And always remember I am here for you," Obi-Wan said.
"As you have proven time and time again," Astri said, smiling softly. "I'm glad you two have each other." She looked at them both, her dark eyes meeting both his and Siri's. "I see the sorrow you both hold, and I know the hardships you face, but I know you both will lean on each other . . . and I do love you both and will help if I can."
Obi-Wan and Siri both wrapped Astri in a hug, and Siri murmured how she wasn't allowed to leave until after their ceremony, and Astri gave a watery chuckle of agreement, and Obi-Wan knew that he had to enjoy these little moments while he could. Someday he would probably look back and wished he'd had more of them.
*The Will of the Force*
Anakin sat with Palpatine inside the Chancellor's office. They looked out together at the temporary garden planted in an exterior courtyard of the Senate complex. Below, Anakin saw the tops of trees, delicate green leaves against silver bark. Running in a square outside the trees was the colorful splash of exotic flowers. Towering above the flowers were twin horns of the blood-red claing bush, native to Sano Sauro's world.
"I don't understand," he said to Palpatine. "You gave Senator Sauro the position of Deputy Chancellor. We are certain that he was in on the plot to assassinate you."
"I offered it before the vote on the Jedi petition, knowing he could not refuse," Palpatine said. "I knew he would betray Bog. The assurance of a powerful office would be enough to abandon a risky scheme."
"But you rewarded Sauro for betraying you."
"I have made my enemy my friend," Palpatine said. "His fate is now linked with mine, and I will always know what he's up to."
Anakin nodded. He would miss these talks with Palpatine. He felt that he was learning, even though he had not yet been able to sift through the nuggets of wisdom.
"I have asked you here to thank you for your efforts on that day," Palpatine said. "The Senate came close to being destroyed. Please do not fault me for saying this, but I feel that your Jedi Council did not fully appreciate what you did that day. I watched you. I saw how many you saved. Didn't I hear that others were being given special commendation?"
"Rumors," Anakin said. "Nothing more. Ferus and I both did what we were told to do. We did what was expected of us as Jedi. Allara and other members of the Council praised both of us for keeping cool heads and for our show of skills. My master and Master Tachi also praised us."
Anakin smiled, rather proud at how it had worked out. He'd trusted his master and his master's thought process, and it had been right. Anakin knew his master could have been wrong, and in the future, Anakin might make a different decision when faced with a similar situation, but Obi-Wan had made the right call this time, and Anakin had done the right thing.
"I see," Palpatine said slowly, but Anakin couldn't help but feel that Palpatine was disappointed for some reason. Anakin was probably reading into things too much.
Through the transparent screen that separated them, Anakin saw Obi-Wan enter Palpatine's office. Siri was at his side, and both had smiles on their faces, and Anakin could sense a hint of excitement through his bond to his master. Obi-Wan and Siri waited outside, clearly not wanting to interrupt.
"I see your Master has arrived to fetch you," Palpatine said, rising. "I want you to feel free to visit me from time to time, Anakin. I know you have other missions, and I know you will perform splendidly. I for one am glad you are on my side."
"I am honored," Anakin said. He bowed his goodbye.
Obi-Wan and Siri smiled when he walked out.
"I've got only good news, at least from your perspective," Obi-Wan said with a wry grin.
"Oh?" Anakin said.
"Yes, we've been approved as the lead team to go after Omega," Obi-Wan said, and Anakin felt his determination rise.
"He won't get away next time, Master," Anakin said. "I'm sure of it."
"So am I, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "Now, Siri and I also have one more piece of news for you . . ."