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Chapter Text

***1***

Padme Amidala stood in front of the window, looking in the direction of the Jedi Temple. The Jedi Council notified her that they would send a pair of Jedi to protect her and investigate the assassination against her. She was unharmed, but her handmaiden Cordé was killed. 

Amidala was no stranger to death and destruction. It did not surprise her that she was targeted after becoming a voice against the Military Creation Act. A decade ago, Naboo was devastated by the Trade Federation’s six-month occupation. She hated that the war-mongering politicians used her world’s suffering as the reason for militarization. She disagreed with them completely. 

The Confederacy of Independent Systems should be talked with, not dealt with using arms. These Outer Rim systems indeed had been neglected by the Republic and wanted a better economic future. It was an understandable cause. 

She also trusted the CIS leader Count Dooku. He had visited Naboo after the Occupation to show his support and offer his condolences. Dooku was a charismatic person with high ideals. He was once a highly regarded Jedi Master before he resigned from the Order. In Padme’s view, he was the right type of person for the Republic to negotiate with. Atrocities like the Occupation probably were less likely to happen under his leadership. 

Neither Republic and CIS’s leadership wanted violence. A standing army would send the wrong message. It would only mean more death. 

Like Cordé’s death. Padme shivered as her blood boiled. Her devoted bodyguard’s death would be meaningless if the Military Creation Act passed.     

Padme forced herself to attend to her senatorial duties. Many constituents called her office to check whether she was okay and demand justice for Corde. She had to respond quickly. 

The automatic door opened. Captain Gregar Typho, Amidala's head of security, entered with two people following him. 

Two Jedi. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi and a young human lady with bright red hair, his Padawan "Red" Palis. Former Padawan. Her Padawan braid was gone now. During Padme’s years as senator, the pair had been assigned to protect her a couple of times.

"Good to see you safe, Senator Amidala," said Obi-Wan. Both the Jedi bowed. 

Padme and her staff returned the same gesture. "Good to see you, Master Kenobi and Master Athia.”

"I am a Knight now, but still Red," the woman gestured at her red hair. "We’ve come here to protect you, again."

Padme invited the Jedi to the conference room, where it was quieter and the heavy traffic outside would not distract them. 

“So, they did not know that there was a decoy,” Obi-Wan mused. “They did not do their homework.”

“They used explosives in an open space with heavy traffic. It was a show of force. They not only wanted to neutralize an elected official, but also to create chaos on Coruscant.” Palis tapped her fingers on the desk.  “Who do you think your enemy is?” 

“The warmongers,” Padme hissed. “I am aware that there are several new bounties on my head after I openly opposed the Military Creation Act. I will not be intimidated or silenced. I am going to talk to more colleagues to swing them to our side, the side of peace.”

“Of course. We all want peace,” Obi-wan nodded, “but your safety is the reason that the council sent us here.” 

The conference room’s door slid open. A tall young man in a dark blue uniform strode into the room. “Padme, are you okay?” 

Padme stood up immediately. 

He went right to her, holding her shoulders tightly. “I was so worried.”

“Anakin,” Padme cleared her throat, “You should be in the Judiciary building, working in front of your computer, right?” She felt embarrassed but delighted to see him come to her. She looked into his blue eyes and smiled. She pushed him away, reluctantly.

“I must protect you,” Anakin Skywalker declared. “Nothing else matters.” 

“Hey, want to compete for my client? Take a seat.” Palis pointed to the empty chair beside her. 

Anakin winked at her. Grabbing the chair, he dragged it next to Padme’s before sitting down.  He favored Palis with a triumphant smirk before suddenly whipping his head around to stare at the window.  

Time seemed to slow and yet everything happened faster than Padme could follow. The Jedi sprang to their feet just as something smashed through the window. Anakin pulled her towards him as something exploded. The force of the blast knocked them both down with Anakin on top of her. Her head struck the floor and, for a second, Padme blacked out. 

She awoke to the shrieking of the security alarm. Anakin was still on top of her, covered in debris. Slowly, he sat up, shaking off his cloak. His uniform was ruined, but he did not seem to be injured. Padme breathed a sigh of relief.

The two Jedi standing, lightsabers in hand. Obi-Wan’s was a familiar blue color while Palis used a purple saber.

“It is a small missile. Master Kenobi and I force pushed it to the wall.” Palis gestured at the damage. “You need to call a maintenance person. It would be expensive work. We are pretty lucky. None of us seem to be badly hurt.”

“Anakin, you reacted quite fast. It was impressive,” Obi-Wan commented as he helped Anakin up from the floor. 

“After you survive months of bombing, there is an instinct in you. It never goes away.” Anakin bent down to offer Padme a hand. She took it, still feeling shaky.

The whole building’s security guards were now all gathering in Padme’s apartment. They fanned out into surrounding rooms, presumably looking for the bomber. 

“We must leave now and go to the Temple’s Hall of Healing. You two need to have a scan for internal bleeding,” Obi-Wan demanded. 

***2***

The visit to the Hall of Healing was short. At first, Anakin strongly argued that he did not need a medical scan, saying that if Obi-wan and Palis did not need it, then neither did he.

“We have the Force. You do not,” Palis ended this argument swiftly. 

Obi-Wan appreciated her blunt way of ending nonsense. It had been a headache to reason with these headstrong young invincibles. He had heard that the youngsters of high society shared this common trait. Anakin was the son of Chancellor Palpatine, an adopted son, to be more accurate, but another spoiled child none the less.

They had met a handful of times since the end of the Occupation of Naboo. None of these encounters had been more than a couple of hours. Obi-Wan didn’t remember the boy being anywhere near this argumentative. 

He and Palis briefed the Council on the new development, leaving Padme and Anakin in the library area.

“I think they are dating.” Palis looked back at them, smiling.

“Since when did you start this new hobby of gossiping?” Obi-wan rolled his eyes.

“A decade ago, I guess? Anakin and I have been friends since he came to Coruscant. He told me that he liked Padme, right in front of the Jedi Temple.” She gestured at the temple entrance. “It has been ten years! He is so persistent. Good for him.”

“I did not know you knew each other,” he commented mildly. 

“There are many things that you do not know, Master Jedi.” His former student grinned at him. 

Later, the Council ordered Palis to escort the Senator to her homeworld Naboo, where she could find a secure place to hide. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, would track down the assassin. It would be a difficult task since Padme wanted a strong presence on Coruscant to swing the votes. Palis suggested that she talk to Senator Bail Organa to persuade Padme to put her own safety first. Obi-Wan did not envy her the task. Studying the scenes of the explosions for clues would be easy by comparison. 

“Hiding on Naboo?” Anakin challenged them when they told him and Padme of the Council's plan. “Why did your Council think it was safe? One Jedi and an unarmed civilian journeying half-way across the galaxy? Anything could happen. The moment you step out of the building, you will be tracked. These criminals never act alone. A high profile assassination always uses sophisticated techniques to track down the target.”

“What would you suggest?” Obi-Wan found that he had a good point. He vaguely remembered that the boy went to an elite military school. It seemed that he learned something there. 

“Stay on Coruscant. Hide in the most heavily guarded place.” Anakin paused as if for dramatic effect before plowing ahead. “Here. The Jedi Temple. How could anyone get her when so many people here have the Force ?”

“And lightsabers.” Palis clapped her hands lightly. “I agree with him, as long as the Council approves this plan.”  

“None of you have asked my opinion.” All the eyes were on Padme now. “I do not like the idea of hiding, one way or another. I have to talk to my colleagues. Every minute is critical.”

“How about sending your surrogates? You have a team of handmaidens,” Obi-Wan suggested. 

Padme pressed her lips in a thin line as she considered. After a few seconds, she relented. 

“Time to go back to your work, Judicial Skywalker?” Obi-Wan gestured to the temple entrance. 

“I will stay with Padme.” The young man stood firm and held his head high. “I can spend some time in the Temple library and read a couple of books. That area is open to scholars, researchers, and--”

“But not open to love birds,” Palis teased.

Obi-Wan threw a hard look at her.  

“We are not dating.” Padme looked away. 

“Not formally,” Anakin added. 

Padme cleared her throat, breaking the embarrassing moment. “Anakin, you need to attend to your duties. No more fooling around.”  She raised her hand to silence his protest. “We will have lunch together. Then you go back to work.” 

“We will bring Anakin’s plan to the Council and see what they think. You enjoy your nice little lunch. May the Force be with you.” Palis waved goodbye to them. 

***3***

The Jedi dining hall was located a few levels above the library level. Padme asked a youngling to give them directions. Anakin suggested that they walk there instead of taking a lift. 

Both of them walked slowly to appreciate the massive hallways, colossal pillars, and solemn statues.

“The Jedi Temple is a wonder.” Padme marveled at the surroundings.

“Yes, it truly is. I have been wondering how a reclusive religious Order found this place at the heart of galactic politics. They have been here four thousand years and become the symbol of the Republic. I find it fascinating,” he commented while looking at the statues. 

“Anakin, I didn’t know you are interested in history.” Padme laughed. 

“Jedi history. The Judicial Forces were under the Order’s supervision. I am just a Judiciary Department’s lowly new recruit,” he added dramatically. “I need to understand my overlords better. I do not want their wrath to fall on me.” 

He looked into Padme’s warm brown eyes. 

She blinked. “You are teasing me!” Then both burst into laughter. 

They arrived at the spacious dining hall. It was almost as large as the one in the Senate, but much less crowded. The customers had only a handful of options. He got himself a bantha steak, while Padme chose a vegetarian burger. When they inquired how to pay for the meal, the service person in civilian clothes told them the Order did not use credits in the Temple. The food was free for the visitors.

After the explosion, Padme changed into a grey handmaiden style dress, perfectly fitted into the Jedi theme. Leaving his ruined uniform in her apartment, Anakin only had a plain shirt on. He felt cold and out of place. Carrying the tray for both of them, he found them a table next to a window covered in bright sunlight, far away from Jedi or other visitors. 

He wanted to have the moment with her to himself.

In the past ten years, they had met several times at various social gatherings. He would say hello and Padme would proclaim that he had grown so much taller than last time they met. He would smile awkwardly. Then other guests would interrupt and lead Padme away.

He could only watch her from a distance. He had watched her interacting with dignitaries, first as Queen and later as Senator. He memorized every word of her coronation speech and the speeches addressing the devastated Naboo citizens during the war. 

He had been in despair as she dated other men. It was infuriating that he could not compete with them. She saw him as just a boy. Being away from Coruscant for his studies had been agony. 

Now, he was back. A friend of Palpatine had thrown him a small graduation party to welcome him back from Carida Academy. Most of the attendees had been Palpatine’s close allies. Padme had come, but not stayed long.  

They’d had a drink and a polite conversation. Padme had asked for his opinion about the galactic security issues. He’d briefed her on the expansion of the crime syndicates from Outer Rim into Mid Rim, the increased pirate activities, and, of course, the growing separatist movement. Padme had seemed impressed, like she’d finally seen him as grown-up.

They started to message each other. The topics had grown from strictly professional to become more and more personal. Padme told him about the worlds that she visited as a senator, the food she liked, and the culture she found interesting.  

There were so many things that he wanted to tell her, so many feelings to share, but these words and memories had to be buried. The galaxy was on the verge of a change. It would end the thousands of years of decay and transform it into something more significant. His Master had foreseen it. Anakin had faith in his words. 

He and Palpatine looked like an average father and son, a loving parent with a reckless youngster, but they were far more than that. Anakin had pledged his loyalty to Palpatine and learned the way of the Force from him. But he had to keep his identity a secret.

He had combated brutal adversaries, sustained grave injuries, and prevailed. He mastered many abilities that were considered unnatural on the training ground of the lawless Outer Rim worlds. He had assassinated crime lords and slavers. He had burned their dens of corruption down to the ground where the Jedi had chosen to look away. 

When Palpatine called him back to Coruscant, he gladly obeyed. It surprised many people that he had landed himself a job in the Judicial Force, a law enforcement team doing the work under the command of the mighty Jedi Order. Ironically, it was what he had been doing in the past few years-doing dirty jobs that Jedi thought beneath themselves.  

Now he was here, at this cursed place, with her. It was thrilling. 

“So, your graduation ceremony will be in a month on Coruscant,” Padme said as she was cutting her burger into smaller pieces. “Tell me more about your years at the Academy. Did you make a lot of friends?”

“Only a few. You know, I am not a very social person.”

His academy years were like a re-introduction to Core World society. Carida Academy was the most prestigious military academy, dating back to the Republic’s formation. However, its influence had waned after the Republic disbanded its military and the Jedi Order ascended to power. 

Many of his classmates were from a privileged background with an ambition to quickly climb the career ladder in their planetary defense forces. He did not feel very connected with his classmates. He did not talk much, nor make trouble. He did not market himself as a member of the House of Palpatine. Skywalker was a common Outer Rim name. He never fully got rid of his Tatooine accent despite his Naboo friends and Galactic Basic tutors’ great efforts. Some of his classmates simply assumed he was just another welfare case from a backwater planet. Of course, the instructors knew the truth, but they were wise enough not to mention it. 

Using this slow time, he’d picked up a few useful skills, such as fighter and weaponry designing, and spent some time on painting and drawing skills. He found drawing schematics an effective way of meditating and connecting to the Force. 

Eventually, he found some belonging during his final semester, when the Military Creation Act started to gain traction. Some of his instructors and classmates openly lobbied for it, hoping the Academy could regain the prestige it once held. The nostalgic feeling was relatable. He contemplated joining them. Palpatine instead ordered him to stay away from the spotlight. 

After they finished their food, he showed Padme the schematic of a new fighter he designed. He was very sure Padme had little interest in it, but her pretended interests made him happy. 

“How do you feel about your new job?” 

“Do you want to know my true feeling?” He smiled mischievously and Padme grinned back 

“Very boring dead-end desk job.” He sighed exaggeratedly. “But I can spend time with you-”  

The Force shivered. 

“Senator Amidala, the High Council approved the plan that you will remain in the Jedi Temple during the investigation,” a bold human Jedi with dark skin interrupted them. Anakin felt chills. Mace Windu, one of the most powerful Jedi on the High Council, the Jedi Order’s Swordmaster.

“We will prepare a personal quarter for your stay, and you have been assigned an assistant. She will come here to get you. ” Windu turned to Anakin sharply, “Judicial Skywalker, you must return to your duty.” 

Arguing with Windu would be playing with fire. “Yes, Sir.” He stood up. 

He smiled at Padme sadly. Surprisingly, Padme stood up to hug him. 

Anakin walked toward the entrance of the hall with Windu walking beside him.

“Skywalker, you seem very uncomfortable.” Windu looked at him with a frown. 

“Master Windu, you are a quite unnerving person.” Anakin finally let it slip through. The last time he had intensive interaction with the Jedi was a decade ago. It was before he became Sidious' student.

Everything was different now. 

***4***

After a long walk in the Coruscant lower level, Rackeli Loo finally arrived home. The air conditioning in her room had stopped working, but she did not have the funds to fix it. To her relief, the hot and humid season was ending soon.

Rackeli was a Twi'lek from a small world, Tethla, which sat at the boundary of the Mid and Outer Rim. Her world had joined the Republic 20 years ago, and she had been born in the same year. 

Today, she had an important task: find a way to get into the Jedi Temple. One week ago, she had made a promise to a pair of parents who had surrendered their force-sensitive youngling to the Order. The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sha, were her old neighbors. After hearing some rumors claiming the Jedi “emotionally abused” the younglings, they entered into panic mode. They wanted to check in with their baby girl to see whether she was okay. 

Rackeli had a reputation for being a helpful person. As one of the handful of Tethla citizens on Coruscant, the Shas immediately contacted her. They all agreed that it would be for the best that the Shas could have a Holonet call with the child so they could know how she was doing. 

She remembered the sweet little girl Ludi. People in her town threw a party when the Jedi Master came to take Ludi to the Order. At the party, Racheli had taken many pictures with the child.

“There is no emotion,” said the parents, “the Jedi Order promotes that! Isn’t that abusive?”

To be honest, she did not see that statement as abusive. The idea of Jedi being abusive was absurd. But weren’t all parents very devoted to their children? Any rumors could hit a nerve.  

She had toured the Temple district before, but had never actually been inside the Jedi Temple itself. The Jedi Order was not open to visitors without an appointment. Checking in with a youngling should be a good enough reason for a visit, so she went ahead. 

The temple guard explained that “there is no emotion” was part of the order’s fundamental philosophy. The Jedi younglings had been raised in the same way for thousands of years and they were not open to visitors. 

Rackeli was persistent. The next day she had visited again, hoping another guard may give a different answer. Maybe she would be lucky enough to meet a Jedi Knight who knew the girl. She got the same responses. 

Now she was back home. The Sha family’s message already sat in her mailbox. She replied:

“I visited the Temple today again. I was turned away by a different temple guard. I know you are worried. My parents worry about me all the time. I am sure that there is a way to make contact, and I will try again and keep you posted.” 

She finished her message with a sign of a smiling face. Then she closed off her messenger and started to do her research. 

The Jedi Order’s presence on the Holonet was weak. A short paragraph on the Galactic Senate site mentioned Jedi answering to the Senate. Another page on the Judicial Department said the Jedi supervised judicial business. Other information was mostly the public talking about the Order. Most of the stories and comments show a great deal of admiration, which was reassuring for her. She felt better after reading them.

She noticed that she still had her work outfit on. She wore a tight business suit, a little more formal than average for an entry-level lawyer at a distinguished law firm. 

She had always dreamed of traveling to Coruscant to see the amazing things she saw on the Holonet. Her working-class family could not afford a trip, but they had afforded her a good education. She figured out her own way to Coruscant. 

As one of the best students in her college, she was accepted into an exchange program on Coruscant. Then she got herself into the law firm as an intern and stayed, becoming the first Twi'lek employee in the firm’s hundred-year history. She had made her parents and younger brother proud.

She took off her plain gray business suit and hung it in her small closet, next to several other suits. 

When she first started her job, some colleagues mistook her as a janitor. After that, she always wore a very formal business suit and pinned her name badge right in front of her chest. It was not easy for her to find a dress that suited her green skin, and these clothes were expensive. Fortunately, this type of mistake never happened again. All the efforts paid off well.    

She shared a small apartment with two roommates to save money so she could send some back to her family. Moving to an apartment on the surface was one of her goals, a smaller part of her big plan. She wanted to be a judge in a Republic High Court one day, a dream that people laughed at, but she was convinced that she would make it here as well. 

She closed the closet door and returned to her computer to do some lazy browsing. 

A breaking news alert flashed across her screen. Senator Amidala of Naboo would stay in the Jedi Temple after the failed assassination attempt since the Temple was the best-guarded place on Coruscant.

Rackeli sighed. It was well-guarded indeed, and she needed to find a way to get in. 

Chapter Text

***1***

Obi-Wan and Palis thoroughly examined the two explosion sites. In Padme’s apartment, on one piece of the shrapnel, they found some cuts that could be a symbol. They already developed a habit. Whenever they needed a clue, they would go to Dexter Jettster’s diner. They paid for the meal and got the intel as a giveaway. 

Dex said the markings on the shrapnel were connected to a remote planet called Kamino. The locals profited from the business of cloning sentient beings. Things seemed to be going smoothly, but this planet could not be found in the library’s star map. 

“I am doing a search on cloning in the database. It may give way to some ideas. Maybe the planet name has a different spelling.” Palis sat down in front of a library computer.

He and Palis were not the traditional master and apprentice. She was about five years younger than him. After Master Qui-Gon Jinn’s murder at the Zabrak Sith’s hands, Obi-Wan had lived with a deep sense of regret. He was knighted for slaying the Sith Lord, but he would have rather been a Padawan under Qui-Gon instead of a Jedi Knight on his own and alone. Every morning, he went to the Room of a Thousand Fountains to meditate, trying to find peace. Instead, he found Palis Athia. 

Their relationship had started off a little rocky with an argument about murder.  Palis’s old master had been expelled for killing unarmed prisoners during a peacekeeping mission. The prisoners had been criminals who had terrorized the locals, with the blood of many innocent people on their hands. Her master had believed that there had been no functioning justice system on that world to hold them accountable for their crimes. She had done what she thought was best for the people. 

There had been a heated debate on the High Council about her action. The final decision was that Palis’s master should be expelled. Considering it unfair, Palis had contemplated the idea of leaving together. She challenged Obi-Wan as to why he had been promoted for killing a Sith. If the Sith had surrendered to Obi-Wan, would killing the Sith have led to his knighthood or expulsion? Immediately, she realized that she had crossed the line and apologized. 

They’d bonded together mourning the loss of their masters. Both had wanted to escape the haunting memory of what they had lost. They reached an agreement. Obi-Wan would take Palis as his Padawan, so they would get on off-world missions together. 

He carefully observed all the proper formalities, but Palis did not care.  Even when there were other Jedi around, she did not call Obi-Wan Master. “You are not her,” she told him once. Despite this, they grew to trust each other and complement each other. By the time of the bombing, Palis had already been a knight for several years, but they still frequently went on missions together.   

The computer beeped as the search completed. “Done. I got the coordinates, cross-referenced with several sources. This place is very far from here. Let us leave now,” She declared. Palis was analytical, but she could get ahead of herself at times. 

“Hold on. We need to inform Master Jocasta Nu.” Obi-Wan started to look for a librarian. “A missing star system from the Jedi database is suspicious.”  

Soon Joscata figured out that the system was erased from the database. Worse, even the record of the action itself had been erased. 

“Only a Jedi can do it.” The three of them looked at each other with uneasiness. 

“I had a very bad feeling about it.” Obi-Wan frowned. “It was a deliberate move.”

“Agreed. But there was little we could do here. Maybe we can find it out on Kamino.” 

When they arrived on Kamino, they ended up discovering more disturbing news. The Kaminoans were expecting the Jedi to come to take possession of a clone army, commissioned by the long-dead Jedi Master Sido-Dyas. Jango Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, served as the template of the entire army. He had a son, an unaltered clone. He claimed that a man named Lord Tyranus had recruited him. 

Obi-Wan did some quick research on Fett and Tyranus. Fett had an infamous record even for a bounty hunter, but he could not find mention of Tyranus in any record.

“Lord Tyranus.  Jango Fett. Master Sido-Dyas… a clone army. Sido-Dyas was one who secretly altered the Jedi database.”  Palis said hesitantly, “Tyranus is an ominous name. Fett has no honor. It feels like a criminal gang. Maybe. Just maybe… Sido-Dyas turned rogue before he passed away. I don’t think they are up to any good.” She threw her hands up. “I was defeated. My brain is not working now.”

Obi-wan answered after a long wait. “Palis, I have to tell you. I am confused as well. Master Sido-Dyas was a radical. If he is still alive, he would be a Jedi sponsor for the Military Act. My master Qui-Gon was a good friend of him. You know the mavericks got along well. Let us not assume the worst. While you think about it, I will inform the Council about all these suspicious new developments. We all need to meditate on this with the guidance of the Force.”

“You talk to the Council. I will talk to this Fett guy again. Maybe he could give us a few more clues.” Palis dashed out of the room. 

Obi-wan contacted the High Council through Holocall. The Council members were astounded by a clone army’s existence and the mysteries around its creation. None of them knew about it.  Obi-wan’s heart sank even more. 

Palis returned with bad news. Fett and his son were gone. Palis found some explosive powders after she searched their room, precisely the same composition found in the explosion in Padme’s apartment. 

Immediately, they got into the fighters and located the Fett’s starship on the scanner. 

“Don’t you think we are fortunate to go this far? We found the assassin by luck,” Palis said to him through the comlink.  

“In my experience, there’s no such thing as ‘luck.'  I have a feeling that we have been guided. Maybe the Force. Maybe something else,” he responded cautiously. 

“We are heading towards Geonosis. Obi-Wan, I’ve heard stories. It was a brutal world.”

An idea struck him. He must inform Padme about this army. Her opposition against the Military Creation Act was a lost cause. He keyed in Padme’s comlink number. 

***2***

There is no emotion; there is peace.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

There is no passion; there is serenity.

There is no chaos; there is harmony.

There is no death; there is the Force.

After some digging on the Holonet, Rackeli found the source of “There is no emotion” and many exciting aspects about the Jedi.  The Jedi Code was eloquently written. Who did not want these good things, peace, knowledge, serenity, and harmony? Of course, with the Force, it was even better. It was not a doctrine for emotional abuse. 

Yet, the Shas were still upset. When they gave Ludi to the Order, they said they wanted her to be happy and free.  

She understood where the concerns of Shas came from. Her homeworld’s culture valued the experience of unbridled emotions and associated them with having a real life. Passion and righteous anger were great things. 

The Jedi forbid attachment, family ties, and romantic relationships, which contradicted her culture. “If you never passionately loved, you were never truly alive.” The parents would feel sad for their children not experiencing what they valued. 

However, the bottom line was, force sensitives were different from other beings. People should respect the Jedi's expertise in raising and training these Force-sensitive younglings. It was the foundation of parents' consent to give their children to the Order, to which both she and Shas agreed. 

However, deep down, something made her feel uncertain. She could not name it yet. Writing always helped her to think things through. Thus, she started typing on her blog. 

Do Jedi have Freedom?

What is freedom? The foundation of freedom is to have free will AND have different options to choose from. If either one of them is missing, the being is not truly free.  

Where does free will come from? Many believe it was a right that cannot be deprived, even if born in bondage. However, it was not always true. To exercise their free will, a being must have at least two paths to choose. Without choices, free will is an illusion. 

The Jedi Order Pursues peace, serenity, and non-attachment. All are cherishable and honorable. Many religions embrace similar philosophies. Yet, most of their members choose a faith after exploration. Alternatives were available, such as practicing other religions or practicing no religion at all.

The Jedi Order is different. They recruit children in their infancy who can not yet make decisions for themselves. It is up to the parents to consent to give their children to the Order. At the same time, they also surrender the youngling’s right to experience a different lifestyle. In an alternative world, they may choose to pursue passion, ambition, and love.  All could be equally honorable. With the way that the Jedi recruit, the children may be deprived of both the choice and, worse, probably the capability to appreciate a different lifestyle even when other options are available later. 

 Do the parents fully understand how their children will be raised? Or do they have to decide on something they know little about on their youngling’s behalf. 

Here I ask, do force-sensitive children enjoy full freedom?  Food for thought. 

Rackeli had been occupied by work and adjustment to the new culture since she moved to Coruscant. She no longer had the luxury to write philosophical discussions anymore.  Helping the Shas gave her a reason to come back to writing.

Now she felt replenished after she typed up these words. She reread the essay and posted it on her blog, "A lawyer from the Outer Rim,” where she wrote abstract topics as exercise. She turned off her computer and went to sleep, satisfied. 

The next day, she received quite a few comments. 

Comment 1: A wordy essay. You can cut it short. Essentially, you are saying that Jedi have no freedom. It is not true. The Order is free to do whatever they want,  as long as it does not infringe on others’ rights. The Jedi seem content. As far as I know, very few of them left the Order. 

Comment 2: You attacked a strawman by making your own definition of freedom. In reality, no one is truly free. Young people like you are obsessed with “freedom” to the level of anarchism. 

Comment 3: The Jedi Order has been the peacekeeper of the Galaxy for a thousand years. There may be some minor flaws in their recruitment process. It should not be overly criticized. 

She read through all the comments. None of them were interesting. She was disappointed. 

Then she checked the blog’s inbox. She had gotten a message. 

I appreciate your very thoughtful writing. I am touched. The Jedi Order is not a religion. It is a governmental institution. The Senate sponsors their recruitment. Every infant has a blood test. If they are force-sensitive, the Order will visit their parents and persuade them to give their children to the Order. How easily could a parent reject a request from the Galactic Republic government? You have to factor in this in your essay.

I am curious, why are you interested in this topic?

-Skywalker 

The message was exciting. It seemed that this “Skywalker” knew something about how the Jedi Order operated. It would not hurt if she asked them a question.

Dear Skywalker, 

Thanks for your comment. Indeed, the power imbalance between the parents and the Jedi recruiters should be factored in. The parents faced pressure. 

My friends gave their force-sensitive daughter to the Jedi Order. They are worried about their child’s emotional wellbeing. I am helping them contact the Order to check in on their child. I am looking for a way to make contact. 

You seem to know the Order well. Do you know how to contact them?

-Rackeli

Just in a few minutes Skywalker replied. 

The Jedi define emotional wellbeing differently from the rest of the galaxy. They call it “the Jedi way.” If the parents have concerns about their child, they should file a complaint to their senator and ask the senator to forward it to the Sentient Being Rights Committee. That Committee will respond. The Jedi only answer to the Senate. 

File a complaint against the Jedi? It was unthinkable. But what other way did she have? Instead of writing a complaint, she could respectfully express her concerns on Shas family’s behalf and ask for some assistance. 

“Okay. It's worth a try.” She closed off the datapad and went off to work.

***3***

Anakin finished reading the "Jedi Freedom" post. He was way beyond feeling "touched.” 

Her blog was about his fate in an alternative time and space. Reading it, he could imagine an alternate reality in which he had been taken away by the Jedi Order at infancy. In this reality, he had unfortunately been born into slavery. But in that reality, he still would be living without freedom. In the post, the absence of choice, deprivation of individual free will, and indoctrination of generations of Force-sensitives were all eloquently written. Once again, he relived the anguish inflicted by the Jedi’s Order. Their supremacy over all Force users and persecution of the Sith for thousand years.  

From reading her post, she didn't seem to know much about the Jedi Order, but her insight was uncanny. He needed to learn more about her. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the commlink. Padme was calling. He immediately picked it up. 

“Padme, I just read a brilliant post that analyzed Jedi’s--”

“Anakin, please, I have an urgent issue. I don’t have time to listen to the Jedi analysis today.” Padme frowned. 

“Are you alright? Is the assassin after you again?” 

“Listen. I need you to contact your father. Obi-Wan just called me up. He said a clone army had been commissioned for the Republic and they are battle-ready. It is highly irregular and suspicious. He and Palis found the assassin. They were following them to Geonosis. I need to know more about Geonosis,” Padme said quickly.

“You think my father knows about Geonosis?”

“The Senate Bureau of Intelligence must have some information. I do not have the clearance for it. It takes days to request any information from SBI, but there is no time.” Padme smiled faintly. “Your father has the highest clearance. Sorry, it is not very ethical to ask for this, but I do not have other options.”    

“Because you are worried about Obi-Wan?” His face fell.

“Yes. I am worried about him and Palis, but it is much more than that. The assassin led them to discover an army. What next?”   

“I will contact my father’s aides. They will handle it. ” He was still annoyed.  

An image flashed in his head. He abandoned his work, grabbed his windbreaker, and ran out of his office. He needed to go to Padme. Now.  

The temple guards stopped him from entering. A person had to have an appointment, a work permit, a Jedi escort, or be a Jedi themselves (showing a lightsaber) to be allowed in. Honestly, he wanted to give them a lightsaber demonstration. He argued that he worked for the Judiciary Department and had an important issue to report to someone higher up (Padme). The guard reluctantly allowed him in after scanning his coded rank cylinders.

He ran directly to the library, where he could feel her in the Force. 

Padme walked out of the library door, holding her commlink projector with Palpatine’s image on top of it. He immediately invited himself into the conversation. 

“Aha, Anakin. Welcome. Your appearance is unexpected. You got into the Jedi Temple by yourself...” His master eyed him momentarily. 

“I did not use the “I am Chancellor's son” card. I convinced the guards I have an important task.” He felt uneasy.  

“Yes. You have one. I just informed Senator Amidala that Separatist leader Count Dooku and his allies were congregating on Geonosis. They were preparing a public event. Padme volunteered to talk to Dooku as a diplomat representing the Republic to clarify any misunderstanding. The word about Jedi commissioning an army is already out. To be clear, the Republic is for peace.” 

“You cannot be serious. It is too dangerous,” Anakin argued.

“Son, I understand your worry. It is why I am assigning you to go together. You have enough training to keep Padme safe. Do we agree?”

Then Papatine’s face turned to Padme. His voice was sad. “My dear girl. It is unfortunate that your opposition against the Military Creation Act was doomed to fail from the beginning. You are ten years too late. We were all  kept in the dark.”

Then the Holocall ended. 

Padme grabbed Anakin’s hand. “Let us go now. We do not have much time left!” She looked into his eyes anticipatedly. 

“Let us get some gear. Dealing with Dooku is not easy.” 

***4***

They set out for Geonosis in her Senatorial yacht. Anakin piloted the ship while Padme read through all the CIS information sent by the Chancellor’s office. Anakin was quiet, which was good, though unusual. She finished all the readings in a couple of hours and started to prepare her talking points.

“Ani, I need your input about my speech. I am going to read my notes. Can you pretend that you are Count Dooku? “

“No. I cannot!” he snapped, turning to her sharply with anger in his eyes. “You are wrong to do this. This mission was too dangerous. Dooku could not be trusted. Not at all.”

“We are the official delegates of the Republic. The CIS is an independent sovereignty. We are going to have a peace talk. If they do not want to listen, then we’ll leave.” She looked straight into his blue eyes. She saw not just anger but fear as well. “You are always fearless. You are upset.” She took his hands and squeezed them. 

Anakin turned away, looking into the swirling depths of hyperspace. His hands were cold. “I just have a real bad feeling, that is all.You practice your talk. I will listen.”

She stood up from her co-pilot seat and recited some of the prepared lines. Through it all, Anakin continued to gaze out at nothing, his eyes unfocused. Nonetheless, he gave some comments and applauded half-heartedly when she finished.       

“You do not trust Dooku. You think the CIS is doing evil. I get it. Still, I think we should give it a try. Don’t all the beings in the Galaxy deserve peace and prosperity? I had a long conversation with Dooku when I was still the Queen. I saw his point. There are worlds the Republic probably will never be able to take care of, like your homeworld. Some Republic worlds seceded. It was our loss, but it is their choice as long as the Republic and CIS stay friendly. It could be a win-win situation.”

“It is...not that simple. Somehow the Jedi commissioned an army, and Dooku once was a Jedi. I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it.” He stood up and left the cockpit. 

He returned a few minutes later, carrying some food, a bottle of Nubian champagne, and two glasses. “Sorry, I am not myself today. I did not sleep well. Not in a good mood.” He managed a smile. “We should eat, have a drink, and sleep, and face the separatists tomorrow.” 

Padme picked up the wine bottle and filled the glasses. She held the glass high. "We will succeed. Let us have faith in it." 

***5***

It was not a bad feeling, but a Force vision. He saw a Mandalorian shoot Padme, presumably the assassin Obi-Wan was tracking down.  

Her body was lying on the ground, lifeless, blood staining her dress.

That was the whole vision. His Master had the power to use Force visions to see the future and advise his moves. Anakin's visions were always harbingers of death and destruction. He drew upon the Force to meditate. He felt nothing but desperation. 

Dooku was behind all of this.

He would be thrilled to confront Dooku. To end his treacherous life, but not with Padme there. After Sidious showed Dooku the real way of the Force, he betrayed them and started the Separatist movement, weakening the Republic. Now the Jedi had an army. Threats kept multiplying. If he were honest to himself, he would admit he was upset. However, he would leave issues of such grand significance to his Master to handle. 

Right now, he had to handle the immediate threat by himself. He must save Padme's life. It was foolish of her to sign up for this death trip.

He blanketed himself in the Force and hoped sleep could come to him.

He stayed awake until he heard Padme used the fresher. 

“Ani, I hope you slept well. Time to prepare for our arrival.” Padme wandered into his quarters in a silky nightdress. It immediately sharpened his mind.  

“I am okay.” He got out of the bed. He still had his blanket wrapped around him.

“You still feel cold in space after all these years?” 

He nodded. Actually, he felt even colder after he learned the way of the Force. Sometimes, the chill was deep in his bone, like frost was biting, but the pain gave him focus. 

“You should take your blaster with you, just in case.” Anakin chose a tight-fitting black jacket and put on a grey cloak with golden embroidery to show his status as a Naboo noble. Padme went back to her room and came out with a very formal senatorial gown. 

“I picked a dress that had embedded materials that can resist blaster shots. I listened to your expert opinion.”

Padme started to do her hair. She tried to tie up all her hair into a single bun on the top, but a few threads kept falling down. “I wish Dorme was here.” 

“I can help you. Hold on.” He picked up a few pins.

“You can do hair? ” Padme looked at him with an incredulous look. 

“Yes, I helped my mother when I was little,” he said softly. 

“Sorry. I don’t mean to bring this up.” 

He simply nodded. He looked at himself in the fresher’s mirror. He looked pale. Today was like a doomed day, with the worst memories. He had searched for Shmi on Outer Rim worlds for years. When he had finally found her, she was dying. 

He was much more powerful now. The same tragedy would not replay. He would not allow it.

He piloted the ship out of hyperspace. They landed in a few minutes. 

Dooku was waiting for them in the hangar, together with a squad of battle droids similar to the type that had devastated Naboo during the occupation.   

“Welcome, Senator Amidala,” Dooku spoke with his silvery noble voice. He bowed to Padme curtly, ignoring Anakin completely.

 “We’ve come here to show CIS that the Republic has a most sincere desire for peace, and we have to build a prosperous future together.” Padme bowed back and held out a hand.

Dooku did not take her hand. Instead, all the battle droids raised their blasters. 

“So, we came here in vain then,” Padme said harshly. “Anakin, we’re leaving.”

“No, not at all, my lady. You have set things in motion.” Dooku laughed. “Take them down.” 

Chapter Text

***1***

Anakin lunged to shield Padme from attack. Wishing he could afford to draw his lightsaber, he instead activated a portable ray shield that he’d modified from Mandalorian gear.  

“Dooku,” Padme shouted from behind him, “you are inviting a war!” 

“Yes, with pleasure,” Dooku said with a cold smile. 

A blaster fired behind them. Anakin half-turned as he tried to deflect the bolt. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett raise his blaster. Time slowed. Fett fired. Anakin reached for the Force, but it wasn’t enough. Anakin wasn’t enough. Dooku intervened. The bolt penetrated the barrier he built in the Force. The shot clipped Padme across the left side of her neck and she started to go down.

“Nooo!” Anakin screamed as he reached for her. The battle droids surrounding them exploded with the force of his anger and fear. Fett dropped on to his knees, gasping.

Anakin managed to catch Padme before she could hit the ground and cradled her in his arms. She was lighter than his mother had been. He curled around her and tried not to cry. The smell of charred meat was overwhelming. 

“Ani,” Padme’s lips moved without sound. Her labored breath gurgled through the ruin of her throat. Her life force was fading. She reached for him, but her hand fell before she could touch his face. Her lips moved as she tried to say something more, but he could not make it out.

No. No. No. He could not live with this. He could not lose her. Not the same way he had lost his mother.  

“Skywalker.”

Anakin’s head snapped up. 

Dooku smiled cooly. “You can drop your pathetic disguise.” His red lightsaber burst into life.

Shaking with rage, Anakin set Padme down with all the gentleness he could muster and stepped over her. He pulled his lightsaber from where it was tucked in the small of his back and ignited it with one smooth motion. The blade was as red as his anger. 

He was on Dooku in a heartbeat with a blow that should have taken the man’s head off. Dooku parried and struck back. He was a better swordsman, more precise, but Anakin had strength, speed, and anger. He caught Dooku’s blade and a bind and bore down. 

“Ah, no longer white, I see,” Dooku said, nodding towards Anakin’s blade, as calmly as if he were discussing the weather and not fighting for his life. “Finally, your lightsaber has the right color.” He disengaged his saber with a quick yielding parry and shoved Anakin back with the Force. “Not that it will help you,” he added and blasted him with lightning. 

Big mistake. Anakin caught the energy with his blade and let it build. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. He sent his own blast of lighting down the length of his blade. The two bolts clashed with a deafening sound.

Their energy danced, intertwined, and amplified. Dooku's eyes widened. Anakin Force pushed Dooku, creating more distance between them. Dooku lifted his blade, but Anakin was faster. He thrust his lightsaber upward, blasting the lightning into the ceiling. It struck with a deafening boom which blew up half of the hangar. Debris rained down between them and Anakin used the distraction to scoop up Padme and run for the ship. 

She was still breathing, barely, but still alive. Every second was critical, but he still had time. He still had a chance. He could still save her.

***2***

A harsh wind blew across the desert of Geonosis as Obi-Wan and Palis landed. There was a reason the native Geonosians lived in their underground hives. It didn’t take the Jedi long to realize they had lost track of the Fett. Palis suggested they sneak around to collect some intel.

In their short-lived trip, they discovered a droid factory, manufacturing battle droids at their full capacity. Then they were surrounded by a group of battle droids led by Fett. 

Their lightsabers were taken away when they were brought to an interrogation room. They were locked behind a ray shield and held under charges of espionage. To their surprise, the CIS leader Count Dooku wanted to have a “conversation” with them. Despite Palis' protest, they were still being held in the ray shields when Dooku told the tale of his days after leaving the Order. 

It was not much of a conversation, more a Dooku's monologue. He delivered a passionate speech on why the Republic was beyond hope. Any attempt to reform it from within would be in vain. The corruption ran deep. The only way to end the corruption was to starve the monstrous bureaucracy to death by every world leaving and joining CIS. Lastly, he invited them to leave the Jedi order to follow him since they were his lineage in the way of the Force through Qui-Gon. 

Palis called Dooku a mad man and rejected that she had anything to do with Dooku's lineage. That stung. Obi-Wan knew he had never quite replaced her old master, but he’d thought they had had something.

"Who is madder?” asked Dooku. “In the Republic, hundreds of senators are under the influence of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious." 

Obi-Wan was shocked by this statement, but obviously, it was a lie. He collected himself and refuted Dooku calmly. "Your Majesty, I find your claims unbelievable. If a Sith has such influence, the Jedi Order would know already." 

Dooku didn't say anything else but left the room abruptly. A few minutes later, Obi-Wan felt a surge of darkness in the Force. Then a thunderous sound hit his eardrum. He and Palis looked at each other with horror.

Soon Dooku returned. His luxurious cape was stained with dust, his face had a few cuts and was bleeding, yet he laughed like a mad man.

"Count, what happened to your fancy clothes?" Palis taunted.

"Senator Amidala of Naboo disguised herself as an ambassador for the Republic. She brought the Chancellor's brat here to assassinate me. Skywalker used a powerful explosive. Of course, it is just a feeble antic against my power," he declared triumphantly. "Their plot has been foiled.  An assassination attempt on the head of a sovereign state is an act of war."

"You! You used the Dark Side of the Force. You are a Sith, aren't you?" Palis hissed.

"Young one, you are insightful. I used the newly learned power to build the alliance, to restore security and justice. The Jedi are limited by their dogmatic ideology. They have become passive, stagnant, as rotten as the rest of the system.” He extended a hand. “Would you reconsider my invitation? "

“No. I will never join you,” Palis spat. 

“So be it.” Dooku hurled a bolt of lightning. It struck her full in the chest and sent her writhing on the ground. There truly was no hope for the man. He was indeed a Sith. 

"Count, stop it," Obi-Wan pled. "This is quite an important decision to make. Let us not rush things. I will talk sense into my apprentice."

The force of Dooku’s blast had knocked Palis' red hair free of her ponytail. It hung in disarray across her shoulders as she hauled herself up from the floor. Her expression was haunted. 

"I would like to know where you learned the power. Did you learn from the Zabrak Sith?" Obi-Wan asked curiously. 

"You will know everything after you join me,” Dooku said with a sneer.

"How about you remove the ray shield? It is rather uncomfortable. We can sit down to have a more in-depth conversation," Obi-Wan suggested. 

"I am not a fool, young Jedi. I found your lack of sincerity disgusting. Guard, take them out!” Dooku dropped his mask of civility. “Time for the execution. Today we use Jedi blood to write a new chapter for the Confederacy!"

They were put in binders and escorted out by a squad of Geonosians. 

"You scared me. I would rather die than join him," Palis whispered to him.

"Then your wishes will be fulfilled in no time." Obi-wan managed a smile. 

***3***

Anakin ignited the engine and immediately set the ship to autopilot. Padme's astromech droid R2 rolled into the cockpit. "To Coruscant," Anakin shouted to the droid.

He laid Padme on her bed, tearing frantically at her dress. Her lips were purple and he couldn’t feel her heart. He could feel her signature in the Force, but it was already going faint. 

Anakin closed his eyes as he sunk into the Force. He added his strength to hers, blending their signatures in the Force. Healing was a delicate business, but he didn’t have time for that. He poured energy into her body, willing her heart to beat and her cells to heal. Still, she remained cold and still.

He stared at her still form. She looked so much like his mother. Memory mixed with reality and, for a dizzying moment, it was as though he had fallen back in time. He had not been powerful enough to save his mother. On that day, he had mustered all the power he had, but still death had claimed her. He could still feel her final shudder as she died in his arms.

He was different now. After her death, he had studied harder, learned so much more. Grief made him stronger. He pushed the image of his dead mother away. He was stronger now. Padme would live because he willed it.

According to his studies, a Force user could heal themselves by channeling the energy of the galaxy through themselves and their midichlorians. The problem was, Padme didn’t have the midichlorians for it. Luckily, Anakin had plenty to spare. 

He sliced his wrist and held the bleeding cut to the wound on Padme's neck. The laws of nature would not stand before his power. He guided his blood, his midichlorians into her until he felt faint. The wound on her neck began to close, yet still her heart would not beat. Why? What was he doing wrong?

Life Force!  She didn't have much left. He could give her his. 

Anakin pulled her up, cradling her head against his chest. Closing his eyes, he poured himself into her. His energy flowed at first, as though blocked by a dam, but all at once, it seemed to burst through. Exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave. Would he die if he poured his life into her? He didn't care.

Padme gasped in his arms. She lived! Anakin sighed with relief and let the darkness take him. 

***4***

Padme was dreaming. She had to be dreaming. She walked alone through cold and mist. Her surroundings were strange, yet they felt intimately familiar. 

A track appeared. She cautiously followed it. Voices reached out to her from the mist, calling her name. 

The mist seemed to have no end. Even as the mist grew thicker, the voices became clearer. They were her, she realized, saying words she remembered. 

“Mom, I was admitted to the Legislative Youth Program,” her nine-year-old self said excitedly. “One day, I will run for the highest office on Naboo.” 

“As the Princess of Theed, I promise you the corruption inherited from the previous office will stop here,” she promised the audience at her first campaign rally.

“Naboo is built by people of resilience. We will fight off the invasion, together with our Jedi protectors. We will survive and thrive!” she rallied her people during the Occupation. 

“The Republic has its problems, but I choose to believe in it,” she told Count Dooku. “We will have more good people to work in the Senate. Naboo is not leaving. I respectfully decline your invitation.” 

“You want peace and liberty. Supporting the Military Creation Act will cost you both,” she railed against militarization in the Senate.  

“As long as the Republic and CIS stay friendly, it could be a win-win situation. We will succeed. Let us have faith in it," she begged Dooku for peace. 

“My fault… Sorry… I...” she whispered, barely audible. What had she meant? Who had she been speaking to? She could not remember. 

She was tired and wanted to lay down. A river lay a few meters in front of her. There was no mist on the other side of the river. On the other side was a meadow dotted with white and yellow flowers, like the fields of her childhood on Naboo. The sunshine was bright, and the sky crystal clear. She was eager to go across the river, to leave this sad and cold misty place, to immerse herself in the eternal brightness.

“Stop, you cannot go here.” A strong hand grabbed her small hand. “Don’t go here. I do not allow it.” A tall figure with a familiar voice held her, but she could not see his face. 

They started to dance, holding hands. He leaned down until their foreheads touched. Together they spun and twirled. The mist, stream, and meadows all disappeared. They danced among the stars. 

Now she could see his face. It was Anakin, but something was different. His eyes were golden, but still it was Anakin. She cupped his face and smiled. "I meant to tell you. I love you.” 

He smiled and they danced on and on. It seemed like they might dance forever, but suddenly Anakin was gone.

Padme woke up with a start. Her head and chest ached and her breath burned in her throat. It took every ounce of strength to open her eyes. She lay on her bed in her starship’s quarters. The last thing she remembered, she had been yelling at Dooku.

She was only wearing her undershirt. Why? What had happened? Anakin was lying on the ground, fully clothed. His body trembled, and his eyebrows furrowed in pain.

“Master, I beg you,” he mumbled as if in delirium. “Please do not sell my mother away. She is all that I have. I will work harder in the shop.” 

“Anakin!” She scrambled off the bed and shook his shoulder. “Wake up!” 

He slowly opened his eyes. Blue eyes, not gold. He breathed rapidly. Sweat dripped down his forehead. He lay still for a long moment, blinking up at her.

“Padme, you are alright!” He lunged for her, bursting into tears. "You were shot! I gave you some bacta." 

“I feel really sore and tired.” She looked at him, concerned, “Are you okay? You had a nightmare. You were shouting.”

Anakin’s smile froze. “What did I say?” 

“You begged someone not to sell your mother away,”  she answered cautiously. 

“That is all of it?” he asked with slightly narrowed eyes. 

She nodded. Anakin’s face softened. 

“Ani, about you and your mother. There is more than what you told me, right?" she tried to help him up but they ended up both falling on the ground. 

“Well,” Anakin said, laying back, “I told you that I grew up in extreme poverty. My mother was kidnapped, and gone. I was lucky. Then-Senator Palpatine was visiting Tatooine. He adopted me. Those were all true. ” He played with her hands and looked down. “Except… I was a slave. Both my mother and I were slaves.” He shook his head. “I cannot talk about it anymore. Don’t tell anyone, and don’t pity me.” 

It was like a knife to her heart. She wept. 

“I said, don’t pity me.” He bit his lip. 

“No. I didn't pity you. I loathe that I know so little about you. I am a failure.” She made a half-hearted attempt to wipe away her tears. “I had a strange dream. In the dream, I think...I was dead. I heard myself speaking on different occasions—all political stuff, eloquent, assertive, and inspiring, but I do not have anything outside my political career. Nothing left for myself. I was so close to death.” She hesitated. “I want you to know, Anakin, I love you.“

The next moment, Anakin’s lips were on hers. They kissed each other’s cheeks, nose, and forehead. 

“Can you stay here with me?” Padme asked. She gestured to the empty space on her bed.  

Anakin took off his jacket. They wrapped themselves under blankets. She had a strong feeling that they were connected. They had bonded in a way she did not understand. Holding hands, they fell into a comfortable silence. 

“I want to know you more,” she whispered. “Does your name have any special meaning?”

“In Tatooinian, Anakin meant hope .” He cradled her in his arms.  

***5***

Palis stared at the beast that was trying to bite her right hand off. She gently touched its presence in the Force. They clicked, then connected. She had a good feeling. She may survive this. If she survived, she wanted nothing to do with the war or the Sith Lord.

Under her guidance, the Acklay precisely sliced through her binders, freeing her from the pillar that she was tied to. She directed her beast to attack the Nexu was attacking Obi-Wan.

A massive wave of Battle droids marched towards them. Gunships roared overhead. She looked behind her back. Lightsabers of green and blue flashed amongst the mechanical hordes. Jedi had arrived, but not just the Jedi. Soldiers in shining white armor charged the droids—the Clone Army.

The battle didn't last long. More than a dozen Jedi lost their lives. They’d come here to rescue Obi-Wan and her. Both of them survived, though not unscathed. They would recover soon after a few days in the Hall of Healing. 

She’d lost her lightsaber. It had been unique, light purple in color. Master Windu's had a much deeper color. Master Windu and Master Yoda tried to capture the Sith Lord Dooku. Unfortunately, he escaped. Maybe Obi-Wan should have fought him. After all, Sith was his specialty.

Now they sat in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, side by side. 

"I think what Dooku said could be true. A Sith may be working inside the Republic... They could be allies or possibly rivals," She told Obi-Wan.

"The Sith always lie to sow doubt, to divide. It is their nature. You emphasize "thinking" too much. Force will guide us to find the truth.” He looked into her eyes. “Palis, you are a very talented Jedi. I am very proud of you. Meditation is your weakness. You need to work on it, especially when the Dark Side is clouding our judgment.”

"I don't feel Force has told me anything. I almost never have. To be a responsible Jedi, I do whatever I can," She responded sadly. "We just found out Dooku was a Sith a few days ago. He is leading thousands of star systems to fight against us. Did the Council know anything about it? "

"Yes and No. Council knew the Dark Side was strong in the CIS movement. They suspected a Sith played a hand in it, but they didn't think it was Dooku."

"He once was a Jedi Master," she said with disdain. "Now totally twisted and mad." 

"You do have a point. The Council didn't know about Dooku. Possibly, a Sith could influence the Senate from afar. Thus it was under Council's radar." He pinched his nose bridge.

"Maybe they are working in the Senate? Maybe they are lobbyists? Powerful corporate interests?" She struggled to list all the options. "Just consider the possibility."

"I will inform the Council of your ideas," Obi-Wan said seriously. 

"Obi-Wan, about another issue." She had been mulling over it since Geonosis and decided today was the day to bring it up. "I am thinking about leaving the Order. "

"What? You can't be serious about this! " He looked at her with a hurt expression. "What brings this up? Dooku's speech?" 

"Of course not! I have nothing to do with that mad man!" She said sharply. "It was my own idea. I started to think about it ten years ago. Aren't we peacekeepers? Why are the Jedi serving as generals sent to the war? I thought we are completely against violence, except in extreme situations. Why are we leading the war when many people other than the Jedi are so eager to lead?"

"It is the Senate decision. The Jedi answers to the Senate." Obi-Wan sighed. "Also, we created the Clone Army after all. We have an obligation to end the atrocities committed by the Sith, a fallen Jedi."

"We can refuse it! We are an organization of Faith, not the Republic war department!" she exclaimed. "Remember what we just talked about? A Sith Lord influences hundreds of Senators. It is quite a voting bloc."

Obi-Wan offered no argument, so she kept on talking. "I snuck out of the Temple to watch the Military Academy joint graduation ceremony. Graduates from institutions all over the Galaxy gathered. They spoke passionately. All committed their life to the Republic. Anakin Skywalker spoke. A terse but powerful speech. He did not look well, not at all." 

She recounted his message. "He talked about his training in Carida, then the mission to Geonosis. How Dooku's man attacked Padme unprovoked. He and his fellow officers would fight against any enemy until justice and orders are restored. Just think about it. He and Padme survived, facing a Sith Lord! Isn't it impressive? These military officers can do it!"

"It was more than that,” Obi-Wan said. “I heard from the Chancellor directly. Anakin will take some time to rest, to regain his health before he heads to any battle." Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "Now, back to your idea of leaving. Honestly, I am disappointed. You can't walk away from your duty, run away from who you are. We all have sworn our allegiance to the Order, to the Republic."

"Why don't you get it?” She threw her hands in the air but quickly collected herself and spoke with a softer voice. "I am a misfit in the Order. You can't deny it! I am not strong in the way of the Force. I keep on using other methods to compensate, to look normal. Actually, I found myself more normal outside the Temple. People just treat me as another regular folk. See. I dyed my hair red. The Masters called it vanity. Why do they have to make such a big deal out of it?"

"I am sorry to hear that you feel that way." Obi-Wan looked at her sympathetically. "No one is a perfect fit in the Order. We all have struggles, but this is our family. We go through tough times together."

"Anyway, I don't want to be part of the war. Senate, Council, Will of Force... Which is which? How was the decision made? The logic was muddy. I am confused."

"If it is your final decision. I respect that, and I will miss you. Palis," Obi-Wan begged, "please put more thoughts into this. You can't turn back after you leave. There is a Sith Lord outside. He may be interested in you."

"I had enough of the Force. No motivation to learn anything new. I will think about what to do next." She smiled to herself. "The galaxy is big. I will contribute to the Republic in many other ways." 

***6***

The war has started. The cadets’ graduation was quite an event, like a ceremony for a new era—a grand demonstration of loyalty and patriotism. 

It was interesting that the Chancellor's son was also a Skywalker. A funny coincidence. Out of curiosity, Rackeli looked in Senator Amidala's profile. She was on that Sentient Being Rights Committee, in which she played a minor role. Rackeli had sent out her "Concerned Parents" letter to her system's senator, waiting for a response. Probably it would take a long time. The war demanded everyone’s attention. She was sure that a request of checking in on a Jedi youngling had the lowest priority. 

But it was the top priority for Shas. The Jedi sent children to war with the adult teachers, claiming it was part of the training. Shas were appalled by this. Child soldiers, they called it. Their baby didn't sign up for this. In their eyes, it was textbook child abuse. 

Rackeli found she couldn't disagree with them. 

What to do next? She decided to message Skywalker. He seemed to know the way the Senate works.

A week later, Skywalker replied. 

"The staff from the Committee will reply to you. AS."

She was astounded by his initials. It could be a coincidence, but maybe she was talking to Palpatine’s son. 

“Are you Anakin Skywalker?” She sent out the message after hesitation. 

A few moments later. The comm-link beeped. 

“Yes.”

Chapter Text

***1***

Anakin mused over the events of the past few days. He and Padme had headed to the cadet graduation ceremony immediately after their ship had landed on Coruscant. The ceremony had little to do with celebrating the graduates. Instead, everything was about "Operation Freedom", which the public simply was already calling the "Clone War".

Anakin had been arranged to be the first speaker. He hated the attention, but he had needed to expose the atrocities the Separatists, especially the former Jedi Dooku, had committed. After he delivered the speech, which had been prepared by Padme, all his strength was gone. Even Force could not help him. After that, he isolated himself for a whole week, trying to regain strength.

Padme invited him to stay in her guest room so her staff could watch over him. Palpatine didn't summon him, so he took it as permissible. He lost much of his appetite and had a fever. He was exhausted, but could not sleep. He was agitated but had to pretend to be calm, so he drew upon the Force to keep the disguise. His insides felt like a river of lava. He vomited again and again until all he could throw up was bile. 

Padme was alive, so it was worth it. She was doing better than him, which further delighted him.

Padme worried about him. She suggested that he see a Jedi healer. Dooku had clearly used some dark magic on, she argued. Perhaps the Jedi could fix it. Of course, he rejected it. He had to recover quickly, otherwise, this awful idea would be brought up again.

To recover meant to draw upon the Cosmic Force to fill the void of Life Force. As long as a person didn't have life-threatening injuries and didn't lose the will to live, their Life Force would recover eventually. It just would take a while. If they lost too much at one time, they would die, much like bleeding to death.. Luckily, he was currently not in a life-threatening situation.

The most difficult days finally passed. He had enough strength to read his datapad and type in a few words. He saw Rackeli's message. Usually, he was adamant about learning anything related to the Jedi the second he heard about it. Today his brain was too rusted to function. 

Padme also worked fewer hours a day. She was not shy about staying in his room over the night. Her presence had a soothing effect. A piece of his Life Force flowed through her and always would. He was hers and she was his, forever.  

They started with cuddling, then making out. A few days later, Padme took the lead and they made love. It was his first time, but not hers, which bothered him a little. He enjoyed the intimacy anyway. 

He liked the way Padme pet his hair, the small sound she made, the friction of their bodies, and the endearing way she looked at him. He found her more beautiful than ever with her hair hanging loose down her back, calling his name in admiration. She was gorgeous, losing herself in the moment of ecstasy. 

Yet, he was embarrassed by his own labored breathing and heavy limbs that sent him drifting off into slumber moments after they were done. Padme, meanwhile, seemed energized, a big smile on her face. 

Padme suggested that they keep this living arrangement for the foreseeable future. He was not sure whether Palpatine would approve it. It didn't feel like the way of the Sith. He had to ask. Also, he worried about her reputation. It was not like they had just stolen a single moment and kept it a secret. Very soon, high society would know that they were living together as an unwed couple. Naboo was a traditional society. Formal Queens were held to very high standards. 

Nonetheless, all these worries could wait for another day. Again, he read Rackeli's message. He must put some pressure on this case. It would be interesting to see how things played out. Everything about the Jedi Order had the highest priority.

***2***

Palis considered her Jedi tunic before folding it and putting it away. Instead, she pulled on a bright yellow dress, along with a necklace and a white hat. She was going to pay a visit to Senator Amidala. The rumor was that Anakin had moved in. It was good that she could see both of them at the same time. They had all survived their encounters with Dooku, something worth celebrating. 

On the way to Padme's residence, she sensed a little creature following her. Turning, she spotted a silver Loth-cat watching her cautiously from beneath a bush.

"Come here, Fluffy.” Palis squatted down, extending a hand. "If you are here to see the two love birds, follow me." 

To her surprise, the Loth-cat padded out from under the bush to come to her side. It kept pace with her, following her into Padme's apartment building, into the lift, and right to Padme’s front door. 

Because Palis was not wearing her usual Jedi robes, it took some time to explain to the security guards that she was Padme's Jedi protector from a couple of weeks ago. She had no lightsaber to show because she was in a transition process to give up her Jedi status. Finally, they confirmed her identity, and let her in. 

"Take a seat. I am finishing this letter." Padme was busily typing on a datapad in the living room. Anakin was working on a golden droid. Both of them dressed casually, with a matched style.

The Loth-cat ran straight to Anakin, flopped, and rolled around next to him. 

"Okay, it seemed that I found your cat." Palis chuckled.

A big grin spread across Anakin's face. He picked up the Loth-cat, and let it flop on his shoulder. "It is a cute gift. Thank you, Master Red."

"Oh no. I came here to check in on you two. Obi-Wan said he had other duties to attend to. So it’s just me today. Our protection mission...it didn't end very well." She looked at Padme apologetically. "By the way, I am ready to submit my resignation to the Order. I am leaving."

"What?" Padme discarded her datapad. "I am alright. If someone gives you a hard time, I will talk to them."

Anakin's eyes widened. He put the cat down and moved to sit next to Padme.

"No one did anything to me. I want to change lifestyles, that is it." Palis shrugged. 

"Leaving all your past behind, for a lifestyle change. The Jedi allows that?"  Anakin sounded confused. "You are free to walk away?"

"Yes to both of your questions. I consulted the Council of Reconciliation. Quitting was an unpopular idea. Yeah, actually was frowned upon, but it is my choice . They have to respect that, and they did. Obi-Wan gave his blessing, of course, reluctantly." 

She waved her hand at that cat. It sat in Anakin's lap, bright blue eyes looking at her curiously. "What will you name your cat?"

"She is a strong, independent lady. Imperius. Princess Imperius it is." He patted Imperius' smooth, silvery fur. 

"Imperius and you have matching looks!" Palis said excitedly. Anakin laughed loudly. She could hear the cat purring through the Force. An interesting cat indeed. 

"Okay, back to serious business. How are you two doing?" 

Padme said she was okay now.  Anakin agreed. He looked better, still a mess though.

"I need to tell you what Dooku had told Obi-Wan and me on Geonosis. He claimed that hundreds of Republic Senators are under the influence of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious." Anakin and Padme both lost some color on their face. "The Council decided not to release this information, but I think there is a public safety concern."

"This sounds awful." Padme shook her head. "Dooku abused my trust. Another Sith? Influence my colleagues? Does the Council believe it?" 

"Not really. Sith always lie. After I leave the Order, I will work as a journalist, covering Jedi’s war effort. I can use my talents in this way. The Jedi are reclusive and bad at public relations. I saw tons of misinformation on the Holonet about the Jedi. I am an insider. I will do them justice." Then she looked straight at Padme. "I will also investigate who this Sith Lord is. I can't let go of this idea. I need to figure this out."

"Where will you start then?" Anakin asked with some annoyance. "Why don't you start with searching your Temple? That place seems to have the highest risk."

Palis anticipated something like this would happen. Dooku turned into an enemy. His past association made the Jedi look very bad. Besides, how many people outside the Order believed the Sith existed or thought the Sith were particularly powerful and dangerous? The public probably thought that Banking Clan executives were way more powerful than any Sith.

"How about I start with you two? You met Dooku in person. Did he tell you anything?" 

"We spent like 5 minutes on that damn planet. We were assaulted by an assassin in Mandalorian armor. I killed him. We barely escaped. That is all." Anakin looked like he was going to breathe fire. "This conversation is making me very uncomfortable. Excuse me." He abruptly stood up. Imperius the cat jumped down, hissing.

"Palis, this also makes me uncomfortable." Padme smiled at her faintly. "Dooku traumatized us. Worse, assuming what he said was true, if I were Anakin, I would be really upset. A Sith controlling hundreds of senators to work against his father or even influencing his father? I can't imagine how that would feel." 

"Sorry,” Palis apologized hurriedly. “I wanted you two to be safe from this potential Sith threat. You already are the target of Dooku. I messed up, again. Believe me, I didn't mean to scare or insult you."

"I know." Padme came over and gave her a hug. "What you're doing is important work. I’m glad you have a plan for the future. Good luck. If you need anything, let me know. I will support you, Red."

Palis hugged Padme back. "Thank you! It means a lot to me. More than you can imagine."

***3***

Sheev Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, sat behind his enormous desk in his residence, patiently waiting for the return of Anakin Skywalker. The stars were still twinkling in the Coruscant sky.  He usually rose to work before dawn. He could feel the boy's fear and anger in the Force. 

"Master, I am back." Anakin bowed to him respectfully. “I have intel to deliver.” 

“Do you? I assumed you had a few restful nights with Padme, am I right?" Palpatine wore the fatherly smile. 

Blushing, Anakin took a seat on the far side of the desk. "We had a very good time, but there is a pressing issue. Do you remember Obi-wan Kenobi’s partner? The redhead Jedi Palis Athia. Dooku told her and Obi-Wan about you . He told them a Sith called Darth Sidious was influencing a few hundred Senators. This is really bad,” tapping his foot nervously. “Palis leaving the Order.” 

“Aha, to join Dooku? Did you have an interest in her?” Palpatine asked, amused. 

“No. She is weak in the Force. She left the Order to be a reporter to write Jedi propaganda.”

“You’re worried about a propagandist?” He teased. 

“Of course not. She plans to investigate Dooku’s claims about the Sith on the Republic’s side. She may even publish her investigation.” Anakin’s expressioned hardened. “If you would like me to silence her, it can be arranged.” 

“Why silence her?” Palpatine chuckled. “Her investigation deserves to be on the front page of the Chronicle of the Republic . What an interesting story.” 

“Master, I do not understand.” The boy looked desperate. “If she found out about us-”

“My boy, if we have wisdom, anything and everything can be used for our purpose. In time, you will understand.”  

Anakin was like a supernova in the Force when he did not hide it, full of passion, and strength. Despite all the raw power he had, he was not a great Sith material. A Sith needed to be cunning, adaptive, and able to use the circumstances to their advantage. Anakin was too straightforward. He handled everything with confrontation. A flaw to be sure, but one which could be useful. Anakin pursued sheer power and ambition, but he always sought guidance from someone higher up. Neither Maul nor Dooku had this problem. Anakin was an effective enforcer, the perfect soldier. The perfect weapon. 

His boy was different today. Sidious sensed a shift. Anakin’s Life Force was dim, so different from his usual self. Even Dooku could not do damage like this. 

“Son, tell me. You are in disarray. What reckless thing did you do? Where is your lightsaber?” 

Anakin looked away. “Destroyed. On Geonosis, I used my lightsaber to channel lightning to fight off the traitor Dooku. Padme was injured. She was dying. I gave her my Life Force to save her. I can’t lose her. I just can’t.” He winced in pain and shame. 

“You impressed me. The Sith’s power is the pathway to many things that were considered impossible. You have learned well. Still, there is much more to learn. Draw strength from the Force, and drill it into you. You command the Force to serve you, and you will recover quickly,” Sidious said fondly.

The mission went far better than he planned. Amidala’s death would have pushed Anakin further into the Dark Side. Palpatine had planned to blame the Jedi somehow. But now, the Dark Side would claim Anakin from within. 

It was time for the final touch. Darth Plagueis would scold him for breaking the Rule of Two but Darth Tyranus was already a dead man since he’d failed to kill Amidala. It would be only a matter of time to see his death become a reality.

"My boy, come close. Tell me, again, what is your dream?" Sidious looked into the boy’s blue eyes. He saw surprise, confusion, excitement, and, finally, conviction.

"The galaxy is riven with injustice. I won’t forget where I came from. I owe everything to you. I will pay back your generosity by committing myself to your teaching, my master."

"Kneel before me.” 

Anakin hesitated as if caught off guard, but he quickly bowed obediently. 

"Your service as Sith Acolyte ends today. You already proved your worthiness of being my Apprentice." Anakin abruptly looked up. Sidious saw sparks and fanatics in the boy's blue eyes, he felt the Force hum with the thrill. "Good. The Force is strong with you, Anakin Skywalker. A powerful Sith Lord you will become. Henceforth, your soul is bound to mine by the Covenant of the Sith, until death does us part. You shall be known as Darth... Vader." Sidious felt the energy in the Force surge. It twisted and resonated with the dawn. A new kind of Force bond was formed between the two Lords of the Sith. 

This day would be long remembered. His treasured weapon had the Sith spirit forged in. Finally, it had a soul.

"Thank you, my Master."  Vader gasped in the most reverent voice. 

He closed their distance and touched Vader’s cheek. His skin was warm and silky. The boy shivered a little and inhaled sharply under the touch. Vader was a very powerful and beautiful being. It was a blatant falsehood to claim that the Sith had no sense of aesthetic. Sidious straightened Vader’s bunched up collar. The family crest of the House of Palpatine was revealed. The symbols of a veermok, an aiwha and a zalaaca were embroidered on the light blue shirt with scarlet silk thread. 

"Lord Vader... rise." He smiled lightly. "Next time, let Senator Amidala take care of it."

Vader stood up. He hastily checked and smoothed other parts of his clothing before he sat down again. Sidious found it amusing. 

"Tell me more about you and your Padme."

"Padme,” Vader smiled dreamily. “I love her." 

"Ha. You think you love her?"  Sidious scoffed. Ridiculous. "Love? You’re sure?"

"Yes, I love her. She confessed her love to me as well."

"My naive young apprentice, couples get together to benefit each other. In yours and Padme’s case, you two enjoyed each other’s company. You shared the pleasure of the flesh and that's all."

"No, I think-" Vader protested.

"Tell me, have you told her that you are a Sith?"

"No." The boy shifted his gaze aside. 

"Why not?"

"I... I can't-"

"You do not trust her. She will betray you the moment she learns about your true identity. You already know this." 

"Master, you are wise." Vader sat his elbows on the edge of the desk, fingers twisted and knuckles white. "I can't tell her."

"You are unconformable with telling her who you truly are. There is nothing real between you two." He softly touched Vader’s hand. "My boy, love is an illusion, a game the weak play to delude themselves. I want you to know the truth."

Vader nodded but refused to meet Sidious' eyes. He sensed sadness. It was delightful. 

"Don't feel sorrow. You two made a great couple. I had foreseen this since you were children. I always tried to arrange situations to let you two know each other better, like the diplomatic trip to Geonosis. You two should marry if you keep on enjoying the company of each other.“

Vader’s eyes widened. "But you just said, there is no love between-"

Sidious raised a hand to forestall him. "You will need an heir in time. I abhor the idea of polluting the bloodline of the Sith with some aberrant blood. I don't care about the Rule of the Two as long as you are loyal to me."

"I will never betray you, master." Fear emerged on the boy’s gorgeous face.

"We will see. Don't let me down, Lord Vader." 

Palpatine slowly stood up and led the way towards Anakin’s old bedroom. “All the officers in the Judicial Department have been reassigned into the Navy. The GAR logistics division sent your new uniform to my residence. You can take your time to have more rest. Everyone understands, but don’t forget the Jedi are leading an army created by them in secret. We need to stay vigilant.” 

“Do you know my particular assignment, Sir?”

“Jedi Master Kenobi will lead a Star Destroyer to Christophsis. His former apprentice is leaving. He would benefit from having an assistant . You two know each other.”

“I am better than being an assistant to a Jedi, ” Anakin cried angrily. 

“Be patient. We will see to their downfall soon enough. One day, you can tell Padme about all your stories when the Jedi are no longer in power. ” He put his hand on his apprentice’s shoulder. “I will monitor that Darth Sidious investigation. Now go, and bring glory back to me."

Anakin bowed and left the office. Palpatine turned back to watch the morning Coruscant skyline. Now all his chess pieces were ready at the right place: the Jedi, the Senate, Darth Tyranus and Darth Vader, The Confederacy of Independent Systems, and the Galactic Republic. They would all drop down onto their knees and kiss his feet one day. He breathed in the chilling yet refreshing morning air and enjoyed the magnificent sunrise. Today was the new dawn of his rising Empire. 

Chapter Text

***1***

It was Palis’ last night staying in the Jedi Temple. She had officially resigned from the Order in the morning after she had been in and out of the Temple for a few days. According to her, she had been networking, applying for jobs, and interviewing on Coruscant. 

Palis sent a couple messages to him every day. Sometimes Obi-Wan gave very terse responses. He had been avoiding her because he did not know what to say. He told her that he was disappointed, which was true, but there were many more emotions which he did not know how to name. 

He decided to say some final words and ask some questions. Maybe this was his last chance. He had not said anything to Satine when he left Mandalorian with Qui-Gon, following formal protocol. He had never contacted her again. Jedi didn't allow to have attachment after all. 

He had chosen to reaffirm his commitment to the Order, which he didn't regret. But sometimes he could not help but imagine how things could have ended differently if only he had said something that day. 

Palis was different. He didn't have romantic feelings toward her, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his life contemplating how he could have been a better mentor to her. 

"What could I have done better, when I was your master?" he asked Palis as soon as she opened her door. 

"Oh, no! You were a good master. Please don't feel that way." Palis motioned him to come in. She wore comfortable pink pajamas. "I have been thinking about leaving for ten years. It started before I met you. Now it was the time. Obi-Wan, don't look at me like that. Let’s celebrate!”

"I thought after you were knighted, being granted more independence and personal space, you had already grown out of it." He looked into her green eyes.

"It is impossible for me to grow out of it.” She smiled ruefully. “It is me. Call it an accident of birth. I never truly understood the meaning of 'releasing your emotions into the Force', or 'meditating to allow the Force to guide you'. I can see where the blaster bolt is coming from in a fire fight, for sure, and I’m a good fighter, but I’ve never had a vision. So many things that are as easy as breathing for others are impossible for me. It was surprising that I was even knighted." She shook her head. "Speaking of personal space, can you help me to pack and clean the room up together?" 

"I’d be happy to," Obi-Wan said, trying to sound more cheerful than he felt. Palis wanted this to be a celebration, after all, not a sign of his failure as a mentor.

It was hard to believe the room belonged to a Jedi, or even a former one. There were boxes of various sizes scattered across the floor. Inside were wine glasses, picture frames, and decorative pillows. Obi-Wan shot her a disapproving look. 

"I know it is not the Jedi way,” Palis said with a shrug, “but they make me happy."  She began emptying the contents of her wardrobe onto the bed. "If you can help me pack up the Jedi robes, bedding, and other stuff that I need to return to the Order, that would be great."

He did what she asked, sorting traditional Jedi tunics and cloaks issued by the Order’s quartermaster from more civilian attire. Her tunics had been tailored, he noted, to fit her better. A few also had some embroidery along the hems stitched in a thread so near in color to the cloth as to be nearly invisible. 

Silence fell between them. It was up to him to break it. “The decision to knight you was unanimous among the Council members. You are a rare case indeed. They meditated on it and agreed that the decision was the will of the Force. The Jedi pursue peace, serenity, harmony, and knowledge. You respected all of the principles and accomplished them well. As you said, you used other methods to compensate. How well you are connected to the Force is secondary."

Palis paused her packing, but still didn't face him. "Friends outside the Order have commented that I have a good temperament. They said I am funny and peaceful. I know other Jedi considered me aloof and arrogant. Not many Jedi like me."

"Arrogant? You have a tender soul. You care about everyone you know. Want to know what arrogance looks like? Look at the young invincibles from elite families." He put down the stuff he was packing.

"Speaking of young invincibles,” Palis said, “I upset Anakin a few days ago. I told him and Padme about Dooku's claims about Darth Sidious." She turned to face him with a troubled look.

"Why did you tell them about that? We can't confirm Dooku's claims.” Obi-Wan put a hand on his forehead. “Most likely he was lying to discredit the Republic leadership. You cannot take the word of a Sith!” He shook his head. ”They do not need to know that.  It only instills fear when they have no methods to process that information. Dealing with Sith is our job."

"I realized that and apologized. I still think they should be informed so they can be safe, especially when Dooku already targeted them," she argued.

"They will be safe. Anakin is a skilled fighter. You said he is impressive. Padme upgraded her security. Chancellor Palpatine has a squadron of guards who were skilled in combating Force users trained by the Jedi. Let's talk about something else. No more Sith. Where will you stay tomorrow? I hope you are not sleeping on the street." 

“Okay,” she allowed him to change the subject. “I’m already renting an apartment in a place very close to the Senate District. A few friends will help me move.” She looked cheerful now.  

“The Senate District is very expensive. How can you afford it?” 

“I had a bank account opened by a trustworthy friend. I had some moonlight jobs when I was not on missions,” she said proudly. “I got several job offers from the Coruscant news industry to report the ongoing war and politics. I have chosen The Republic Chronicle . I am all set.”

“You really prepared for years. I’d heard some rumors. Is that true that you had a boyfriend and had a miscarriage?” Obi-wan asked with a frown. 

She nodded. “We broke up. It is not scandalous by a non-Jedi standard.” 

“You put yourself at the verge of being expelled. You should have spent that time on strengthening your connection to the Force, not mingling with outsiders. Too many attachments.” Obi-Wan sighed. “You cannot blame other Jedi for not liking you.” 

Palis raised an eyebrow, her way of telling Obi-Wan it was time to stop lecturing her.  “I do not blame anyone, believe me. I do not blame the Order at all.”

“How about we have a drink?” She pulled out a pair of glasses and a bottle of wine. “Let me have a peaceful departure. Let us talk about things that are more interesting. Anakin got a very interesting Loth-cat,” Palis said as she poured. “She followed me into Padme’ apartment. Immediately they hooked up. I think Anakin is Force-sensitive. He can connect to animals. He also has very good reflectives. Before he left Coruscant to study, we did some podracing together. He always won.”

“Qui-Gon suggested the same thing when we were all trapped on Naboo during the Trade Federation invasion. My master was curious about everything. Sometimes I see him in you.” Obi-Wan put down the glass. “Anakin was born in Outer Rim. When he became a citizen of Naboo, he had a blood test. I looked into the results. You and Qui-Gon weren’t wrong. His midi-chlorian level was below our threshold for recruitment, but it was close. A large number of Force-sensitives are born in the Outer Rim systems. We have no way of testing them and, when we finally find them, it is usually too late. No matter how high their midi-chlorian count, they are always too old to be considered by the Order. Without the Jedi guidance, their talents are wasted.” He sighed. 

“This...attitude would not be well received from people outside the Order. I would not think that way.” Palis shook her head. “Never mind,” she muttered and took a sip of her wine. 

The conversation was getting serious again, so Obi-Wan changed course. “Anakin got a strange cat, and won some illegal podraces. That was all. Anakin is not your concern. He will be my headache.” 

“You are right about that. He had a personal blog, Podracer . I saw an article he pinned on his page. It criticized Jedi recruitment and implied that Jedi lack freedom of choice. It invalided my entire existence. This is partly why I decided to be a reporter. Jedi deserve more accurate coverage as you fight for the Republic in this war.”  

Obi-wan swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Maybe he was getting emotional or maybe it was the alcohol. She wasn’t entirely abandoning them after all, but it was definitely time for him to leave. 

“I have a parting gift for you.” He put a lightsaber on the table. “Take it with you. I want you to be safe.” 

Palis closed her eyes, concentrating on the lightsaber. She used the Force to open the handle and pulled a green kyber crystal from the casing. She opened her eyes with a quick gesture and touch of the Force put it back together. With a flick of her fingers, the bright green beam burst to life. 

Obi-wan had always been amazed by how sophisticatedly she manipulated Force. However, she was almost deaf to the Cosmic Force, as if it was blocked. 

“The crystal is the heart of the blade.

The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.

The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.

The Force is the blade of the heart. 

All are intertwined: The crystal,The blade,The Jedi.

You are one.”

Palis recited the ancient text with reverence. Tears ran down her cheeks. “Tomorrow I will not be a Jedi any more. I cannot take the blade with me. I will take the crystal. I will remember the Order and remember you.”

“May the Force be with you, Red.” Obi-wan struggled to finish the sentence. 

“And also with you,” Palis said quietly. 

***2***

The battalion of clone soldiers and Navy service members stood ready to board the Star Destroyer Resolute .  

A sizable crowd of family members gathered at the hanger to bid goodbye to their loved ones. Padme and Anakin held hands, waiting for a group of reporters to take pictures of the "First Family".

Padme thought it was inappropriate for her to be included in the picture. She and Anakin were in a relationship, but they had not engaged or married yet. What’s more, as the leader of the opposition to the Military Creation Act, she didn't want to be associated with the military might. Chancellor Palpatine, though, insisted.

"It is the time for unity. We are fighting against a ruthless evil. I understand your reluctance, but we all have the duty to support the Republic in any way we can. To solidify the public support, we need to humanize the soldiers. The Republic citizens must remember their sacrifice, remember their loved ones are waiting for their return," Palpatine said softly. "My dear girl, I consider you my own daughter. You and Anakin are dating. We are a family now. We don't know how long it will take to win the campaign of Christophsis. We all need some good memories in the dark days." 

She agreed that Palpatine had a point. To win the war, they need a united front. The Separatists' droid army was already wreaking havoc in the Outer Rim. They were more prepared for the war than the Republic was. There was no room for negotiation if Separatists kept winning. She worried about Anakin. Seeing him leaving was like poking a hole in her heart.

Anakin cupped her face, then kissed her forehead. She ran her fingers through his wavy blond hair. They looked at each other, trying to carve each other's image into their souls. 

"Anakin, you must come back to me."

"I will. I promise you." He smiled confidently.

"You just graduated from the academy and it’s so dangerous out there." She stroked his cheek.

"I’ve seen far worse, my love." He kissed her hair.

Bright lights flashed. There were the paparazzi then. Padme flushed, embarrassed. She usually preferred to look more dignified on the holonet news, but decided not to care today. She wanted a few more moments with her lover.

The interview, photo and video shooting started. Palpatine gave a short speech which Padme didn't pay much attention to. They were instructed to pose in front of the clones in their shiny, white armor. Padme wondered if she looked as stiff and awkward as she felt. Palpatine hugged his son with tears in his eyes. For a second, Anakin froze as if unsure how to react. After a moment, he pulled away and saluted.  

Padme had prepared a number of personal items for Anakin: a holo display of the two of them playing with their cat Princess Imperius; a thick coat with a fur collar; and several blankets to keep him warm in the space. He always got cold in space. 

"Anakin,” Palis called, “I need you and Obi-Wan to have a picture together." She wore a light blue dress. Her hair was swept up in a crown of braids. A GAR press-pass cylinder was tied to her left wrist, indicating that she was authorized to interview military personnel. It was amazing she’d managed to establish herself so quickly. 

Obi-Wan emerged from the Star Destroyer. He wore a set of white shoulder guards and a chest guard on top of his usual Jedi robes. He walked in front of the clone battalion, instructing them to board the ship.

Anakin reluctantly moved toward Obi-Wan. 

"Closer! I want to show the Republic that Jedi, regular officers, and clone soldiers work as a team. Obi-Wan, you turn on your lightsaber. Hold it with two hands. Anakin, relax!" Palis ordered.

Anakin stood next to Obi-Wan with his hands behind his back. He looked into the distance with a serious expression. 

Padme could not help but laughed. She moved next to Palis, and blew a kiss toward him. He softened with a small smile. Palis seized the moment. 

"I hope they can get along." Palis rolled her eyes and motioned a hand to dismiss them.

The moment of departure came. The two women stood side by side, waving goodbye to their family. 

"Ms. Athia, congratulations on your smooth career transition." Palpatine joined them. "Ladies, I need to speak with you two in private." 

They moved away from the crowd with Palpatine's guards watching them from a distance.

"Anakin told me that Count Dooku claimed a Sith Lord had influence over hundreds of Republic Senators. This concerned me," Palpatine said with a tired smile. 

"Your Excellency, Dooku could be lying. The Jedi council didn't confirm it. I was not very thoughtful when I told him and Padme about this," Palis said apologetically.

"My dear, you did the right thing. If his claim is true, our democracy and safety are in grave danger. More people need to know about it," Palpatine insisted. 

"It is complicated. Except for the Jedi, almost nobody knows what the Sith are and what they are capable of doing. They disappeared a thousand years ago and only resurfaced recently. I don't think that a public announcement would be wise. People don't understand that Force stuff. The Senate committee and caucus leaders probably should take some caution," she patiently explained. "I advise you to talk to the Jedi Council. They are the experts in this area."

"Yet they didn't inform my office in the first place. I hope they can trust the Senate. We need more information to make decisions, not less," Palpatine said with sadness. "We need a free press to keep affected individuals informed. Democracy dies in darkness. What do you think, Padme?"

Padme was caught off guard. "It is a troubling issue. If not dealt well, It could cause chaos."

"You are right. As the Chancellor of the Republic, I shoulder all the responsibilities. We need to act carefully. I can't do it alone. Can I count on you two to help me with this?"

Padme nodded. She would like to do something. A Sith had invaded her home planet, another had almost killed her. However, she didn't know what to do.

"Your Excellency, I am honored, but I must consult the Jedi Council first." Palis bowed respectfully.

"I will assist you in whatever way I can." Palpatine smiled. 

***3***

After work, Rackeli scanned through the news. Almost all the major media outlets featured a picture of a navy officer saluting a teared-up Chancellor Palpatine. In the background, clone soldiers boarded a Star Destroyer with an armored Jedi supervising. This reminded her of her own family. The war in Outer Rim waged on violently. Her family on Tethla worried that the war may come to their door. His younger brother had enlisted himself the planetary defense force.

Recognizing humans in uniform was challenging, but she could recognize Anakin Skywalker easily. They’d had a brief comm call the day before his departure. In the past few days, things developed quickly. 

First, a staff member from the Sentient Being Rights Committee had called her. The staff member had said that the way the Jedi Order recruited and raised younglings was legal, something she’d never had any doubts about. Whether the Jedi allowed biological parents to visit their children was entirely up to the Order to decide. The staff member reassured her that Jedi would never abuse children. 

It was like hitting an invisible wall. The case went nowhere. The Sha family grew more concerned after seeing images of a young Twi'lek Jedi student wielding a lightsaber on the battlefront. It hit too close to home for all of them. 

The Shas acted fast. They found a few more families who shared similar concerns about their Force-sensitive children. Some of the children were not much younger than the Jedi students in these images. The parents were terrified by the possibility that one day they might find their own Jedi child had been reported dead. 

They planned to hire a lawyer to sue the Jedi Order so that they could take their children back. They asked for her opinion. 

Unfortunately, they had little legal ground to sue, and most likely they would lose. The Jedi younglings had fought by their teachers’ side for thousands of years. It did not change then. It would not change now. She messaged the recent development to Skywalker. 

“Make it illegal,” Skywalker had replied. 

Her own thoughts were on this line, but she was still surprised by this blatant statement.

The parents wanted to save their own children from war. As a student of law, amending the law to serve the unmet needs was the ideal. However, the idea of attacking the Jedi Order, which she respected, was frightening. 

But someone had to do it. She decided to be that person. Probably given enough pressure, the Order would return these children and a legislative battle would be avoided.

She had requested a comm call with Skywalker before his departure. To her surprise, he had agreed. 

Her roommate thought she was crazy. “You made a request to the Chancellor's son. Who do you think you are?”

“He was from the Outer Rim. He came to prestige because of adoption. I am nobody, but I made my own way here,” she argued back.  

Rackeli did some readings to prepare for the call, then put on her finest suit.  A blue figure came to life on her comm.  

Skywalker wore a sharp black uniform. He sat at a dining table with a spacious kitchen in the background. About her age, there was a strange intensity to him and a sharp edge in his voice. 

“You know how legislation works, right? ” He went directly to the topic. “You can call me Anakin.”

She responded that she had worked as an intern in her Representative's home planet office. 

“Then you know everything, things like organizing, protesting, and all the other stuff behind closed doors. You are more an expert than me.” He studied her then shook his head. “You do not have connections on Coruscant, though. I will help you with that.”

“Why do you want to help the parents? You don’t know them. Why take on the Jedi Order? What is your motivation?” She asked bluntly. 

His eyes narrowed. He answered after a few moments. “The Jedi are holding these children without their parents consent. How can a tax-funded organization justify that?” He pressed his lips in a thin line. “Their mothers had every right to be united with their children, at any time, if they wish. The Jedi way contradicts my belief about freedom. It is a personal issue for me.”

She felt that there was more left unsaid, but decided not to press at this time. 

“I will file a lawsuit. I need media coverage,” she said cautiously. 

Anakin laughed. “I knew a person, Palis Athia. She goes under the name Red. She was a Jedi but left the Order to be a journalist. You have to contact her yourself. I cannot help you with this.”

“She left the Order. She has a grievance against her former employer?”

“No. She is very much a Jedi except wearing fancier clothes.” He tried to return to his serious expression but was unsuccessful. “I have to go now. I do not know when I will return to Coruscant. Good luck with your case.” Then he hung up.  

Since her holocall with Anakin, Rackeli spent much time researching Palis. The former Jedi’s most recent work was a photo, featuring Anakin and a Jedi, titled “Comrade in arms”. She found a fine print below “Jedi General Master Obi-wan Kenobi and his deputy, Lieutenant Commander Anakin Skywalker.” 

On this particular event, this picture was the only one that featured a Jedi as a central figure. She looked into more pictures that Palis had taken. One photo showed  Padme Amidala and Anakin kissing, titled “Across the Stars.” This photo had the most hits. A bunch of reviewers commented that the couple were gorgeous together, calling them “Prince and Princess of the Republic.” Some said they wanted to marry Anakin, which amused her. She never had any romantic or sexual interests in any man or woman. People could be so different.  

She contemplated how to contact Palis. Out of nowhere, the separatist leader Count Dooku’s holoimage took control of her Holonet browser. 

“Republic Citizens, your attention please.” 

She tried to shut the video down but failed. 

“The democracy you believed is dead. I have grave news, a Sith Lord Darth Sidious, an ancient force of evil, had a stronghold on your Senate. Ask the Jedi High Council, they know it is true. The Confederacy of Independent Systems will deliver you from evil.” Dooku’s image flickered and disappeared.

Chapter Text

***1***

On the way to Christophsis, Anakin was excited to be heading back into combat but frustrated to be stuck with Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Still suffering from his Life Force loss, he needed to deeply connect to the cosmic energy to compensate for his weaknesses. 

Hiding in plain sight was easier on Coruscant. Billions of lives' energy intertwined, blurring any single individual's signature. It was completely different when they were on an isolated Star Destroyer. If he tapped into the Force in the wrong way, he could be caught.

Now he and a Jedi were heading to a battle. Intuition told him that Jedi weren’t good at warfare, since they were indoctrinated to be peacekeepers. 

Things were different thousands of years ago. The Jedi Order almost destroyed the Sith and forced them into hiding. Probably the Jedi Order at that point deserved some respect, but no longer. The death toll from the battle of Geonosis attested to just how weak the Order had become. 

Despite the fact that Jedi and Sith were enemies, Anakin needed to ensure Kenobi's success, otherwise, his Master’s assignment would fail. He also needed to learn about the Jedi from real interactions, rather than on a philosophical level. The old saying was well said. Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer. 

He accompanied Obi-Wan to inspect the massive warship. It quickly became apparent that Obi-Wan was no expert in weaponry. 

Anakin spent a whole day teaching the Jedi how every part of the ship functioned. It was frustrating that the Senate had tasked a group of people who had no expertise in warfare to lead, putting the Republic in a perilous situation. Kids were commissioned to be commanders, a rank higher than Anakin held himself. 

Anakin had been a Republic citizen for a decade. He was still sometimes shocked by new waves of absurd policies that came out of this democracy . The Jedi leading the war was a new low. 

"Anakin, thank you for your explanations. Your knowledge was very much appreciated."

“General Kenobi, you flattered me," Anakin replied absently.

"Just Obi-wan, like old times." Obi-Wan smiled mildly at him.

"Did you mean the Naboo Occupation? It was a terrible time. I hope it will not repeat, but I’ll call you Obi-Wan if you want." He hated small talk. It didn't seem like he could get rid of Obi-Wan without a compelling reason.

"I am heading towards the situation room,” Anakin said. “I need to familiarize myself with the planetary defense system before the battle.”

"I would like to do it together with you." Obi-Wan seemed sincere. "Leave the bridge to Admiral Yularen." 

"Then be my guest," Anakin said, trying not to grit his teeth in annoyance. He was not comfortable around the Jedi. Being close to someone who was dedicated to destroying the Sith Order was not pleasant, but it was not the only reason. 

He found the way the Jedi Master carried himself annoying. Obi-wan presented himself as a charming and modest person, but Anakin knew he did not see non-Jedi as true equals. Deep down, he was still that same person who called others “pathetic lifeforms” on Naboo when he thought nobody was listening. 

Anakin forced his thoughts back to the battle. The Separatists had captured the planet Christophsis to exploit its natural resources and take advantage of strategic position. The planet had been the Republic's territory for thousands of years. He absolutely would not allow it to fall into the hands of these traitors and chaos creators.

The Separatists had held the blockade for a few weeks. They deployed a large number of warships in orbit. It was a demonstration of force to the fledgling Republic navy, trying to crush their morale. 

He and Obi-Wan spent a few hours reviewing the intel and exploring the defense system's weakness. Obi-Wan had rich knowledge about the governing system, people, culture, and biosphere, which Anakin found useful. 

Anakin quickly noted down the details of the defense shield, location of critical industries, and strategic position on the planet, trying to incorporate them into the bigger picture of the blockade. 

He needed the Force to connect the dots together. Before he had embarked on the trip, he had practiced various ways of using the Force in front of Sidious. He was rewarded with a bolt of lighting if his master detected that he was using the Force. After some burns and self-healings, he figured out a few tricks that could go undetected by another Force user.

Anakin knew it was still reckless to use the Force in front of a Jedi, but it was really tempting to use his power. He stood up, moved away from the tactical display, facing the window with hands on his back. Shutting his eyes, he tapped into the Force momentarily. He needed a brief connection with the Force to ignite the process, but his brain would complete the work itself. Then he severed the connection, stared into the sea of stars, waiting for the plan to present itself in his mind's eyes. He would create a chain effect bringing down the Separatist defense system.

He turned around to face the Jedi, ready to go back to the discussion of strategy. Obi-Wan was looking at him curiously. 

“Anakin, you looked refreshed. I mean less irritated. In a better mood." 

Mood...What was his business here? Now Anakin was irritated at this invasion of his personal space, not to mention his emotions. "I was in a good mood. Let us finish the strategic session, and you will leave me alone."

Obi-Wan was his boss. He needed to control his temper and not lose his patience if he wanted his ideas approved. 

"I can sense your emotions," Obi-Wan explained.

"Oh? What is it?" Anakin lifted an eyebrow. 

"Anger. What are you angry about?"

"Is that your business, Master Jedi?" he huffed. 

"Yes, it is. Heading towards a battle with anger is not wise. It clouds judgment, young man." Obi-Wan's voice was patient. "In Jedi's philosophy, we believe that fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, then hate leads to suffering." 

It was all Anakin could do not to roll his eyes. Ah, the enlightened Jedi Master guiding lost souls. This was not the first time he experienced it. 

Survivors of the Occupation of Naboo who resided on Coruscant hosted a private event every year for remembrance. He’d met Obi-wan there a few times. As a youngling, Anakin had always passionately condemned the Trade Federation’s aggression, as well as the bystanders who held the power but chose to do nothing. He had not outright blamed the Jedi Order, but Obi-wan had looked at him with disapproval nonetheless. Anakin had seen the same disapproval and annoyance since they’d shipped out. It seemed it was Obi-wan’s signature response to disagreement. Anakin was sensitive enough to notice the subtle expression, and he did not like it.

"I have bypassed the stage of fear? Great," Anakin snapped back. "No. I think differently. When you endure suffering, you gain determination. What didn't kill me made me stronger. This is about survival. Anger is a natural instinct. I revel in it." 

"I am wondering why you think in that way." Obi-Wan looked at him thoughtfully.

Anakin was hit by this comment, feeling nervous. He may have said too much, but he felt compelled to defend his position further.

"Why do I think in that way? It was about how things started. I came to Naboo as a refugee. I longed for peace and safety, but I ended up in a war zone. A peaceful world was ruined by senseless cruelty. I spent days digging graves and burying bodies. My friends' dying breaths still echo within me. I will not let it go as long as my heartbeats." He made a broad gesture towards the stars outside the ship. "Sheer willpower keeps me fighting back, against atrocities like this."

"It sounds self-tormenting. I lost my Master Qui-Gon in the Occupation. Eventually, I found peace. I hope that one day you get it as well." Obi-wan quickly tapped the desk with a finger. "We need to catch up. It has been 10 years. When I met you, you were a child. Now you are assigned to be my deputy. We’d both benefit from knowing each other better. What did you do after the Occupation?"

Anakin was further agitated by Obi-Wan's patronizing words. "Is this an interview? I will answer if I get my turn." 

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and Anakin plowed ahead. 

"I moved Coruscant to continue my education: languages, science, and politics, stuff like that. Later, I became interested in military affairs. My father thought Coruscant's luxurious lifestyle was distracting. He sent me to travel around the Galaxy to see what real life looked like, under the supervision of a few of his personal friends." He hated the fact that one of them was Dooku. At least Anakin had enough practice with this scripted version of his life story. He hated lies, but this answer was true from a certain point of view. 

"When I was old enough, I enrolled in the Academy. You know the rest of it," he finished hurriedly. "My turn. What was the reason that the Jedi Order refused to help Naboo during the Occupation? I want your answer, not what the High Council dictated."

"Now I know where your grudge came from.” Obi-Wan sighed. “The Jedi are peacekeepers. Our strength is in mediating conflict, not becoming part of it. We usually do not take sides when two Republic systems have a conflict. Your father understood this. Under his leadership, the Senate coordinated with other worlds to come to Naboo's aid. The conflict resolved without further Jedi intervention."

Anakin forced himself to unclench his fist. That sounded like an excuse for incompetence, but he wanted to be fair. At least Obi-Wan and his Master hadn't abandoned Naboo. 

"I accept this answer and I appreciate yours and Qui-Gon's efforts. Don't get me wrong, though, I still believe the Jedi failed us," he declared.

Obi-Wan sighed but with some amusement. "Now both of us have our answers. You will be left alone in no time. Before you are dismissed, I want to let you know. You seem up to the challenge in this coming battle."

"Likewise," Anakin responded. Despite Obi-wan’s frustrating lecture, the Jedi had his merit.

***2***

The Senate held an emergency session on the Separatists' hijacking of the Coruscant communication network and Dooku’s statement about Sith infiltration. Padme had stayed in the conference room overnight. The incident had revealed how vulnerable the Republic's HoloNet security was. Palpatine had requested that the Jedi High Council attend the meeting to address the Sith issue.

Master Mace Windu had been the only Council member stationed in the Temple as all the others had already been sent to various battlefields. In the end, the Senate had decided that the Jedi Order would condemn Dooku’s atrocities, but downplay his identity as a Sith. After all, the public did not have knowledge in this area. 

Padme walked out of the Senate building yawning. To her surprise, a large crowd of people were gathered holding up signs. 

"Truth! No cover-up," one read. 

"Senator, are you working for the enemy?" asked another. 

"Chancellor Palpatine, we demand transparent leadership!"

Her commlink rang. The blue image of Palis showed up. 

"Padme, come to the Jedi Temple entrance. A lot of people are protesting, much more than the ones outside the Senate building." 

She looked even more exhausted than Padme herself. The protesters were shouting in the background before her image disappeared.

The crowd outside the Jedi Temple was more energized compared to the other group. They chanted words like "Dare to tell us what a Sith Lord is?", "Jedi accountability", "How many secrets have you hidden?"

Padme felt disoriented and confused. Luckily, Palis founded her quickly.

"These people are so angry. They are vicious!" Palis exclaimed, more flustered than Padme had ever seen her. "Why are people suddenly attacking the Jedi Order simply because they heard Dooku's groundless charges? Are they influenced by the Dark Side of the Force?!"

"Woah, slow down. Let us find Master Windu. He is the person to handle this situation." Padme squeezed her friend’s hand. "This is strange indeed. Why are people angrier at Jedi? Normally, people would blame the Senate, since technically we govern the Order."

"Dooku and his operatives engineered it. It is natural for Sith to target the Jedi, rather than go after politicians. Or maybe this Sidious guy is real and he wants to distract people so he won’t be discovered," Palis said with fire in her eyes.

"Have you interviewed enough people?" Padme thought Palis needed a break. It was too painfully personal for her. "Let us ask for Master Windu's opinion, then we should leave. There’s nothing new to learn here. It just will upset you more. You can write your report at my apartment."

As they readied to leave, a green-skinned Twi'lek young lady approached them. She held a sign which read "keep the children out of the war.” 

"Senator Amidala, you were against the Military Creation Act. I want to talk to you about the safety of the Jedi children on the battlefield. Some parents want their children back." She pronounced every word carefully. "I am Rackeli Loo, a lawyer representing some concerned parents. "

Padme nudged Palis. "It is exactly your topic."

Rackeli looked at Palis up and down, finally, she locked her eyes on her bright hair. "You are Red! Palis Athia, right? You write about Jedi affairs. I was advised to contact you. Are you interested in covering this story? I already sent a legal letter to the Jedi High Council."

Palis looked as if she was going to cry. "Ms. Loo, I would like to talk to you, but not today. I have to handle this thing." She gestured towards the crowd behind her.

Recheki gave them her business card and a copy of the legal letter before stepping aside to let them leave.

"A lawsuit against the Jedi Order? I had one headache, now it’s doubled! Today was worse than Geonosis!" 

"Usually, journalists would consider lawsuits good opportunities. More stories to write. You can stay neutral." Padme tried to lighten the mood.

"I am no proper journalist then. I should have stuck with Obi-Wan and fought Dooku with a lightsaber!" Palis took a snack out of her backpack. "I need to have a nice, big breakfast, then play with Anakin's Princess cat. I may feel better." She managed a sad smile. "Where are you Obi-Wan, the great negotiator?"

***3***

Obi-Wan was held in a prison cell. He had tried to fake a surrender to buy time for Anakin’s team to take down the droid army commander, but they hadn’t shown up on time. His fake surrender turned into a real one. Now he was trapped, waiting for Dooku to arrive so they could “negotiate.” As little as he was looking forward to that, he was more worried about his comrades. Why hadn’t they come as planned? Had they been captured as well or had they been killed?

He mused on the whole chain of events. The Republic had developed a novel type of cloaked ships, which was still in its experimental phase. Anakin proposed that they used it to run the blockade. 

A reckless plan.

The ship could be blown into oblivion if the cloaking device malfunctioned during the mission. And, if the pilot failed to sneak through the blockade quietly, the whole mission was doomed.

Despite Admiral Yularen's vehement opposition, Anakin had still gotten his way. He volunteered to pilot the ship, bringing a squadron of clones. They would get on starfighters after they ran through the blockade. They would abandon the ship after setting it on autopilot on a collision course with the major power generator. The ship would be used as an invisible missile to take down the power supply of the planetary defense shield. 

This segment of the plan had gone smoothly enough. From the Separatists’ perspective, the starfighters had come seemingly out of nowhere. In their effort to bring down the starfighters, the Separatists had ended up hitting several of their own ships. Anakin's team sustained heavy causality, but the planetary defense shield had been destroyed as planned. Obi-Wan had taken quick advantage of the opening, bringing down troops for the ground invasion.

He had anticipated that the campaign would last a few weeks. The first hurdle was to neutralize the countless battle droids.

The biggest weakness of a droid army was that they could be confused if the chief tactical droid was infiltrated, even if the acting general was still in charge. Obi-Wan had quickly dispatched a recon team to look for its location.

The Republic squadrons immediately stumbled into aggressive firefights against the droid army led by Kerkoiden General Whorm Loathsom. Obi-Wan’s men had been outnumbered and outpowered by the battle droids. Fortunately, they found cover behind a building. A dozen clones got on the roof, gaining the high ground. He’d known the advantage would not last long. 

His recon team had successfully found the location of the tactical droid. Obi-Wan had transmitted the coordinates to Anakin, waiting for him to finish the job. It should have been fairly simple since they already got this far. Something unexpected must have happened.

As the clones had fought the battle droids, Obi-Wan had engaged in a vicious duel with a bold Dathomirian female wielding two red lightsabers. There was no doubt that she was a Darksider, but the feeling was different from his duel with the Darth Maul. She did not impose suffocating feelings in the Force, thus she was unlikely to be the Sith that Dooku disclosed. 

Obi-Wan and the Darksider fought on equal footing, but the clones had not been so lucky. He tried plan B, "negotiating" his way out. Before Obi-Wan surrendered his weapon, he demanded to know his opponent's name, and he got it.

Asajj Ventress. 

His lightsaber was taken away. Losing the second lightsaber in a month invoked a great deal of self-loath. The prison cell had a Holonet screen that broadcast separatist propaganda. It displayed the protests against the Jedi Order on Coruscant, with Dooku narrating it gleefully. Obi-Wan wondered how Palis felt now.  

His thoughts were interrupted by the thunderous sound of explosions. The noise went on and on. It wasn’t the snap bang of a grenade or the muffled whump of an artillery shell.  

Orbital bombardment. 

He explored the source using the Force. The attack was far away from his location, yet he still sensed tremendous pain, anguish, and death. 

The lights flickered and died. The droids guards collapsed on the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Obi-Wan waited in the darkness. Images of destruction invaded his mind through the Force. 

He waited in the darkness. He didn't know how much time had passed. Maybe a day, or longer.

A bright blue light lit up the corridor outside his cell. Footsteps approached, growing louder and louder. A figure turned the corner at the end of the hall. In the dim light, Obi-Wan could see it was Anakin, striding towards him with a glowing lightsaber. Obi-Wan's lightsaber. Several clone troopers flanked him. 

The glow reflected on Anakin's impeccable face. His focused eyes and sharp movement conveyed an eerie sense of serenity. The imagery reminded Obi-Wan of an ancient legendary figure, the Destroying Angel .  

Anakin stopped right in front of his cell. Clearly, he intended to liberate Obi-Wan with his own weapon.

"Anakin, put it down!  It could cut off your arm!" Obi-Wan warned. "Just use the blaster to shoot the lock!"

To his relief, Anakin turned it off. However, the next moment he ignited it right in front of the lock, completely shattered it. The door hissed open. 

"Now give it back to me. It is dangerous,” Obi-Wan said sternly. “Don't be dramatic."

Anakin turned it off, and tossed it to Obi-Wan. " You are rescued, Master Kenobi. The separatist blockade is very much done. The majority of their fleet has already fled or are fleeing. Most of their ground forces have surrendered. Now we are cleaning up." He smiled triumphantly. He looked young and invincible. 

"Don't be prideful," Obi-Wan reminded the boy. "The battle is not done yet. We still need to get off of the planet in one piece. By the way, how did you defeat the lady with the two lightsabers? She is a Darksider." 

The clone troopers had taken their helmets off. Obi-Wan did not remember all their names yet, but he was trying. Anakin winked at one of the clones, with a big grin on his face. Obi-Wan was fairly certain he was Rex.  

"Sir,” Rex said, coming to attention, “the woman was guarding the entrance. She deflected our blaster shots and injured a few of our men. We were able to get closer to her and keep her busy. Lieutenant Commander Skywalker and Echo arrived in their starfighters. She couldn’t fight off attacks from above and on the ground. She dropped your lightsaber and ran."

"Coward," Anakin added distastefully. "No doubt a student of Dooku."

"Insightful, young man." Obi-Wan joked, then cleared his throat. "Time to return to the Resolute . Something went wrong. The opponent knew our moves. Besides, Admiral Yularen has a lot to explain about the orbital bombardment. It was not part of the plan."

"I asked him to," Anakin declared as he strode toward the exit. Obi-Wan was unimpressed. It was a decisive victory to be sure, but the collateral damage was concerning. Innocent people had lost their lives. It was not the Jedi way.

As if knowing what he was thinking about, Anakin stopped walking. He turned around and looked at him pensively. "People die one way or another. It is the way of war. Deal with it."

***4***

The protest in front of the Jedi Temple waged on and on. The Jedi Council made an announcement about Dooku. This statement didn't appease the protestors. They demanded that the Jedi and the Senate investigate this internal Sith threat. 

"You can't sweep it under the rug," angry people shouted. 

Rackeli yawned. After reading such news day after day, she grew irritated by both the protestors and the way that the Jedi Order responded. This was inefficient. Chancellor Palpatine and the Chair of the Senate Counter Intelligence Committee already announced that they would take this matter seriously, and promised an investigation. The Jedi Order only needed to say that they would do their part, then the chaos would stop. Instead, they insisted that the investigation of a Sith should be kept within the Jedi Order with no public interference.

They probably had a good reason, Rackeli would give them that. That journalist Red had written a few pieces on the topic that Jedi answered to the Senate only for diplomatic and peacekeeping missions. They stayed independent on internal affairs, such as how they practice their faith and anything to do with the Force, including how to deal with the Sith. She sensed that the way Jedi raising younglings must fall under the latter category.

Intellectually, she understood why the Order had its own way of operation. It was freedom of religion. She had ultimate respect for that. However, practically, she had to move the "Concerned parents v. Jedi Order" case forward. Her legal letter must have been sitting idly on some Jedi's desk while they were on the battlefront saving the Republic from collapsing. She wanted a solution to bring back the children swiftly. Then everyone could focus on their important matters.

An idea struck her. The battle of Christophsis was a tide-changing victory for the Republic. But there were heated debates about whether the orbital bombardment was necessary or even legal. Some media called for Anakin and Admiral Yularen to be tried for war crimes. She recalled that a navy captain named Tarkin had been the first person to come out in their defense. He claimed that desperate times call for desperate measures. The Christophsis planetary leaders and Senate majority stood firmly behind the orbital bombardment decision. The people who advocated for the charges were blamed for being unpatriotic and anti-Republican. 

Was the bombardment a war crime? Maybe yes, maybe no. But it became patriotism when it had the public opinion backing it up. 

Tomorrow she would attend the protests. She would no longer quietly stand outside the crowd, holding a small sign while waiting for powerful politicians.

Chapter Text

***1***

Anakin had returned from Christophsis a few days ago. Since then he had spent most of his time on the couch, sitting as quietly as a statue. He silently read his datapad, catching up with military reports and news that he had missed. He put a blanket on his lap to keep warm, which immediately became Imperius' favorite spot. She purred and took naps. He pet the cat, then focused on his datapad. 

Sometimes, he entered a meditative state. His thoughts returned again and again to the irregular things that had happened during the battle. Obi-Wan was perceptive. The Separatists had known their movements ahead of the time. When Anakin had arrived at the location of the tactical droid commander, a swarm of battle droids had closed in on them. The enemy had known the Republic forces were coming. It could have been a coincidence, but they had known he was coming. They knew Vader .

Two IG-100 MagnaGuards had been deployed. They were designed specifically for fighting Force wielders, presumably the Jedi. Anakin had seen recordings from other battles. This type of droid usually targeted the Jedi and ignored the clones if they didn't stand in their way. It was possible that they had been sent there for Obi-Wan. But it didn't make sense that the two MagnaGurads went straight for him, a non-Jedi officer in a pilot’s uniform. He hadn't rebuilt his lightsaber yet. Even if he’d had his lightsaber, he wouldn't have brought it to a battle led by a Jedi general. Yet, the two droids had focused on him. The clone troopers had come to his defense. He immediately ordered their retreat.

Vader had known he could take on the two MagnaGuards if nobody was watching. He could have grabbed one of their force pikes and fought hand-to-hand. Without a lightsaber, though and still recovering from Geonosis, he had known it would be an uphill battle. Instead, he had contacted Yularen right away. They immediately agreed that an orbital attack would be the most efficient option, although the Admiral had had some concerns about the Jedi's reaction. 

"We are no Jedi. Do it," Anakin had insisted. 

Vader knew Dooku was behind the ambush. The traitor was determined to kill him. It was quite a surprise that Dooku hadn't exposed Sidious and Vader yet. He must have some sinister agenda. The situation was getting complicated and dangerous for the Sith. It was the most perilous situation when someone who knew all your secrets betrayed you. 

Now there were other traitors in the Republic military, working with the enemy. 

The clone army had been created by the Jedi, which was an original sin of the Grand Army of Republic. On the battlefield, Anakin appreciated Rex, Cody, and all the clone troopers. He liked their company. They were good men. He took an effort to remember their names, but Vader couldn't trust anything made by the Jedi.

He decided to focus on something more interesting. Rackeli had sent him an Holovideo, which he had already played multiple times. It was her speech at the Jedi Temple protests. The protest now featured diverse topics other than demanding a transparent investigation of the Sith--a topic that made Vader uneasy, but somehow his master liked it. 

The public's grievance against the Jedi seemed to be growing. People were angry at Jedi for commissioning an army without a Senate vote. They were angry at the Jedi’s poor leadership and resulting civilian casualties. Every day, the list of grievances grew longer. Anakin was delighted that people shared his point of view. They were finally seeing the truth of the Jedi hypocrisy. 

Rackeli's speech was interesting. Her accent was stronger than usual and Anakin supposed she was nervous. He’d always had the same problem. She made a few good points. No children's fate should be decided at birth. No child should be made to fight in a war. It was against the values of the Republic. She elaborated her points by relating to her own experience and family. What made him most impressed was that she used his line but said it more eloquently.

“Every mother has the right to be reunited with their children, at any time, if they wish,” she said. “It is what freedom should be. It is what the Republic is about." 

It was quite a speech. If Anakin ever made the high command, he should hire her as his chief-of-staff, or at least press secretary. 

Palis, meanwhile, had penned an article to condemn the demonization of the Jedi Faith. Rackeli had fought back. The public's reaction was minimal. Not many people were interested in Jedi internal affairs. 

Neither was Palpatine. The last time they had spoken, Palpatine had scolded him for wasting time on such trivial things and missing out on the bigger picture. "How Jedi conduct their own business is not your concern. You are neglecting your duty and distracted by unfocused passion," his master had said.

Vader could not care less about the wellbeing of Jedi youth. They had been or were being indoctrinated into a life dedicated to killing him and his kind. Yet, deep down, he felt it was relevant to him, in some ways he didn't know how to put into words.

Vader had argued back that it was a part of the bigger plan. The lawsuit would make Jedi look bad. At that point in the conversation, Palpatine had utterly lost his patience, but Vader had managed to get conditional permission to continue assisting Rackeli so long as he delivered results for his assignment on time.

Soon he would join Padme for dinner. He hadn’t had much of an appetite since his return. Padme made an observation that he was quiet and impassive. He was not making poor jokes or ranting about things, which was unusual. 

He didn't care about being usual or normal. His career was getting tougher. More battles were waiting for him. He thought about recruiting operatives to help him. There was just too much work. He couldn't do it alone.

***2***

The Senate formed a new committee to handle the supposed Sith infiltration. The Committee members had not decided on a name for the committee yet, but everyone was already calling it "Sith Hunt Group". 

Padme was invited to be on the committee because no world had more grievance towards the Sith than Naboo. Palpatine politely declined his own invitation to join the committee but promised that he would review reports of progress. 

Padme innately didn't want to "hunt down" anyone. During the committee meetings, she wandered into her memories to look for joy.

Palis's career in journalism came to a quick end. She was hired as a "Sith Hunt" investigator by the Senate because the Jedi Order could not spare a Knight to join them. Both sides thought Palis was in a perfect position to bridge the Order and the Senate. A big reason for Palis to accept the job was that Padme was on the committee. Friends stuck together in difficult times.

"I am basically back to the Order again. The only difference is that I have a salary," Palis joked. "It pays pretty well."

Despite the good salary, Palis called the committee "bantha shit," which surprised Padme. Anakin used the exact same phrase. It was ironic that their reasons were completely the opposite.

Palis briefed the Committee on the ancient Sith Empire history, philosophy, power source, and past crimes. There had been tons of horrendous atrocities. However, the politicians thought it was just another authoritarian regime characterized by infighting, corruption, and cruelty. From the sound of it, they were not so different from the Hutt clans. Palis complained that the politician didn't understand Sith, not even Padme.

" Political interference on Jedi business really did nobody any good. The Master Windu was right about it," Palis protested.

In the meantime, Anakin had been deployed to several battles since Christophsis. Whenever he was back, he asked about the progress of the "bantha shit hunt." His face fell every time she told him the Committee had not yet been disbanded. 

"Another case of Jedi meddling in politics, using their power and influence to hijack the Senate agenda," he hissed. "The way they recruit their younglings is problematic. Worse yet, they refuse to submit to outside inquiry. What a double standard!" 

Padme also learned that Anakin made a new friend, a Twi'lek lawyer about his age. Both of them were ambitious and relentless. Rackeli's stubbornness reminded her of her own opposition against the Military Creation Act. 

Palis remained a Republic Chronicles column writer. She wrote “Jedi Business” section every few days. Rackeli was toe to toe with her, fighting with words. Anakin would never miss the fight no matter how limited his access to the HonoNet was.

Padme missed Anakin. Desperately. She looked for every trace of him when he was away. Anakin was very alive in these comments, similar to the daring warrior in the Holovideos taken by the drone. However, it was not always the case when he took a break on Coruscant. He could be very lively and playful one day, but solemn and robotic the second day. Padme found his HoloNet comments both reassuring and concerning. The three of them all passionately care about issues, similar issues, but they just ended up fighting.

After the Jedi children case was dismissed in court, Palis invited Padme out for a drink. Anakin announced that he would help Rackeli to introduce legislation to reform the Jedi Order. It gave Padme a good laugh, but it made Palis very nervous. 

"I will kill it the first day the petty bill is introduced," Palpatine reassured them when Padme came to him. "What a waste of time. They won't find a sponsor for such a thing." 

Since the Chancellor was against this idea, the bill was already dead on arrival. Palis said that she slept better knowing that. 

The war raged violently on. The Republic and the Separatists had their own victories and defeats. In comparison, the "Sith Hunt Committee" produced nothing, except hundreds of pages of reports compiled by Palis, filled with long quotes taken from Jedi history books. No one bothered to read them. Even Padme could barely make it through the first hundred pages. They were both too technical and too frightening. Palis even admitted as such.

To keep herself sane, Padme indulged herself with the little things about the people who she deeply cared about. Their joy, sorrow, anger, and conflicts.  They weren't really funny but she clung to them. They kept her from drowning in despair during the dark time. 

Padme thought the committee would stay useless. However, she was wrong. 

They’d been at it for months when one member suggested that they switch gears. "We all agree that we are clueless about this Sith business, but we can't sit here wasting taxpayers' money," he said.

The whole conference room went quiet. 

"We can't identify the Sith, but we must identify the traitors in our ranks. There are several hundred of them. The investigation should focus on catching them."

The committee chair seconded him. "I move that we give this recommendation to the full Senate. There should be stronger monitoring on all senators and their staff members. Jedi read minds. Let them do the monitoring. Chancellor Palpatine has been waiting for our progress."

"No,” Padme shot to her feet. “That is unethical and unconstitutional, an egregious invasion of privacy and deprivation of liberty." 

"We are in a war. We can't be idealistic here. Don’t you feel the crimes committed by the Sith Empire egregious?” The senator gestured to Palis’ reports. “Things will return back to normal when we win. The longer the war drags on, the more liberty we will lose!" 

"By the way, if you are no traitor, why would you worry about monitoring?" another added.

Again, these senators conflated security and oppression. They had done the same thing when lobbying for the military bill. The committee voted to support the recommendation, winning with a large margin. A full Senate vote was pending.

Now this "Bantha Shit Hunt Committee" had a formal name. "UnRepublic Activities Control Committee." For a brief moment, she felt this may be a glimpse of how a Sith Empire looked like. Dooku was winning here. 

***3***

Obi-Wan had been musing about the leaking of the intel. After Christophsis, the irregular activities stopped, but it had started again in the recent battles. He started to create a list of suspects, while Anakin had his own theory. 

Anakin was most agitated by one thing. One person, to be precise. Asajj Ventress. The Dark Jedi.

Ventress followed them to almost every battle. She seemed to be very interested in Obi-Wan. They had fought multiple duels. They had given each other a couple burns, but neither had lost a limb. 

However, Anakin was convinced that she was after him.

"Master Kenobi, what makes you different from other Jedi? Are you on the Jedi Council? There were a few thousand Jedi out in the field. Why did she choose you as a target?" Anakin asked. "She was toying with you in that last fight. She didn't want to kill you."

"So, what is your point?" Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow.

"She wants to draw me out and kill me," Anakin spat. "I very much like to end her cowardly life myself, but I will not fall into a trap.

Obi-Wan was tempted to tell Anakin that he was arrogant beyond words if he genuinely believed that a powerful Sith assassin had been to handle him. Or maybe he was just insane. A junior officer with no trained Force abilities targeted by an assassin? It was definitely paranoia. 

Still, when he put more thought into it, Obi-Wan supposed it could be true. The death of the Chancellor's son would be a big blow to the Republic’s morale. After all, Anakin had already become a poster boy for Republic propaganda. Obi-Wan himself had gotten swept up in the media circus a few times himself. He had started to hear people call Anakin the "Hero with No Fear." To his surprise, Obi-wan got himself the title "Negotiator."

Nonetheless, either one of them being the special assignment of Dooku's assassin was unnerving.

"We used the traitor to draw her out, and end them both." Anakin made a throat-cutting gesture.

It was easier said than done. They started with identifying all the individuals who were assigned on the missions and tasks that had gone wrong. Each clone and officer was assigned a risk level based on how many times their names appeared on the list. 

Of course, the people with the highest scores were of course the leaders who made strategic decisions: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Rex, Cody, and Yularen. The second highest risk group were individuals who worked closely with the leaders. The list was pretty long with dozens of names.

They interviewed each one, collecting alibis and evidence. They also analyzed who was put into danger by these intel leaks. Presumably, the spy had no interest in killing themselves. Obi-Wan refused to let Anakin interview anyone alone. The young man was in an irritated mood, small things could draw ire from him. 

"May I remind you, anger is destructive," Obi-wan found himself repeating for the fourth time that afternoon.

"We are interrogating suspects, not chatting over drinks. The spy will make errors and reveal themselves under pressure!" Anakin protested. 

"This is different from investigating the Separatist operatives we captured. They were our own men. We are asking their assistance in revealing the identity of the suspicious person, "Obi-Wan explained as patiently as he could. "People are more willing to talk when treated with gentleness. Fear paralyzes." 

"They are soldiers! I am not going to babysit."

Obi-Wan realized that they indeed had some major differences in their beliefs of how people functioned. It was more than a temperament issue. He wished he could help Anakin see the world in a more positive and tender way. The Jedi pursued peace and serenity, not just for themselves, but for people who were around them as well. There were so many misguided souls.

Fortunately, they reached a compromise. They would each play to their specialties. Anakin would be the bad cop, and Obi-Wan the good. They managed to exclude some individuals from the suspect list but still couldn't identify the spy.

"Commander, I would like to tell you more, but I don't remember everything," Clone Trooper Stormy mumbled.

"Master Jedi, do something to help him remember. " Anakin slammed his hand on the desk. "Use some Jedi tricks."

Obi-Wan handed a cup of tea to the trooper. "How about having some calming beverage instead?" 

The clone relaxed and spoke. "A few nights ago, I heard some muffled sounds in the cargo zone 2. I didn’t think much of it.” Stormy blushed. “Brothers have basic needs after all."

"Who are they?  Do you know?" Obi-Wan inserted some weight into his voice.

"I believe one is Slick. I don't know who the other person is though." The trooper shifted nervously. "I don't mean to get anyone into trouble. Having sex isn't against regulation, sir."

"Zone 2. Strange interpersonal activities. I wrote it down." Anakin shook his head and sighed dramatically. "Great trick, Master Kenobi" 

"Commander Skywalker, I need a few words with you," Yularen called in. "Report to the Bridge."

Anakin looked defeated and left the interview room reluctantly.  Interestingly, Obi-Wan sensed a hint of relief from him in addition to disappointment.

A few minutes later, Yularen joined Obi-Wan. Anakin was nowhere to see.

"I gave Skywalker some professional guidance on interrogation. Now he had some errands to run. We shall proceed, " Yularen said confidently.

Now Obi-Wan vaguely recalled that the Admiral had worked in a Republic intelligence unit on Coruscant. From the way Yularen carried himself, he was indeed an experienced professional.

Obi-Wan blamed himself for ignoring this detail, which had resulted in him being stuck in these investigations with a firecracker and a complete lack of any real progress. 

A few minutes later, Anakin's voice was on the shipwide broadcasting system, announcing an emergency gathering for all personnel to report to the bridge. 

What the hell was going on? Obi-Wan looked sharply at Yularen but the man wore a sabacc face.

"The traitor had been identified," Anakin declared icely once they’d all arrived. "CT-756, Captain Rex, you are under arrest." He went straight to Rex and handcuffed him. 

Rex was in total horror. "Sir, it was not me! Something is wrong!"

Some clones froze with disbelief. The room was saturated with fear and anger. While Anakin harshly pushed Rex toward the brig, Yaluren scanned the whole group with narrowed eyes. Obi-Wan sensed a different emotion from one of them. Even though his face was impassive, he radiated relief. 

It was Slick. 

"Set course on Ryloth. All of you return to post," Yularen announced. Then the two of them walked to the briefing room in silence.

"This is a set up. You two know it was Slick, not Rex, right?" Obi-Wan said dramatically. "Very traumatic for Rex. It is quite ruthless"

"But it works." Anakin had been waiting for them in the room. "He is a good soldier. He will understand." 

"I am surprised that you chose Rex to be the bait," Yularen casually commented. 

"I trusted that he is least likely to be the traitor. His reaction would be most authentic, thus, powerful." Anakin looked outside the window.

"So you two had been plotting this from the beginning. You kept me in the dark." Obi-Wan rubbed his temple. "Anakin, I didn’t realize you were such a talented actor." Irritation was rising in him. He felt like a fool.

"I didn't try to trick you! I honestly believed I could find the suspect, in my way," Anakin yelled at him. "The Admiral was quicker, more skilled than me." 

"Skywalker made noises, stirred up anxiety, and drew attention to himself. It gave me easy access to information. It was not acting. He thought I was a backup plan. He still has a lot more to learn." Yaluren looked at the young man almost fatherly, which stirred up some feelings inside Obi-Wan. Despite Anakin's frequent heated arguments with the Admiral, sometimes he behaved

like a humble student. He didn't know Anakin had this side. More accurately, Anakin never showed this side to him.

Officially Obi-wan was the top commanding officer of the fleet, but his deputy and the Admiral had more comradery between the two of them. A word came to his mind, "invisible", which he heard Palis complained about several times before. Yet, he never understood. Now he started to miss her. 

He brushed these emotions aside.

 "You got Stormy to talk. It was useful.” Anakin calmed down. “We know where to look. Zone 2. Slick will contact Ventress or whoever his handler is." 

"He is a pretty good spy though. I didn't think he was particularly suspicious. After we are done with Ventress, I will publicly execute him for treason myself,” Anakin snarled. “We need to set an example." 

 Obi-Wan flinched. "You still need evidence." Death penalty for treason was common practice on the battlefield. However, Anakin being reveled in using fear to command was chilly.

"He will talk. I will see to it," Anakin said coolly. 

***4***

Obi-Wan, Yularen, and Anakin waited in the monitoring room. None of them spoke. They had already set up cameras that covered all the places that Slick could show up.

Anakin was losing patience. He wanted to end this shitshow and bring justice to the traitor swiftly. Also, he didn't like the idea of leaving Rex in the brig for too long. Palpatine would scold him for being too weak and cultivating useless attachment. Jedi and Sith agreed upon almost nothing but shared a common distaste for attachment. Except the Sith was okay with some attachment. Anakin still wasn’t entirely sure what made one attachment a strength and another a weakness, but he deferred to his master's wisdom.

To kill time, he pulled out his datapad and started to draw Padme. He missed her badly. 

He was in the middle of drawing her cuddling with lmperius when Obi-Wan broke the silence.

"Slick just left his quarters."

Slick arrived at the storage room in zone 2 first, then a female naval officer rendezvoused with him.

"Are we watching pornography here?" Anakin went back to his drawing. "You two let me know when they start to talk."

Strangely, they didn't speak even one word, then the woman left. They didn't exchange any items that could contain information either.

"It seems that they were only interested in pleasuring each other," Yularen said nonchalantly. 

"His lover could be an excellent justification and provide false testimony unknowingly, if someone found out about these suspicious activities, like Stormy did. Very cunning," Obi-Wan said, thoughtfully stroking his beard.

This comment made Anakin self-conscious. He deleted his half-finished drawing and put down the datapad. It reminded him of Palpatine's comments on his relationship with Padme. If she found out what he was, would she feel about their relationship in the same way? 

"The main course starts now." 

Slick took out a commlink, which was different from the type issued to clone troopers. They zoomed in the video. Ventress' blue figure popped up as the Holocall went through.  

Anakin inhaled sharply. He didn't know which one angered him more, this traitor plotting with Ventress or using a naval woman as a tool.

"The Resolute command believed Rex to be the spy. It was surprising. Yularen may have noticed me," Slick said quickly. "They may go after me soon. Skywalker was paranoid." 

Anakin cursed internally. He would choke the life out of the traitor if the situation allowed.

"They were heading to Ryloth. The specifics have not been revealed yet. I will contact you again when we land."  Then he severed the connection.

"Our mission was halfway done now," Obi-Wan commented. "Now it is up to me to capture Ventress. Anakin, you go after Slick when he is on the ground."

"No, I will go with you and fight her." 

"Are you insane? She is a Darksider. You can't always be lucky." 

"I can handle myself." He ignited the force pike that he brought along. "This will do." 

Capturing Ventress was not enough, she must be neutralized.

Chapter Text

*** 1 ***

Some force pikes were powerful weapons, made of Force-resistant materials, purposefully created to combat Force wielders. They couldn't be cut through by lightsabers, like the pike Obi-Wan was examining now. 

He had tried many different ways to discourage Anakin from a direct confrontation with the Darksider. The young man would not relent. In the end, Obi-Wan gave in. As the leader of the fleet, he could have issued an order, but he knew that would not stop Anakin. Even locked up, Anakin would find a way to get what he wanted. In that case, everything would end up in a more drastic way. 

Obi-Wan had once given Chancellor Palpatine his words that he would not put his son's life in danger. They were in a war, every promise about safety was void. Nonetheless, Obi-Wan was committed to preventing Anakin from taking any unnecessary risks.

Obi-Wan had a bad feeling about the duel as if the Force was whispering to him. Something irreversible and regrettable would happen. He wished Qui-Gon could be here to advise him on how to deal with self-destructive youngsters.

Dwelling upon wishful thinking was not constructive. He must focus on this moment. They still had several hours before they would arrive at Ryloth. He decided to help Anakin prepare for the upcoming battle. Unsurprisingly, Anakin asked to be left alone. However, Obi-Wan had the obligation to at least explain what a lightsaber strike felt like. After a few arguments, they reached a compromise.

He asked to inspect Anakin's weapon. It was not the corporate-manufactured force pikes held by the Senate guards. This pike was shorter, almost the same length as a lightsaber. And it was old, at least a hundred years or more. When he took a closer look, he saw marks that could only be caused by lightsabers. It could be from the Mandalorian-Jedi war.

"Where did you get it?" Obi-Wan carefully inquired.

"My family rose into prominence several hundred years ago. We have access to many markets,” Anakin answered defensively. 

“You can simply say you bought it. The grandeur stuff is unnecessary.” Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. 

He’d noticed a pattern. Anakin only spoke with him in this way. It was surprising to learn that the troopers did not think Anakin was rude or arrogant. Still, they didn’t call Obi-Wan “The Negotiator” for nothing. It would be a challenge, but he would figure out the reason behind this dynamic and fix it.  

“I do not know why you are adamant about confronting Ventress. It was madness for a non-Jedi to fight a Sith assassin.” Obi-Wan locked eyes with the young man. “Is it about Dooku? You had gone so far, even acquiring an ancient weapon to fight his apprentice. Is that some type of vengeance?” 

“If she is assigned to kill me, then it is my destiny to end her. We will know whether it is the case in a few hours,” Anakin said with sparks in his eyes. 

Obi-Wan shook head. Anakin was simply impossible. “You seem to revel in drama.” 

Anakin opened his mouth, no doubt to snap back,  so Obi-Wan changed the topic. “How about we see some actions? We can spar and see how things go. I will not hurt you, but if you cannot take me down, you had better give up.”

“Why do you think a lightsaber-wielder is more powerful? Why is a lightsaber superior?" Anakin sneered. “Don’t underestimate me. I will prove you wrong. And, if we are going to spar, don’t use the Force.” 

He ignited the pike. It hummed and illuminated the gymnasium with white light. “I am using a low level. If the electrified section touches you, you will be paralyzed momentarily.” He held the weapon with both hands, then charged. 

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber to defend. The plasma blade clashed with the metal with a loud crackling sound. It did not cut through. 

Anakin made a series of quick, aggressive jabs. Obi-Wan deflected them with ease but held back from reposting in order to study Anakin's style. Clearly, he had some experience with both the pike and the blade, but lacked it when it came to the lightsaber. There was neither fear nor respect in Anakin’s eyes as he studied Obi-Wan’s sword. 

Anakin paused his attacks and started to circle Obi-Wan. 

"I know what you are thinking. Lightsabers are sacred in your eyes, but they are just weapons. Thinking your opponent who doesn't hold a lightsaber would succumb to fear is prejudiced," Anakin said defiantly. "Your weapon has no meaning for your opponent in a battle." 

To his own surprise, Obi-Wan found it was true from the opponent's point of view. The Jedi knew how intrinsically different a lightsaber and a regular sword were. The lightsaber was a Jedi's life, the symbol of their commitment to the Force and the Order. It was as much a weapon as a spiritual symbol. But not to anyone else

For the opponents, their goal was simple. Outpower a Jedi Knight no matter what the costs. It was about power, which was never the focus of a Jedi's training. Not long after the start of the war, Master Yoda had said that to answer power with power was not the Jedi way. In the war, they faced the danger of losing who they were.

The duel became a sort of dance as they darted in and out of range, testing each other’s defenses. Obi-Wan made a series of attacks to see how Anakin would respond. Each was met with a strong, unyielding parry and bone-jarring repost.

It was easy for Yoda to say to not answer back power with power, but the Jedi had already been dragged into the war. Their opponents had a clear focus, but Jedi first and foremost had a value to preserve.

If they didn't respond with power, they would be crushed. There would not be much left to preserve of the Jedi way if there was no one left to preserve it.  You either lost the war or lost yourself. 

In the dangerous time, how to preserve the light? 

He was jerked from his musings by Anakin’s pike at his throat. Obi-Wan froze. 

"You are distracted." Anakin turned off his weapon. “I guess I have the blessing to bring doom to Ventress?"

 "She would not fight fairly. No matter what she will tell you. She upholds no promise." Obi-Wan sighed.

"Then it is your turn to attack." 

*** 2 ***

Finally, the showdown with the Sith wannabe came. Vader came here to defend the Darth Bane doctrine. The traitor Dooku refused to renounce his title, and now he was grooming his own lineage. The Rule of Two was further crippled and Vader could not allow it. 

The mission to Ryloth was to reinforce the local Republic forces. Anakin had accidentally let Slick know the strategic position that he would take in the battle. After Slick and Ventress had exchanged information, Cody arrested the traitor clone and threw him into a detention center. 

Ventress took the bait. She left a trail of death after her. There was still some time before her arrival. 

Vader was battle-ready. On top of his loose-fitting brown clothing, he wore a set of light blue Mandalorian armor with a black cape. The beskar metal made the armor tough enough to withstand lightsaber strikes. He did not wear the helmet, due to his discomfort for being enclosed, despite Obi-wan’s strong recommendation. 

It was ironic that he always had to fight  Dooku's line of abomination under pretendences. He yearned for a battle where he could fully release his power and reveal to the galaxy who he truly was. 

Declaring the return of the Sith was the ultimate goal of all the Masters and Apprentices in the lineage of Sith from Darth Bane on down. Every generation of Sith was one step closer to that end goal. The early generations had lived the life of the Outer Rim warlords. Darth Tenebrous, three generations before Vader, had been a distinguished scientist and engineer. His apprentice Darth Plagueis had led the Banking Clan. Darth Sidious occupied the highest office of the Republic.

As the Sith Order came closer and closer to the center of the Galactic power, more frequent interactions with the Jedi Order were inevitable. The situation for Vader was the worst. He had to endure a Jedi Master on a daily basis.  

If he was honest with himself, Obi-Wan was not a bad person, but he was a good Jedi. An embodiment of the Jedi value. A demonstration of Jedi philosophy's self-righteousness. An individual Jedi could be tolerable, but the institution systematically bred more problems. It had to be brought down.

When he had sparred with Obi-Wan, the rage of all the Sith before him had awakened inside him. They demanded vengeance for a thousand years of forced hiding, secrecy, and subjugation under the Jedi Order. Sidious said this yearning for their rightful return was a burning desire in every Sith. Vader had learned to resist this urge. 

A premature revelation could lead to near destruction as had happened 10 years ago. 

The invasion of Naboo had nearly ruined everything. According to Palpatine, Anakin's adoption was not in Darth Plagueis' Grand Plan. Plagueis foresaw that Anakin would bring destruction to the Sith. The young Anakin already knew Palpatine’s secret identity Therefore, the nine-year-old child must be eliminated. 

Maul was sent.

Maul had his own agenda. He was obsessed with killing a Jedi Master to demonstrate his worth. Besides doing Plagueis' bidding to kill a child, he put killing Qui-Gon Jinn on his plate. He succeeded in his personal ambition, but Qui-Gon's murder exposed the Sith's existence. Fortunately, Sidious defeated his Master, and inherited the title of Sith Master, ending the internal threat.

Naboo was liberated under Palpatine’s leadership. Anakin and his new friends were finally safe. 

Vader put a lot of thoughts into these events. All the disasters had the same roots. Infighting. It was why the Rule of Two had to be upheld. 

Vader was told that the force pike he held was once owned by Plagueis. He used it to instruct Sidious’s early martial arts training. Contradictory to the Jedi’s false beliefs, few Sith used lightsabers as a primary weapon. The Sith learned to adapt after being forced into hiding. The ultimate weapons were the commanders of the Force themselves. Their body, mind, and soul. They could unleash the power that Jedi did not dare to imagine. 

Vader watched as Ventress made her approach. His blood hummed with excitement. The Force murmured to him, telling him that he would prevail and Dooku’s acolyte would die. 

“We finally met,” Vader proclaimed. 

“Skywalker. Who do you think you are? I have an order, and you will die.” Ventress raised her crimson lightsabers in a guard stance. 

“I could have left you to Master Kenobi. You two could have more toying and flirting, but it is not efficient.” He moved closer to Ventress. “Let us end this cat and mouse game and avoid so much unnecessary destruction. We will fight a duel of honor, here on equal ground. Dooku had always wanted to publicly execute me to demonstrate his superiority. If you win, he will have it.” 

“Republic brat, you have no idea how ridiculous you are. Whatever feeble skills you have are no match for my power in the Force,” Ventress hissed. 

Vader laughed. It seemed that Ventress had no idea who he was. It made things more under control. At least Ventress wouldn't use pressing him to reveal his true power to her advantage. 

“You can play with your sorcery power. Even if you are a one-woman army, you couldn’t take on the manpower of the whole Resolute by yourself.” Vader made a broad gesture to their surroundings and the legion of clones standing ready. “Of course, you can choose to demonstrate your splendid escaping skills. Your choice.” 

“Fine. I will fight without the Force. It is a simple task to rid the galaxy of you.”

Vader knew this battle was tempting fate. However, the longer Dooku’s charade lasted, the more power Ventress grew, the more danger he and his Master would be in. If Ventress was more powerful than Vader, then he deserved to perish. Sidious could take another apprentice who was more worthy. 

But it would not happen. 

“The feeling was mutual.” Anakin ignited his weapon.

Ventress launched her attack, closing the distance between them in two steps. She swung for his head with one blade and went for his flank with the other. The other went after his side. Without blatantly using the Force to aid her attack, she was slower than usual. Still, she had impressive reflexes. 

Vader had an interesting advantage. He had practice in fighting without actively drawing from the Force. It was not the same for Ventress. For a Force wielder to have such restraint was a frustrating experience. She could eventually catch up, but it would take time. On the battleground every second was critical. 

He knew Ventress never played fair. He bet on that to turn the tide. 

She slashed at him relentlessly. Vader ignored the body blows, counting on his armor to protect him. Instead, he went on the offensive raining down blow after blow, forcing her to defend. The red beams, bright white electricity, and sparks danced around. 

Ventress started to tire out. She broke the rule by pushing him with the Force.

Vader lost his footing. He allowed gravity to pull him down and rolled to avoid a vicious strike aimed at his head. Obi-Wan rushed to play the big Jedi hero, hurling his blue lightsaber like a spear. It knocked Ventress's right blade from her grip and sent it flying.  In a desperate move, Ventress pulled on the Force and sent her falling lightsaber swing back towards Vader’s head. He rolled again in a desperate bid to dodge the attack. 

He didn’t roll far enough. The lightsaber scored a line of fire near his right eye before burning itself in the ground. It burned his flesh and blurred his vision. Vader hissed in pain, but he had the lightsaber now. 

Obi-Wan moved quickly to the two combatants, trying to separate them. Ventress was distracted momentarily.

This was his chance. Vader rammed the force pike into Ventress’s side. She screamed and collapsed as the electricity overwhelmed her body.

"No! Anakin, don't do it!" Obi-Wan knew what he planned to do. 

Vader swiftly took the crimson lightsaber out of the ground and buried it in Ventress's chest in a single motion.

Her breath rattled in her chest. She looked into his eyes and her expression turned to horror.  "You… you are a…" 

"I am the death of you." He extinguished the lightsaber. Ventress took her last breath.

Obi-Wan knelt next to her. He used a hand to close her eyes. "You didn't need to kill her. You don't want so much blood on your hands. Have some mercy."

"You mean to have some mercy for a Darksider?" Vader was confused.

"Have some mercy for yourself. It is bad for your soul," Obi-Wan almost cried in anguish.

"Oh. But her death is good for all of us . One less mass murderer, " he replied calmly.

Obi-Wan didn't respond. 

Vader touched his wound lightly. His vision was coming back. He looked into the distance, watching the glorious sunset. It was lucky that he was not blinded. The injury would leave a scar. He could heal it eventually, but he decided to let it be. A small price for a higher good.

The burning pain on his face was dampening, but a place inside of him still burned. That pain may last.

*** 3 ***

Obi-wan was afflicted by Anakin's actions. It was hard to say whether the killing of the Darksider was self-defense. However, in the current political climate, it didn't matter even if it was a confirmed cold-blood murder. Ventress had killed too many troopers and citizens. She was a nightmare character in Republic media. No one would mourn her death. People would celebrate, like what the troopers were doing now. The 501st Legion threw their commander up in the air again and again after he won the duel.

In front of the whole battalion, Anakin commed Admiral Yularen to release Rex from the brig.

"Capital Rex, the traitor Slick was captured. Ventress, the enemy of the Republic had been brought to justice. The Republic is grateful for your sacrifice." Anakin looked at the blue figure of Rex fondly. 

"It was quite intimidating, Sir." Rex scratched his head. "But I am glad everything worked out." He still seemed to be confused.  

The Jedi general, his deputy, and Commander Cody started to move out of the crowd. The troopers needed to clean up the battleground, bury their fallen brothers, and regroup to aid the local fighters. They still needed to take out the remaining battle droids and their sentient commanders.

"Rex, I own you one. I will explain everything to you when I am back to the Resolute ," Anakin said gently before he cut off the connection.

The three of them walked towards the detention center together.  "Time to get Slick to talk." The young man shifted to his ruthless mode. 

Anakin carried the force pike on one shoulder and pressed a becta patch next to his right eye.  The trophy lightsaber hung from his utility belt. 

Obi-Wan was determined to confiscate that lightsaber. He would find an appropriate time. He was very certain that Anakin had already figured out how to use the lightsaber in some rudimentary way and he would not hesitate to show off. The idea of a red beam suddenly lighting up the corridor of Resolute was unbearable.

In the detention center, Slick was cuffed to the interrogation desk. Anakin circled the desk with a slow pace. He abruptly stopped in front of the trooper, placing Ventress's lightsaber on the desk loudly. Slick flinched.

"You have committed treason. Your conspirator was eliminated by me ," Anakin pronounced slowly. "Do you have any other collaborators?" 

"No. It was only me. Ventress was my only contact." Slick seemed to be relaxed. 

"I sense no deception in him. He told the truth," Obi-Wan commented. "But why did you do this to your brothers? Why did you betray us?" he asked with sadness. "For what?'"

"For my brothers. We were created to be slaves." The sparks reappeared in Slick's eyes. "It's the Republic who keeps my brothers enslaved. We do your bidding. We serve at your whim. I wanted something more. Freedom!"

Obi-Wan anticipated that Anakin would deliver a passionate condemnation, but the room was eerily silent. Anakin froze and paled at Slick's declaration. 

Cody broke the silence. "If you loved your brothers, you wouldn't have put them at risk."

"I need some fresh air. I will leave you two to handle this." Anakin quit the room with a troubled look. Ventress's lightsaber was left on the desk. 

*** 4 ***

Slick was left in the Ryloth prison cell. He soon would be shipped back to Coruscant to stand trial. 

He indeed felt sorry for the fallen brothers who had been collateral damage in his fight with the fleet leadership. He had fought an impossible battle, one which he was proud of.  He only had one regret. He was unable to wake up other brothers who were still living in a lie. Commander Cody completely dismissed his perspective and called him a traitor and a fool, but Cody was the real fool. 

Indeed Slick had committed treason, with his brothers' blood on his hands. The punishment was death. He would embrace it gladly. Death would set him free.

The tragedy started from the moment they were born. No, way earlier than that. All the clones were genetically engineered to be weapons. Powerful, but obedient weapon. He and his brothers had been portrayed as heroes of the war. It was blatant hypocrisy. No heroes were born as tools and sent to war against their will. Only slaves were.

He had been in the background of propaganda films that featured Skywalker and Kenobi.  The troopers, the Jedi, and Navy leaders all fought in the same war.  Why was there an unbreakable hierarchy?

Some beings were born into privilege while others were born condemned.

He had hoped his speech could reach Cody or maybe Kenobi. Kenobi didn't defend the Jedi. To his surprise, it elicited a stronger response from Skywalker. Anyway, all these three would quickly forget his words and move on. The privileged would lead his foolish brothers to death.

Even though it was midnight, the prison cell's lights were always on. It was blindingly bright. Suddenly, all the lights were gone. The guards ran to check the cause of the outage. The door of his cell opened. His cuffs dropped on the ground.

Slick was in utter shock. Had Ventress come back from the grave? Nonetheless, he took the opportunity to escape. 

He ran without stopping. No guards spotted him in the corridor. When he was outside the building, a Twi'lek guard shot at him. The bolt hit his leg. He fell down, bleeding. The guard carefully approached him, blaster aiming at his head.

Slick waited for the inevitable, but the guard succumbed to unconsciousness out of the blue. Not far from him, a dead clone's body was burning.

A tall figure approached him. They wore a black robe with their face hidden behind a hood.  Slick struggled to stand up, to run, but his body could not move.

The figure knelt down and put a hand on his bleeding wound. "Heal," the man commanded. The bleeding stopped, the wound gradually disappeared, and a scar appeared on where the wound once was. Slick watched with disbelief. However,  instead of feeling refreshed, the flesh near the scar felt like it was on fire. 

"What did you do to me?" Slick hissed.

"You want freedom." The hooded figure gestured to the burning body. "That is Slick. He will be announced dead officially." His voice was deep and dark.

"You are a sorcerer, like Ventress," Slick gasped.

"No. We are different," the man said with disdain, "but you can think in that way."

"What do you… What you want from me?" Slick stuttered. 

"You live. You will serve me. I demand your loyalty to me," the man said cooly. "You still have the choice to be executed for treason if you wish. What is your answer?"

"I will live and serve you,” he answered quietly. "But I want to fight for my brothers' freedom if I still have a breath in me."

"Good. That is what I want as well. Remember. It is the Jedi who enslaved all of you, not others. There are lobbying efforts in the Senate to decommission the clone army. It is not your concern anymore.“ He paused a few seconds. “But I need something else from you." 

"You are on the Republic side... I think I know who you are," Slick exclaimed with disbelief. “Not surprising that you were able to defeat her, but freeing me. You are committing treason, sir."

" I decide what is treason and what is not." The man laughed. Then his voice got darker. "If you wish to utter my name to any living soul, I will know. That breath will be your last." The man put a finger on the scar on Slick’s leg. Slick felt his whole body was on flame, but he could not scream. A few seconds later, all the pain was suddenly gone. 

 He trembled with horror.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I have no interest in torturing anyone for pleasure. I simply showed you the consequences," the man coldly stated.

"Another form of servitude," Slick said with anger. "What is thy bidding? Your Highness?" He anticipated to be punished, but nothing happened.

"It is really unfortunate that you feel that way." The man sounded a little hurt. "Now leave. Lay low. I will contact you when I have an assignment for you." The man tossed some credit chips to him. Then he disappeared in the dark night.

Chapter Text

*** 1 ***

Anakin had been off Coruscant to fight for a few weeks. Finally, he was back from the frontline, with a new scar on his handsome face. Padme was worried to death. It was so close to his eye. Worse, it could have killed him if it was deeper. Padme scolded him for his recklessness, even as the media all glorified his feat. Secretly, she admitted that the scar made her boyfriend look more daring. 

Now the two of them were sitting on the bare floor of the balcony, watching the sunrise. The night before, Anakin couldn’t fall asleep. She suggested intimacy, but he did not have the energy. Thus they spent quite a bit of time making out.  Padme took the initiative, and did all the work, hoping he could relax and have a good sleep. Unfortunately, his sleep was a restless one. Anakin said that his sleep usually was not good, but that one was worse.

But to her surprise, he got up very early and made breakfast, looking completely refreshed. 

Anakin's mood was volatile. She was concerned, but they were in a war. No one was their former self. How could an officer fighting the most challenging battles be any different? 

Padme counted the days when he was not home. It felt like torture for her. She was frightened when Obi-Wan told her that it was who Anakin had sought out Ventress for the duel, not the other way around. It was almost insane, but it had paid off well. Padme knew that Anakin would put his life in danger for the Republic's victory. He would do it again. 

But she had to point out how dangerous it was. 

“Ani, you have to take care of yourself. I do not want this to happen again.”

Anakin pulled her closer, holding her with one arm. Her head nestled on his shoulder. 

“Don’t listen to Obi-Wan. He had this flawed assumption that I was a defenseless person, who did not know what was best for myself, ” he said dismissively. “Not a reliable source.” 

“No. It was not my point. If you die...I do not want to be left here. Alone.” She trembled, holding tears back.

They had been fighting the war for almost an entire year. Today was the day for a change.  She was nearly five years older than him, so it was more natural for her to make the first move. She had been preparing. However, every time when she summoned her courage, she retreated at the last minute.  Not this time. Not after her Anakin had almost gotten his head cut off by a lightsaber. 

Padme grabbed his hands and made him face her. She looked into his blue eyes. 

“I have a question to ask you,” she said nervously. 

“Just ask.” He looked confused. 

“Would you marry me?” She could hear her own heartbeat. 

“You are proposing to me? Are you serious?” Anakin’s eyes shone with sparks. 

“Of course. Maybe I should get down on one knee?” she teased. Then she produced a small box and presented him with a white gold ring. 

“Isn’t that guy usually doing it?” he marveled. 

“Do you care about gender roles?” She pursed her lips. “You have not answered my question yet.”

“Of course. I would like to.” He laughed heartily. “You have to ask for my father’s blessing.”

“You think I have not done that?”  She squeezed Anakin’s left hand and picked up the ring, “Are you ready?” 

He gave his left hand out, wearing a silly smile. 

She kissed his ring finger, then slowly put the ring on with a trembling hand. When it was done, she laughed aloud, feeling a big relief. “Now, you are mine.” Padme laughed. “No escape, ever.” 

“I thought it was what wedding vows are for,” he teased her before kissing her. Then he broke the kiss several seconds later. 

“I have a ring for you as well.” He grinned. “And something else.” He went to the study. 

Padme was so surprised and also delighted that Anakin had been thinking about the same thing and already made preparations. 

He returned, right hand in a fist, stretched toward her. He opened his palm. A rose gold ring shone under the morning sunlight. “My turn.” He tenderly put the ring on her thin finger. Then he took out a small package and presented a necklace. 

“This is a japor snippet I carved years ago. It is Tatooine art. I never gave it to you.” Their eyes locked. “The Tatooine people believe it could bring good luck.” Then he gently held her hair up and put the necklace on, looking satisfied. 

“You can’t escape me either,” he announced proudly. 

She moved forward, tightly embraced her fiance, and kissed him passionately. Anakin returned the kiss with more intensity. 

Later, she rested her head on his shoulder, “I knew there are so many turmoils in you. Like a ship in a stormy sea. I want to be your anchor.”

“I will be your shield,” he said with determination. 

Padme let tears run down her cheeks. 

*** 2 ***

Anakin had a lot to catch up after coming back. He had been very busy for a few days. Padme’s surprising proposal lightened his mood. It was a warm sense of belonging, a relaxing dreamy mood that made him smile when nobody was watching. All the problems and stresses in his life were gone. 

Palpatine was set to embark on an emergency diplomatic trip to an Outer Rim world. In their meeting before his departure, Anakin briefed him on recent military development. They didn't go into specifics so as to avoid exposing their identities. Palpatine was intrigued by the duel with Ventress and wanted to know more after returning to Coruscant.

Palpatine also congratulated Anakin on his engagement. “I hope this union is beneficial for both of you.” 

Anakin didn't agree with this cynical view but was delighted that his Master did not give another lengthy lecture about how love was an illusion.

Catching up on all the Coruscant politics was the most challenging task. He was not into politics, but members of high society always came to him and asked for his opinion on different issues. Of course, it was a way to probe the Chancellor’s position.

He didn't want to look like a fool. Gradually, he gained enough exposure and understood the basics. Since he was involved in the Jedi children case, he was motivated to learn more nuances. 

Today was the first anniversary of the Academy graduation. The Carida alumni on Coruscant had a gathering. It started with a moment of silence to mourn their fallen colleagues. Though Anakin was not very close to most of them, nonetheless, the sadness hit him. He was very sentimental lately. This could not be known by his master, another weakness to be scolded on.

After the official event, the head of Carida asked him to stay. The selected guests moved to a small private club.

He usually found social events stressful, but he welcomed this one. More accurately, he eagerly awaited it.  He knew what topic would be discussed: the clone army expansion proposal. 

He had been a member of "Carida advocacy" since the Military Creation Act was filed. It felt like a lifetime ago. To the leaderships' disappointment, the Chancellor's son had never been an active member. He usually didn't pay close attention to the group's activities. Recently, he noticed that the group was working on defeating a proposal to create more clones.

Carida was one of the lead sponsors of the Military Creation Act. The bill passed despite the strong opposition from Padme's group. However, the academies now felt betrayed. A standing military would greatly expand their influence if they could recruit and train all the soldiers. However, the Jedi had created their own secret army, thus academies' hard work had very little return. It created tension between navy officers and the Jedi command.

The private meeting was held in the club's library room. Besides the attendees from the Carida Academy, Yularen, Tarkin, and a few other high-ranking officers attended as well. They were generals, admirals, and directors. Ferrics, the Senator of Carida was present. Just a colonel, Anakin was the most junior officer there. 

Tonight the navy leaders were much less serious than when they were seen at work, or in public. They called each other by first names and exchanged compliments with each other.

"Anakin is one of the best and brightest of our graduates. The new face of Carida," his old school headmaster proudly announced when introducing Anakin.

Anakin smiled awkwardly. "I am honored, Sir.”

"He is the most promising officer in my fleet. I am impressed. It surprised me that he bonded with clones so well," Admiral Yularen said fondly. "He won't ask his subordinates to do anything that he won't do himself."

The Admiral passed a glass of wine to Anakin. He politely declined and set it aside on another desk behind him. He tapped his glass of iced tea. "It will do," he mouthed silently. 

Yularen was sincere. It was touching. He had thought Yularen shared Obi-Wan’s opinion that Anakin was arrogant, crazy, and prone to showing off. It seemed he was wrong. 

"Let us go to the business." Tarkin placed his glass down on the desk. All exchanges of pleasantries stopped.

Anakin curiously read Tarkin's rank insignia. He had been promoted to an adjunct general in a short period of time. Instead of addressing him by his constantly changing military rank, he preferred people to call him Governor Tarkin, the elected position he held in his homeworld Eriadu.

"The Senate is debating a bill that would create a million more clones. Our goal is to retire the clones as early as possible. Our old allies have become our opponents. The weapons and ship manufacturers, and communication corporations have all joined the Kamino cloners' side. They are growing stronger every day and they have a legion of lobbyists," Tarkin spoke solemnly. "We need new allies to defeat them. Our alumni have connections to every sector's planetary leaders. They have the influence, but most of them choose to do nothing." 

Anakin sipped his tea, quietly listening.

Tarkin went on. "We must reach out to our old adversaries, the opposition side of the Military Creation Act. Fortunately, we have Colonel Anakin Skywalker with us. Opposition leader Senator Amidala is his fiancee. It is very critical that we rebuild that bridge after the ugly fight for that bill." He turned to Anakin's direction.

Now all the eyes were on him. 

Instinctively he covered his engagement ring with the other hand. He felt self-conscious. People always recognized him by his association with powerful people. He was seen as Palpatine’s child, and now Padme’s fiance. He wanted to be seen as a competent person in his own rights. 

"Senator Amidala is a very open-minded leader. She does not hold grudges. Senator Ferrics could reach out to her directly. She would be delighted to know that our coalition wants to join forces."

Anakin cleared his throat. His heart was racing. 

"I offer a new perspective. We need to examine the architect of the clone army: the Jedi Order. " 

The leaders exchanged looks. 

Anakin went on, "These peacekeepers are not fit to lead military engagement." He paused, waiting for a disagreement. There was none. “They created the army and led it. The death toll is high. If things stay this way, the senators would always want more clones, granting the Jedi more and more power. This vicious cycle must end." 

"Are you suggesting that we call for decommissioning the Jedi?" Tarkin looked pleased. "It is what I thought as well."

"They wouldn't want to give up that power. The Jedi’s supremacy is built on how the Order operates." 

A few leaders looked at him with curiosity. 

"In the early age of the Republic, the Senate granted the Jedi Order the power to screen all the new-borns to look for candidates. In exchange, they took the place of the disbanded military. A mutually beneficial arrangement. The Academies have been losing their power ever since, while the Jedi have held the immense galactic influence for a thousand years."

All the leaders nodded in agreement. Finally, he had their full attention.

"Right on the money," the senator commented, signaled him to continue.

"With the recruitment privilege, they misguided the parents and took children in at their infancy. In this way, they secured a steady inflow of new members, to sustain their power. But this practice has drawn criticism. Some parents found their children had been sent to war. The backlash is coming.” 

He surveyed the whole room. A couple of people were losing interest. He must hit the target now.

“There is a parallel. They created a clone army of child soldiers. A trooper even claimed that they were slaves. He caused a few accidents because of this belief." Anakin looked at Yularen.

"Accidents were an understatement. We can't disclose more classified information,” Yularen commented with a grave expression. "It was an isolated incident, but exposed a serious risk. It may have repercussions later. We will present the vulnerability of the clone army to the Senate. No more clones.”

Anakin nodded at Yularen gratefully and continued. "It is also a moral issue. Sending children to war and breeding sentient beings for war are both unethical. If an academy trains soldiers from infancy, the public would respond with fury. Yet, the Jedi Order is immune to any criticism. As military leaders, their actions caused damage to the Republic." 

He raised his voice. "We defeat the bill by defending sentient beings' rights and take on Jedi's unethical recruitment at the same time. " 

Tarkin applauded. "Impressive. Really impressive. "

"I can't take all the credits. I have a collaborator to work with on this issue: Rackeli Loo. She is a civil lawyer." Anakin grinned. They had rehearsed the speech several times together.

It was done. He exhaled. He was proud that he had spoken eloquently today. Better than most of the anxiety-charged speeches he gave in these years.

Today he had the bandwidth to interact with audiences, which he usually completely forgot when nervousness took over. He was no longer the intimidated kid who was ashamed of his Outer Rim accent. Maybe his old tutors could be satisfied with him now.

His heart was still pounding. He swallowed a mouthful of tea and took a few moments to collect himself. He and Rackeli met in person for the first time, after the one year of HoloNet and commlink conversations. Despite her humble background, the Twi'lek lady conveyed confidence. 

They had prepared the talking points together in a modest cafe. She had suggested that they tied the Force-sensitive children and clone child soldier issues together, presenting it as a right of sentient beings issue. 

Rackeli was good at connecting the dots. She had a knack for framing the talking points in a way that the audience would find relatable. In this case, shared frustration towards the Jedi Order. 

With Padme, he would never talk about the Jedi in a clinical way. She would call it cynical and mean-spirited. With Rackeli, he could frankly share some opinions.  Even though he could not reveal all his opinions about the Jedi Order to her, after these discussions with her, some of his perpetual heaviness in his chest was gone, like some invisible chains had broken. They made a great team. 

"Nice work. I will reach out to Ms. Loo and talk to Senator Amidala. You do not need to do anything." Senator Ferrics shook his hand firmly and patted his shoulder. “Governor Tarkin and I will pick up from here. And congratulations on your engagement. As a married man, I’ll give you some advice. Don't discuss politics with your significant other."

"Yes, I know." Anakin laughed wholeheartedly. "Padme would never allow me to be anywhere near her if I glorified the Military Creation Act," he added sheepishly. "Actually, I tried to argue for it, but when I saw the signs, I shut up."

Everyone laughed. Some self-consciousness evaporated.

The leaders kept on chatting. Anakin took the opportunity to share the good news with Rackeli. He pulled out his datapad and sent her a quick text message.

“Senator of Carida will contact you.” He finished all his tea while typing. 

Rackeli immediately replied with a hand gesture of victory. 

“Colonel Skywalker. Do you have a few moments?” To Anakin’s surprise, Tarkin sought him out.

“You kept on impressing me. Your comments on the Jedi were insightful. Most officers do not have the guts to openly talk about it. They only dare to whisper.” Tarkin sat on the opposite side of the desk, two hands interlocked, elbows on the desk. 

“I know. Officers worry about how the Jedi will judge their actions. Fear for a scar on their career. The Jedi philosophy looms in the background, affecting every decision we make.” Anakin took the wine glass that he had put aside an hour ago. “I challenged General Kenobi a lot. Other officers just watched. Probably they think I am a disrespectful brat.” 

“Besides, my Jedi boss is obsessed with preaching to me. Lecturing me on how I should feel . Holding me back. I may file a complaint against him when I am fed up. Just joking," he said sarcastically.

“Jedi do have that effect. I hear you.” Tarkin poured himself another glass of wine. “To your point of being seen as a spoiled child, when I was at your age, I felt that way too. House Tarkin is a prominent family. I lived in the shadow of my father. I constantly felt that I needed to prove my worth. You will grow out of it.” He held his glass to his eye level.

“Back to business. I have been talking with the Chancellor. The Navy is pushing for your promotion. We want you to be a Director for the Battlefield Strategy Group, under the Strategic Advisory Cell. Instead of being shipped overall to the galaxy, you should be on Coruscant making strategic decisions. It is a waste of talent."  Tarkin smiled. "I will be stationed on Coruscant to monitor some weapons development. Your father wants me to be a mentor to you.” 

“Good to take a break from General Kenobi,” Anakin smirked. 

“Word just came out. He was promoted to the Jedi Council. You still will see him a lot.” His tone changed to a deep one. “But we have a problem here. The recommendation is blocked by the Jedi Council.”

“I am not surprised at all. I am power-hungry, vindictive, and threatening. A great danger, if I am granted any power. I am everything opposite to their values. They hate that." Anakin poured all the wine down his throat. "They don’t see that war is about strength and victory. They created an absurd evaluation system. The peace of mind was more important than outcomes, and they are always right .” 

“No disagreement from me.” Tarkin laughed. “But you have to behave when they are above you. You take over later.” 

“I am not a good actor,” Anakin said bitterly. “I want to be myself.”

“Learn from your father. This is politics, not very different from military affairs. You do what is necessary to accomplish the goal. It includes expressing yourself differently in front of a different audience.” Tarkin finished his drink.

"I will give it a try." He pinched his nose bridge.

“By the way, do you really care about the Jedi children and their clone soldiers? Or it is just a speech?” 

Silence fell between them. Anakin’s throat was dry. The Sith should not care about anything related to the Jedi. Vader understood that all Jedi were lethal adversaries, regardless of their age. The clones were their weapons. They were against the Separatists at this moment, but they could turn on him and his Master at any moment. Therefore, they must either be defeated or be converted to serve Sith’s agenda. 

Like Slick. Anakin was still furious at Slick’s anti-Republic actions. However, after knowing where Slick came from, he did not know what to do with him anymore. Slick’s spying skills made him a valuable asset for Vader's cause. 

He was also Anakin Skywalker, a person who wanted Slick to live. 

“I do care,” he finally let it out. 

“Then I commend you for your devotion to social justice.”

“I appreciate that you see my commitment to this cause. Sir.” 

When everyone was gone, Anakin walked toward the window and stared into the night sky. His whole life was driven by his burning passion for fairness and justice for all. He had been active in a refugee relief program when he lived on Coruscant after the Naboo Occupation. He had eliminated a number of slave traders and criminal gangs when he was searching for Shmi in the Outer Rim. Until today, he donated a share of his salaries to anti-slavery causes monthly. 

However, would anyone see him in a positive light if they bought into Palis’ defamation campaign against the Sith? Palpatine said that he shouldn't even bother. 

But what to do if he did? 

He had a much bigger headache. He had to behave in front of the Jedi to be promoted. His master’s mission was more challenging than he thought. 

Chapter Text

***1***

Anakin invited Rackeli to a fancy dinner to celebrate their progress. She searched her closet for a dress that was fit for a high-end venue. She did have one, a red dress brought from her homeworld Tethla. Coincidentally, today was also the annual celebration for Tethla joining the Republic. 

She wondered how many people were still celebrating it this year. People back home had heated debates on whether or not Tethla should stay in the Republic. Almost all surrounding worlds had either joined the Separatists or stayed neutral. It meant that, at any moment, Dooku’s allies may receive their marching orders to attack. People were very afraid.

Dooku never meant to bring prosperity to the Outer Rim. If he ever had any sincerity in it, he would not use aggression to force worlds to join him.  However, her people thought differently. They would like to trade everything for a little bit more security. Some factions of the planetary leadership started to circulate drafts of secession articles. 

Winning the war quickly had a high personal stake now. If her world left, her Republic citizenship would be revoked immediately. Almost all the Coruscant jobs in her field required that employees be Republic citizens. If the secession happened, she had to leave Coruscant, giving up her dreams and career, just when she had started to feel at home. To prevent this from happening, she applied for the permanent residence of Coruscant, as a backup plan. The eligibility requirements had drastically increased since the war started. Income, history of welfare use, age, disability, and many others factors were all screened. Anything that signaled the potential of becoming a burden for the Coruscant tax-payers was a red flag. She always considered herself a self-reliant and highly accomplished person for her age, but she barely qualified.

Coruscant had changed. It became mean, unwelcoming, and worse, paranoid. Individuals with ties to the Outer Rim were treated with suspicion. Her background check was still in limbo. People from Core worlds, even those who had applied later than her, got clearance earlier. Coruscant intelligence agents asked her to disclose her recent activities. Rumors circulated that there would be a loyalty test.

For all the unpleasant things that were happening, she didn't reduce herself into a bitter person or regard herself as a victim. Instead of being frustrated by things that she had no control over, she devoted more time to her work and volunteering. 

If the Jedi Order agreed to return the kids to their parents, they would not have spent so much energy pushing for legislation. Even with Anakin's power and influence, it was still like daydreaming.

However, this simple solution was rejected. They had to carry on. 

There was progress. Reporters from several media outlets had interviewed the Jedi Council, the concerned parents, and, most importantly, their children. The good thing was that parents finally saw their children and knew that their children were in good shape. However, their children thought the Jedi Order was their only family and refused to leave, even if the Order gave permission. Even if they had gone into battle. 

The parents had been furious. They blamed the Jedi Order for indoctrinating their babies, turning them into cult members who unknowingly participated in activities threatening their own safety. Some of the Jedi children were too young to understand what was going on. They had cried throughout the interview. 

One short video struck her. The Shas’ daughter Ludi was a green-skinned Twi'lek girl, who resembled Rackeli herself. Ludi had looked at the strangers who claimed to be her parents curiously. When her parents had started to weep, the girl’s eyes had widened. She cautiously approached them and hugged her mother’s leg. 

A female Jedi had walked toward them and asked the child to leave. She had made the request gently and explained to the Shas that they could not allow the youngling to form an attachment to their biological family. The older Jedi took the girl’s hand and she obeyed. While they were leaving, the girl looked at the parents over her shoulder, sad and confused. 

It hit Rackeli to her core.

Watching the video, Rackeli burst into tears. She had been on Coruscant by herself for several years. Her father had an accident recently. Luckily he was recovering, but she missed her parents too much. Her parents must have missed her even more. She wanted them to move to Coruscant, so the family could be together. However, with the war and all the politics, this plan probably was already dead. She was as helpless as the little Ludi. 

She allowed the facade of the relentless and stubborn woman to drop for a few moments.  She allowed the years of weariness, frustration, confusion, her fears and dreams, all the turmoiled emotions washing over her. She cried loudly, gasping for breath.

At that moment, she felt more alive than ever. 

Realizing that she had lost herself in thought, she quickly collected herself. She put on her red dress and called a taxi. 

When she arrived at the diner, the receptionist looked at her in a way that made her unconformable. As a Twi'lek female, she was so used to this type of look since she came to Coruscant, and she was not okay with it. 

Rackeli stubbornly stared back. “I have a reservation.” She showed him the datapad. “I came here to discuss legal business. You will let me in.”  

The receptionist smiled at her knowingly. She threw him a dark look and started to look for their reserved private booth. 

Anakin had already arrived. He had made this arrangement so that no one else would overhear their conversation. He wore black military-style clothing, the same outfit he’d worn during their first holo call. Now she could tell it was made of expensive materials as befitting the heir of a rich family. 

After she sat down, a service droid immediately brought each of them a menu and a glass of water. 

“Sorry for being one minute late. Mistaken as a prostitute again.” She said nonchalantly. “I got it handled and will talk with his manager later. I will hate you if you pity me.”

Anakin simply nodded. “I completely understand how you feel.” 

“Really?” 

“I meant it.” 

Neither of them spoke. Both of them were busy reading the menu. These foods were all fancy and exotic.  The menu was written in galactic Basic. Despite her abundant vocabulary as a legal scholar, her limited vocabulary in the area of cuisine rendered her clueless about what to order. 

“Anakin, do you have any recommendations? I… I am confused by this menu. I have no idea what half of this is,” she said awkwardly. 

“I have no expertise in fancy food either. I am always puzzled by the complicated names that people can give to food,” he said with a blank expression. “I am never really into this type of place.  This restaurant is the one Padme brought me to last time. I figured out which dish was a bantha steak, so I ordered it. I will stick to it this time.” He let out a small sheepish smile. 

“Then I will choose the same.” She exhaled with relief. 

The droid took the order. She did not know what to say now. Last time, they had met in a diner of her choice. They had been completely occupied by discussing how to present their arguments to the Navy leaders. Anakin had a very tight schedule, they hadn’t talked about anything other than the real business. 

“I am engaged,” Anakin announced as soon as their orders had been taken. “Padme and I will have a private engagement party. You are invited. We only invited close personal friends, no political or military leaders.” 

She noticed the ring on his left hand now. So many things had happened in such a short period of time. “Congratulations. I am very honored.”  She sipped her water. “It surprised me when you called me a close friend of yours. We are so different.” 

“We are not that different,” He said. “I really meant it.”

“I would like to attend your party, but it would be awkward for me to attend a high-class social event and look like a fool. Doing professional stuff, like working with a Senator was one thing, being a misfit and out of place in an influential person's inner cycle was another. I don't want to humiliate myself.” She paused a little bit and sighed. “I know people would wonder, how could an Outer Rim Twi'lek girl become a friend of the Chancellor’s son, what trick did she do? What did he want from her?”

“You just precisely described how I felt when I first moved to Coruscant. It was blatant prejudice.” Anakin locked eyes with her, “Actually, I was frequently the subject of bigotry when I was a child. They used insidious words to speculate the reason why my father adopted me.” His voice was riddled with anger. 

She was shocked that Anakin could share such private thoughts with her. He considered her a close friend indeed, a confidant. 

The droid served them the food, which gave her time to figure out a response. 

“I did not know that a human male could face these prejudices as well. I guess everyone is wrapped up in their own misery, and assume they’ve suffered the most.” She picked up the fork and slowly cut the steak. “How did you cope with it, may I ask?” 

“Most of the rumors were engineered by my father’s political rivals to cast aspersions, and smear him,” Anakin said bitterly. “I moved away from Coruscant. Away from the slander. Eventually, father’s opponents lost their Senate seats due to corruption or their crimes. It stopped.” 

“It was tough, but we fought back. They could not hold us back.” She spoke when chewing a piece of meat. 

“Exactly. You will come to my engagement party. I want you to know Padme. She is a very kind person. Your professionalism and intelligence will impress her. I am certain.”  

Now she understood why Anakin thought her a close friend. Besides the Jedi business, they indeed had many similar experiences and values, a fact which utterly surprised her. 

“Let us go back to business. More and more, I see your point of why the Jedi Order has a problem. I hate to say this, but this war would not end quickly under their leadership.” 

“Welcome to the club of anti-Jedi extremists.” Anakin laughed. “Jedi propagandist Palis coined this phrase.” 

“Jedi critics is the term I prefer.” 

As a matter of fact, very few people were interested in the Jedi, so either being a Jedi critic or propagandist was a lonely job. 

“Speaking of Palis, she is a decent person.  She arranged for the parents to meet their children. I made a gamble. If one of the children had said they want to come back to their parents, the situation would be to our advantage. Well…” She put the plate aside and grabbed her drink.

“Not surprising. Power of indoctrination,” Anakin said disdainfully. “Time to end it.”

"Agreed." They clinked their glasses.

“On another topic, I have something to consult you about. Something that has to stay only between you and me." She had been contemplating this issue and decided to ask for some advice.

“Sure. What is that?” 

“Recently, some individuals approached me. I think they are Separatists operatives. They said they want to give me resources so that I can make Ludi's case a larger issue. It is irregular because no one outside our small circle was interested in Jedi's recruitment. They mentioned my homeworld’s delicate situation several times. They have ulterior motives." 

Anakin narrowed his eyes. “What did you do about them?”

“I reported them to authorities.” She lowered her voice, and pronounced each word carefully, “There may be more coming. If I have to report more, I will become a target of retaliation. Besides, someone from the Outer Rim taking on the Jedi Order could be seen as a way to overthrow the Republic.” 

She was so torn by this situation. As a civil lawyer, the last thing she wanted to do was to report someone as a spy, to deprive someone of their freedom. What if she made a wrong accusation? However, If she turned a blind eye to these suspicious activities, these operatives could do great damage on Coruscant. Recently, there were multiple attacks on Senators.

On a personal level, if she chose silence when their crimes were found out, she would be arrested together as a collaborator.

It seemed self-contradictory, she volunteered much time to defend people who were falsely charged with espionage in the court. For her, both were the right things to do. A Republic loyalist and a civil liberty defender were both her identities that she chose to cherish. It was just so tormenting to be stuck in between the two warring superpowers. 

“I see." Anakin bit his lip. "Perhaps, I need to come out and openly criticize the Jedi Order. I doubt anybody would consider me a Separatist operative."

“They may say, you are seduced by me-”

“Forget about what other people will say,” He said with annoyance. “Nothing will get done if we care about this nonsense.” He lowered his voice, "I will protect you.”

"Yeah. Can't let these prejudices hold us back." She nodded.

“Speaking of prejudice. The Jedi Council blocked my nomination for a military strategist position. A colleague suggested that I appease them by pretending to be a person who I am not. Different self-presentation in front of a different audience,” Anakin said distastefully. “I will think about another way. More of my style.” 

“Okay, I will help the Senator from Carida draft his bill.” She laughed. “You wrestle with Jedi leadership. Do whatever needed to end the war.” 

***2***

Palis volunteered to be the photographer for Padme and Anakin’s engagement party. She was invited as Padme’s personal guest. Her favorite activities were having good food, making new friends, meeting old friends, and taking pictures. Attending a party would serve all her interests at one time. The party was scheduled just a few days after the couple announced their engagement, because Anakin may be sent to another campaign at any time. The location was Padme’s apartment, a convenient and fitting location for a union of two Naboo citizens. 

A small disappointment was that Padme originally included Obi-Wan in the list, but her stubborn fiance protested that if Obi-Wan was invited, he would invite Governor Tarkin. The results were that there was no Obi-Wan and no Tarkin.  

When the day of celebration came, Palis ate very little for lunch, saving her appetite for the big feast. 

They had about two dozen guests. Padme’s family all traveled to Coruscant. Palis chatted with every one of them. She took many pictures of Padme's two little nieces. The two girls made all kinds of funny poses. 

Padme did not invite her allies in the Senate. Perhaps, if she wanted to bring in one politician friend, she would have had to bring in all the members of her caucus, which would be hundreds of people. 

Anakin's side of the family was his father Chancellor Palpatine. She exchanged some pleasantries with the older man. Palpatine was soft-spoken and looked fatherly, but she could tell that he was a strict and exacting parent. Typical for a high-profile politician.  

To her surprise, Rackeli attended as Anakin’s only guest. She wore a simple, silver dress, a stark contrast to most of the other guests’ fancy clothes. Everything about the woman stood out, from her species to her clothes. Palis knew they worked closely together on their anti-Jedi business, but she did not know they were this close. 

The party started with the parents of the couples talking about how wonderful this union was, how Anakin and Padme were meant to be together. Padme’s father Ruwee fondly recounted how Anakin and Padme started their friendship. They had first met when Padme was running for Naboo's queenship. Later, they had fought together during the Occupation and stayed in touch for 10 years. 

Palpatine chimed in that the couple met on the first day that Anakin was brought to Naboo. He and Anakin had to meet the then-King Veruna to process Anakin’s adoption. Veruna had been hosting some very unpleasant guests, who had been very rude to the child. Palis could tell from Anakin’s facial expression that the memory still troubled him, even 10 years on. 

The story had an interesting turn of events. As Anakin and Palpatine had come out of the palace, Padme had been speaking to her supporters at a rally. Anakin had been captivated by the girl’s talk about social justice. He immediately volunteered to help Padme’s campaign and spent the entire time following her around like a lost puppy. 

Palpatine’s story was met with a round of good-natured chuckling. Everyone turned to Anakin to see what he had to say. 

“I did not know what half of her speech was about,” Anakin admitted. “I had zero ideas about Naboo's issues.” He blushed. “I thought she was an angel.” 

The guests burst into laughter. What a lovely story. It was Padme’s turn to blush. 

“Padme, how did you start to see Anakin as a love interest?” Palis threw her friend a question. Anakin gave her a pretended dark look, which made her laugh even louder. 
  
“After Anakin returned to Coruscant, I found that he was interesting, thoughtful, and--” Padme’s face got redder. “--handsome.” 

Palis applauded and other guests followed her. She enjoyed this moment. There was no trace of the war here. 

After she instructed the golden droid C-3PO to take a group picture for them, the guests scattered to talk among themselves. 

Her last task was to take a portrait photo of the couple. She had them pose on the balcony with the Coruscant night sky as background. Padme wore a long, backless dress that reminded Palis of summer flowers. The color was light yellow on the top, gradually changing into pink, then purple. Anakin wore white tunic, black pants, and boots. It looked almost like a Jedi uniform, but she was fairly certain it had all been made House Palpatine’s tailor rather than the Order’s quartermaster. In contrast to Padme’s expansive wardrobe, the young man's lack of style was a small disappointment. 

The couple was lost in each other’s eyes. They were gorgeous together. Obi-Wan said that she had the heart of a paparazzi.

“You two kiss each other.” Palis motioned them. “One more, bring your child this time.”

The couple’s eyes widened. 

“I mean, that Princess Lothcat.” She laughed. “Isn’t she Anakin’s daughter? They have all the matching looks.”

“You want to play with my cat. This is your plan. Got it.” Anakin rolled his eyes. “But not today. She is an introvert. She would be overwhelmed with so many people around.”  

It is disappointing that Anakin saw through her secret agenda. She dismissed the couple, turned to the food buffet table, and gathered two plates of food. 

She found Rackeli sitting by herself, with only a cup of tea and a small plate of desserts, reading a datapad. Palis settled her plates next to the lawyer. 

“Rackeli, I want to thank you for answering questions for my citizenship application.” Palis smiled warmly. The Twi’lek lady gave her a terse nod. 

After she left the Jedi Order, Palis had found herself in an awkward situation. She was stateless. There was no law that granted the Jedi who left the Order Republic citizenship. The Order brought her to Coruscant before she could remember anything, but the bureaucratic system did not recognize her as a citizen of Coruscant. She was allowed to work for the Senate because the Chancellor had an executive order just for her unique situation. Now she had to go through the legal system to fix it permanently. 

“You are welcome. Your situation was unique. The Jedi Order could not release your information for a background check. It was why your case stuck.” Rackeli looked at her with amusement. “Jedi legal business is my specificity.”

“You cannot use my story against the Jedi Order!” She got a little alarmed.

“It is your private information. Without your authorization, it is illegal for me to disclose your experience to anyone.” She sipped her tea. “And thank you for arranging the parents to meet their children. We are even now.” 

Palis returned a big smile. She hated tension and confrontation. The two anti-Jedi activists caused drama whenever they could. She really appreciated a moment of peace. But it did not last long. 

“Your experience is an example of why we need a law to address some issues that are unique to the Jedi Order. The Jedi’s governing system is not aligned with any other institutions. The Jedi membership development is another example.”

“Please, I do not need a law to grant me Republic citizenship. I can work it out. Everyone else who left the Order worked it out by themselves. I made a choice and I paid a price. Don’t try to be a savior. Interfering with a religious order in the name of wanting to help.” Palis vehemently shook her head. “You saw all the kids said they did not want to go back. No one coerced them. Politicians and civil activists, please leave the Order alone.”

“But your Order did not leave me alone,” Anakin said. He stood next to the table. Palis hadn’t even noticed his approach.  

Her biggest headache had arrived. Why was the anti-Jedi business more attractive than his wonderful fiancee?  She surveyed the room. Padme was talking with her parents. 

“Today is your big day. I do not want to cause a scene. Please. Let us change the topic,” Palis pleaded.

The young man placed a holoprojector on the desk and clicked the display. It was an artwork. 

A lifeless Ventress laid on the ground, empty eyes looking in the sky, a red lightsaber in her chest. A mourning Obi-Wan knelt next to the fallen Darksider, his blue lightsaber discarded on the ground next to him. Anakin Skywalker with an ignited Force pike in hand confidently walked toward a legion of cheering clone soldiers, an open lightsaber wound vividly on his face. The piece was titled “The Republic’s strength.” 

It was a rather accurate depiction of that battle, at least from what Obi-Wan had told her. There was no way Anakin had drawn it himself. It wasn’t his style. Now she recalled that the Jedi Council had blocked Anakin’s nomination for a high position in the war department. A media battle was in preparation.  

“Congratulations. You have new members in your extremist group now,” Palis said sarcastically, then turned into a deadly serious voice. “But this is the Republic's soul.” She pointed at Obi-wan in the art. 

“The Jedi already made up their mind about me. The public will decide who will win,” Anakin said with conviction.

Before she could respond, Chancellor Palpatine called for attention. 

“Ladies and gentle beings, we need to close the party soon. We all need to return to normal business tomorrow. The couple would appreciate some alone time to themselves.” Palpatine looked in her direction. It would be wonderful if Anakin could leave her alone. 

“But before we leave, let us toast to my son and my future daughter-in-law. May their union live as long as the Republic, and stay as strong as the Republic.” The old man held his glass high.  

Everyone raised their glasses with him. “Long live the Republic,” they chorused. 

Chapter Text

***1***

“Senator Amidala, this is unconventional.” The Senator of Carida Ferrics seemed very surprised that Jedi Council member Obi-Wan Kenobi was also in this closed-door meeting. 

Padme shut the conference room door and sat down. “You want to decommission the Jedi along with the clones.  I must make sure every stakeholder participates in the negotiation. I’ve found that meetings that exclude the party that is the target of sanction always ended up the target of smear campaigns.” She looked outside the window and continued. “Senator Clovis is on his way. The Banking Clan has been approached by the other side. The cloners said the banks will make a lot of money out of creating more clones. We need Senator Clovis to side with us.” 

“Very well. I had no intention to engineer a show to defame the Jedi.” Ferrics looked directly at Obi-Wan. “No offense, but the Academy coalition and Navy leadership disapprove of the way the Jedi are leading the war effort. If we want to commission fewer clones, we need experts in charge to reduce the death toll. By the way, Governor Tarkin will join us via Holoprojection in a few minutes. His briefing ran late.” 

“No offense taken. The Jedi High Council has always been very concerned about our involvement in the war. The Order and the Republic signed an agreement a thousand years ago. Generations of Jedi Knights have defended the Republic in every way we can, including bearing arms,” Obi-Wan stroked his beard, “but there are different opinions among our own ranks.  Dooku is a Sith, a fallen Jedi, once a High Council member. Many Jedi Knights feel that it is our duty to right this wrong. They think the Sith and other Dark Force-wielders can only be taken down by the Jedi.”  

“So, this is a No ?” Ferrics lifted up an eyebrow. “We do not buy this Force and Dark Side nonsense. It’s all just fear-mongering.”

The tension had risen in the conference room. Padme tried to intervene, but Obi-Wan raised a hand to stop her.

“If you can gather enough support in the Senate to discharge the Jedi from military leadership, personally I would thank you. The Order answers to the Senate. The Council will obey.”

“So, the Jedi will obey decommission if the Senate says so? We can move to the next topic now.” Tarkin’s voice came from her side, catching Padme off guard.  She quickly collected herself.

“We want to ban any child from participating in the war. Both the clones and Jedi students under the age of 16, or their species’ functional equivalent.” Ferrics picked up the conversation. 

“This was not part of the proposal,” Padme interjected sharply. “We respect the autonomy of the Jedi. The Jedi master-apprentice system is a tradition that the Republic has honored for a thousand years. I fought in a war when I was 14. My fiance was 9 at that time. We proudly served our world. If these students are willing to go to war, it is their choice.”

“As the Queen of Naboo, you had no choice. The Trade Federation forced the people of Naboo into a war. The Republic is different. It is simply wrong to commission any children using taxpayer money. Besides, younglings could be coerced into self-endangering activities in many ways, and still, look like they willingly did so. Coercion has different manifestations, such as indoctrination.” 

“Is that Anakin and his lawyer friend I hear? Prepared your talking points, did they?” Obi-Wan scoffed. “Banning Jedi training is irrelevant to the clone decommission topic. I suppose your bill also includes ending traditional Jedi recruitment. Am I right?”

Ferrics did not refute but looked at Obi-wan with amusement. 

“I don’t share Colonel Skywalker’s interests in sentient-being rights. The Jedi and Navy are in fact rivals in this war. Let me be straightforward. The creation of the clone army derailed the original purpose of our Military Creation Act. It is about power. You stripped our power and increased yours, we will do the same,” Tarkin said coldly.

“Enough of this infighting. This is UnRepublican. I have no part in this. And no more mentioning of the Military Creation Act,” Padme hissed, “if we want to pursue any common cause, we must move forward from the divisiveness.”  

She was triggered. Like traveling back to the disastrous old time. It still felt surreal that she had become the Co-Chair of the Galactic Security Committee after her opposition to Militarization had been defeated. It sounded ironic, but it was a welcome arrangement. Any war-related bill would be reviewed by her first. 

Her colleagues counted on her to table any bill that increased military power. 

“If there is no Jedi business to discuss anymore, I will excuse myself from more Senate affairs,” said Obi-Wan. Then he stood up to leave. 

Padme secretly wished that he would stay, even though the Jedi Master indeed should have no more participation in this legislative discussion. Facing the two architects of the Military Creation Act was stressful even for her. It was a wise move for Ferrics to bring Tarkin to give her pressure.  

“Master Kenobi, don’t leave so soon. There is still one more unresolved issue.” Tarkin raised his voice. “About Skywalker’s nomination. I suggest the Jedi drop their opposition. I mean, you drop your opposition.”

Obi-Wan stopped in his tracks. “I will consider it,” He said without any emotion. 

Padme was relieved by Obi-Wan’s answer. Anakin could spend more time on Coruscant if he was promoted, making both of their lives much better. But she hated this drama being thrown in her face. Tarkin was an ambitious and ruthless person, who she disliked a lot. Yet, for the first time in her life, she wished Tarkin could exercise his influence on this case. How much had she changed since the start of the war?

“I hope the decision will be fast. We want to waste no more time. Of course, less divisiveness . I hated to see the media and the public step in.” As he spoke, Tarkin pressed a button, and a familiar image burst to life on the conference room’s main screen.     

It was "Republic’s strength.” Anakin had shown it to her proudly after their engagement party. She had smiled gamely at the time, but, the truth was, she did not care for it at all. Compared to Anakin’s triumphant pose, Obi-Wan’s tears cast the Jedi as Separatists sympathizers. It was just one more thing sowing distrust toward the Jedi.

She knew Anakin was not the mastermind behind this charade; he couldn't do it alone. It had to be Tarkin. Everything made sense now.

Tarkin would be a bad influence on Anakin, but Padme was here. She could be a positive influence. Love always trumped hate.  

“I understand.” Obi-Wan nodded curtly and walked out of the room. 

The real business finally started. She had to face Tarkin’s aggressiveness alone. She hoped Clovis would arrive soon. He was a close ally. They had dated for a few months. Clovis still had some feelings for her, even after she’d moved on. However, she must make sure that the Banking Clan would refuse to fund the clone army. 

She knew Anakin would react to her allying with Clovis badly, but she felt more conflicted about allying with her old adversaries than she did with her old friend. If she co-sponsored a bill that decommissioned the clone army but granted more power and resources to the Academy, she was sure that she would be called a sellout by some of her more radical colleagues, or maybe something worse considering her relationship with Anakin. 

Ferrics was a very straightforward person. He presented his proposal as a less evil option for her without pretense or disguise. He already prepared all the talking points about how clones were expensive, how it would collapse the economy, increase taxes, etc., things she had said herself before in multiple speeches. He also talked about how recruiting the Republic citizens of diverse species would enhance solidarity.

But what really hit her was his argument about the clone army’s vulnerabilities. 

If the clone’s genetic sample had a flaw, the entire clone army could be severely weakened or maybe even controlled by an outside influence, such as a virus, bioweapon, or other intrusive objects. The whole Republic would be endangered. After knowing this, she firmly believed that citizen officers were a better option. 

She still hated the idea of expanding an armed force, regardless of which faction of the war machine was empowered. However, she understood that, with the war still raging violently on,  trying to stop all security measures would draw public outrage and condemnation. War-related legislation was a must-pass bill nowadays. What made the difference was who authorized the bill. The best case was that reasonable people wrote it, instead of the most hawkish groups. She was committed to being one such person. 

As a junior senator, she was able to achieve her current influence because she knew what to demand in different political climates. She was a practical politician who delivered results, not a symbolic figure who represented an ideal but achieved nothing. Sadly, many people considered her the latter. 

The conference room door slid open. Clovis, finally. He flashed her his usual charming smile which Padme couldn’t help but return as the tension eased from her shoulders. 

“Sorry for being late.” Clovis sat down next to Padme and put his hand close to hers. She carefully moved away from his hand. 

“You arrived at the right time. We just finished the discussion of the Jedi business,” Ferrics said with a friendly smile.

“Senator Clovis, what are your terms and conditions to side against the cloners?” Tarkin asked bluntly. 

“I would like to discuss this with Senator Amidala in private. It is a closed-door meeting after all,” Clovis said with a silky voice. 

Padme sighed internally. “Fine. I will talk to you in private. Then I will work with my colleagues on my side of the aisle, and decide how much power we want to grant to the Academy system.” She stared straight into Tarkin’s eyes in the holoimage. “ Next week, we’ll come back to the negotiation table with my terms and conditions.”

“Very well. I understand your side will have a heated discussion . The pacifists will fight you. They want to kill every single security measure. We want to work with your side, not the cloners. Good luck.” Tarkin gave a thin smile.

“You won’t. You have more to lose if you choose the other side, and you know it.“ Padme stood up and said with a blank face,  “Senator Ferrics, you and your staff can start to write the bill. Please write down specifically what you want. Drop all the Jedi business, otherwise, I refuse to talk.” Padme turned off her datapad and announced the meeting was over. 

Tarkin’s image disappeared. Ferrics shook hands with her and Clovis and left.

It was awkward to stay in the same room with Clovis alone, especially since her engagement to Anakin. Clovis was not good with boundaries. 

“I heard you got engaged to the Chancellor’s son. Congratulations,” he said ruefully. 

Padme wanted to correct that Anakin was his own individual person, he should not be seen as someone’s son, but it would lead to a conversation that she would rather not have. 

“So, how to get you onboard our side? What is your demand, Rush?” She used her senatorial voice. 

“You joining me on a diplomatic trip to Scipio is my only request.” Clovis looked at her expectantly. 

“If you are committed to the clone decommission side, it could be arranged.”

“Then you have the Banking Clan’s support. Just like the old times." 

***2***

Sidious needed to have a serious conversation with his apprentice about his recent irresponsible behaviors. Confronting Ventress. Openly criticizing the Jedi Order.  Threatening a media campaign to advance his career. Now convincing the Navy leadership to strip power from the Jedi Order in a must-pass bill. Secretly, he was impressed. Vader had no talent in scheming, but he was always able to invent new ways to demonstrate power.  Sidious found Vader’s originality in this area inspirational.

However, Vader was out of line. He must be reminded of his place.

“The Senate must not call for the decommission of the Jedi,” Sidious spat.    

Vader had been kneeling obediently since he was summoned. Now, he looked up at his Master in a defiant manner. “But Master, you said the Jedi Order needed to be stripped from their power and ousted. I am diligently following your order.”

“What you are doing is warning them, giving them time to prepare. They will not give up power, and you know it,” Sidious scoffed. 

“Sorry, my master. I didn't think it through.” Vader lowered his head and stared at the ground, ashamed. 

“I have settled things. I reassured the Jedi Council, any mention of the Jedi Order is to be removed from the bill, otherwise, I will not allow it to have any Senate debate. The bill’s sponsors understand the consequences."

Sidious couldn't see his apprentice's face, but Vader’s body language showed that he was disappointed, but he sensed resignation. 

"My foolish boy. You have learned your lesson. Rise and take a seat." 

Vader exhaled in relief. Instead of sitting on the other side of the expansive office desk, which he usually did, he sank on a nearby couch. The Sith Master could sense his fear, fear of the Jedi's revenge. 

Vader was defiant in front of the Jedi, such as Kenobi, but Sidious knew what fear was like. The boy was full of fear, always, no matter how brave he looked outside. 

"Move close. I sense much fear in you. Tell me what you are afraid of." He beckoned his apprentice to come closer. 

"No, Master, you are wrong about this. I am not afraid of anything, including death," Vader said with sparks in his blue eyes.

"Good." He knew Vader would categorically deny it. He had lied to himself for so long, to a point that he believed that he was fearless. "There is only passion indeed."

"How is your relationship with Master Kenobi? I heard that he disapproved of your confrontation with Ventress?"  Sidious probed.

"As annoying as usual. Now the whole Jedi Council thinks I am a threat. They are all against me," his boy said bitterly. "I successfully offended all of them by ending a lethal enemy." 

"Perhaps, they thought a Dark Sider's life was for them to take." Sidious savored Vader's indignation. "I am curious about why you went that far to fight Dooku's apprentice. Fighting a Sith Acolyte in front of Kenobi was suicidal. You can get yourself killed one way or another."

"I defended both the Republic and the Sith Rule of Two. And She was no Sith acolyte, she was the traitor Dooku's pawn." Anger surged. "How could I sit here and allow Dooku to destroy both? I brought justice and order." 

Such fierce loyalty. So admirable. Unfortunately, Sidious would dismantle both of them by himself. 

He had long noticed that Vader had a few un-Sith traits, such as blind loyalty and willingness to self-sacrifice. Such traits would automatically disqualify him from being anointed Apprentice by any other Master, but Sidious knew how to use every asset.

"I commended you for your faithfulness, my apprentice. The Jedi had been preparing something against the Senate. Against us, I can sense it.” He waited for Vader’s response. 

“I am not surprised. They already acted against me.” Fear, fury, disgust all registered on the boy’s gorgeous face. 

“Don't stray away from your assignment. After so many distractions, I have to remind you again. I need you to be my eyes and ears on the Jedi Council. You must have a position in the Military High Command, an Admiral at least, then you could have a chance to observe Windu, Yoda, and others. Of course, you must make sure that their incompetent war strategies are not destroying the Republic,” Sidious patiently elaborated. He paused and favored the boy with a thin, tired smile. “You have to earn that position yourself. You understand?”

“Yes, my Master. I will try my best, do everything that I can.” Vader nodded. 

“And act smarter.” Sidious put on his fatherly smile. “ How do you feel, lately ?”

For Sidious, things could not be better. The fear, anger, hatred, and suffering of trillion beings in the Galaxy were replenishing the Dark Side.The Dark was growing stronger, taking over. The Light was diminishing as each Jedi died in the war, and another being lost hope. 

More importantly, Vader's state in the Force could tip the balance of the Force, due to his unnatural birth. With the war's progress, his mood was more volatile, angrier, more paranoid, and more hostile toward the Jedi. 

Sidious’s late Master, Darth Plagueis, had claimed that Vader was the result of his life-creation experiment. Plagueis had long wished to create a powerful Force being, to fool the Jedi into believing the Sith creation was the fulfillment of their prophecy. The Chosen One would defeat the Sith. It would be a great mockery to the mighty Jedi Order. To accomplish this trickery, he secretly hired agents to spread the word that the Chosen One was coming, hoping it could reach the Order's ears. 

However, in his experiment, the Light side of Force strongly pushed back. He believed his experiment had failed. Nine years later, during a meditation session with Sidious, both of them saw a vision. A blue-eyed human child looked into the rising of twin suns. 

It was Tatooine.

His Master immediately recognized what the boy was: the result of his experiment. He had been concerned that the boy might have been the product of the Light's pushing back, and thus suggested that they leave the boy alone. If the Jedi wanted him, so be it. The Sith could seek him out at the right time, and invite him to the Dark Side, to return to his rightful place. Plagueis was confident that in his lifetime, the Sith would have the rightful return after a thousand years' hiding. Vader was of no importance in his Grand Plan, just a trophy to claim. 

Leaving a powerful Force weapon to the Jedi was a total waste, simply because Plagueis was paranoid about the possibility that Vader was the product of the Light.

This was the moment that Sidious decided to kill his Master. Plagueis had grown weak, being frightened by the Light. How could a weakling lead the Sith Order to reclaim its past glory? If a Sith couldn't take the Light Side's belongings, turn, break, or bleed them, and rebuild them in the image of the Dark, this Sith was unworthy to live.

Plagueis the Wise was, in fact, a fool. He didn't foresee his own death at the hands of his trusted Apprentice.

" How do I feel? I am good. Happy about the engagement with Padme."

Sidious quietly appraised his young apprentice who was confused by the question. 

"No, I mean how do you feel about the Force ?"

"More powerful. I suppose?" Vader's answer was a disappointment, which didn't surprise Sidious. Despite his powerful connection to the Force, he did know how to read the Force.

"Let me be more specific. Do you feel peace ?" 

"The galaxy was in chaos thanks to Dooku. I don't see any peace here," Vader said angrily. "But I will bring back peace and order."

"I mean.. inner peace." Watching his apprentice's tormented expression was one of Sidious's favorite entertainments.

"Master, what is this question about? Peace was the most pathetic feeling. People use "pursuing inner peace" as excuses to refuse to take action when injustice happens right in front of them. Refuse to help others. Inner peace is the most egregious lie that one can tell themselves. There should be no peace until all the injustice is dealt with. No righteous persons pursue inner peace, only hypocrites." The young man hit his fist on the desk with a loud sound. 

"Peace is a lie. There is only Passion.

Through Passion I gain Strength.

Through Strength I gain Power.

Through Power I gain Victory.

Through Victory my chains are Broken.

The Force shall free me."

Vader recited the full text of the Sith Code in a solemn, reverent voice. The Force resonated with his passion. Only at these rare moments, Vader looked like a perfect Sith.

Sidious laughed. "Good, Good. You showed great commitment to the Sith teaching."

He always found Vader reciting and interpreting the Sith Code fascinating.  Sidious himself couldn't do it nearly as well. He never spent much time teaching Anakin the Code. It was Anakin himself who was so drawn to it, ever since he first set eyes on the ancient text. The Code lived within him. It validated, powered, and sustained him. 

"Peace is a lie" was ingrained in his every cell, with his life being a living manifestation. Sidious engineered many accidents in the boy's life, to guide him to the Dark. But resenting inner peace was not his doing. It was a gift.

Different from other Masters, for Sidious, the Code was nothing. The Sith philosophy could be summarized in one word.

Power.

As long as the end goal could be achieved, the pathway was irrelevant. If peace could achieve power, go for it. Except, it could not. 

With the Dark Side rising, he felt refreshed. He could call these feelings "peace". Being a Sith didn't mean that he had to live on the high all the time.

For Vader, every word in the Code was true and revered. No single piece could be altered or removed. His disdain for the very concept of peace was the foundation of his devotion to the Sith Order. 

After Naboo's Occupation, Sidious gave Anakin a choice: he could either pledge himself to the way of the Sith, to achieve greatness through a painful journey, or he could remain to be his adopted son, helping around, and living a normal life. Sidious had already known the answer, but he asked the question nonetheless.

He didn't push him, nor instill hatred toward the Jedi Order to motivate him to take his side. Actually, he told Anakin about the Jedi Code in a neutral way. He knew the first moment the boy read the text, it was precisely when he started to resent them. 

Becoming part of the Dark was Vader's destiny.

In the past, some individuals had turned to the Dark Side, wishing to wield its violent powers for altruistic purposes. Vader seemed to be such an individual. But all Sith ended up being pursuers of their own lust for power, becoming a part of Sith's grand plan. All the paths led to the same end, the starting point was no longer relevant.

Sidious vaguely remembered the origin of the Sith Code. Sorzus Syn once was a powerful Jedi, but she rejected the faulty Jedi way and became one of the most prominent Sith Lord. This was the reason why the Sith and Jedi Codes were written in a similar structure. It was a product of her passionate refutation to her former self. Later Syn disappeared. Some Jedi claimed that she returned to the Light. Sidious knew it was another pathetic piece of Jedi propaganda. 

The Dark Side was a path of no return, a fact which was one of the sole points of agreement between both the Sith and Jedi Orders.

After Anakin made his pledge, Sidious sought Master Yoda out gleefully, to ask for some parenting advice. He told Yoda that he adopted a 10-year-old refugee child. The blood test showed that his midichlorians were high enough to be considered Force-sensitive. Yoda was not interested in a child at that age, but he had stressed the importance of keeping the child away from negative emotions and providing them with stability. Even if they were not trained, their own life could be miserable and chaotic due to some ill influence from the Force. For trained Forced wielders, Jedi doctrine said that fear, anger, hate led to suffering step by step, towards a sad ending of no return. 

The "sad ending" was the Dark Side, the ultimate victory of the Sith. Sidious finished Yoda's sentence in his mind. 

It was exhilarating to hear the Grand Master declaring their own defeat without knowing. The Jedi were slipping to a miserable ending of no return, indeed. 

"My boy, you can leave now. Go spend some quality time with your fiancée. You will leave for battle tomorrow. I am sad to see you go." 

Palpatine stood up, walked to Anakin, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, don't antagonize Master Kenobi. Remember the mission . Now go."

Anakin bowed respectfully. He walked towards the door but halted and turned back.

"Master, I almost forgot. I recruited an agent. He was the clone who accused the Jedi of being slavers and conspired together with Ventress. I found him interesting. I faked his death. Do you approve?"

"Oh, I thought you would kill him for treason." Palpatine had no interest in listening to the tale of a mere clone. "Do whatever you want with him."

"The Jedi created the clones on Kamino facilities. I thought the clones should be absolutely loyal to them since they were said to have been genetically edited, to be more obedient than the template. I wonder how much free will they have."

"I consulted the Kamino Senator. They have as much free will as you do." Palpatine motioned Anakin to leave, he had more important business to attend.

What he said was true, the clones had free will until Order 66 was triggered. Vader was the same. He would do whatever bidding his Master gave him when that moment came, regardless of whether he liked it or not. 

He silently watched Anakin leave. He was marveled at how differently Vader and Maul functioned. Maul had been twisted and vicious. Vader looked so normal from the outside. He was a fine, good-looking young man, a promising Navy officer. He had friends and colleagues who he respected, he had a cat, and soon, a spouse. No one suspected a thing, not even Kenobi.

Maul was a failed project. Thus, Sidious tried a different way to craft the new weapon. Vader was a success. Sidious took pride in his craftsmanship.

When making lightsabers, Sith bled Kyber crystals to harvest their power, turning their natural color to crimson. It was done with an outburst of sheer power. 

Vader's training required a different method. The bleeding and transformation had to be slow. Sidious wanted the inside to be reforged, but the exterior to remain untouched until he had other ideas.

Chapter Text

***1***

Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano was on board the Star Destroyer the Resolute . Her Master Plo Koon, a senior member of the High Council, was set to rendezvous with her at Felucia, a world in the Outer Rim after he completed a special mission.

One year ago, as a 14-year-old Jedi Initiate, she had wanted to take on more responsibilities to defend the peace and stability of the Republic. If she wanted to go on missions, she must be guided by a Jedi Master. 

Because of the war, fewer Jedi were in the Temple than ever. Many regular functions of the Order were interrupted. Some of the Masters in charge of matching padawans with masters went to the war. Things moved slowly for eager Initiates like her, thus, they decided to take matters into their own hands. She and her friends took to waiting outside the dining hall, library, meditative gardens, gym, and any places that a Jedi Knight might show up. They had approached, stopped, and even stalked every Jedi Knight who might want to take a padawan. Some Knights had found them annoying, but most of them looked at them with amusement, and some even gave words of encouragement. 

One day, Ahsoka was waiting in ambush outside the High Council meeting. Master Koon saw her, and invited her to have a meditative session together. A couple days later, she was on board Star Destroyer Triumphant, with her new Jedi Master and Wolf Pack Battalion. 

It was not an easy year for her. As a youngling, she and her friend saw everything with rose-tinted glasses. Anything outside the Temple was exciting, including war.

She was hit hard by reality when she first saw the death of the troopers. She herself was injured a couple of times.  All her injuries were minor. She had bounced back in a few days. 

War was no longer fun, but spending time and learning from Master Koon was great. Master Koon was a warm, patient, and kind person, who got along with almost everyone. Many Jedi not only respected him, but were very close to him, and counted him as a trustworthy problem-solver when things got tough. As a result, they frequently had joint missions with other Jed Knights and Apprentices. These missions were the bright part of the war. Her Master always told her that she should be open-minded and learned from as many people as possible. 

Now she was heading towards Felucia together with Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was also a High Council member. She was excited about this opportunity, but she was also nervous, more nervous than usual.  

Back at the Temple, Master Windu had described the situation. “If Felucia is lost,” he had said, “a quarter of the Republic will fall into Dooku’s hand in a few months.” 

Felucia had been the constant target of Separatists. They took an interest in the Felucia system due to its strategic location on the Perlemian Trade Route. Bloody battles had been fought. Many lives had been lost. The Jedi Council decided to send two of the most experienced members to take control of the dangerous situation. 

She did not know about Felucia’s strategic importance, but she had heard about this place.

When she was younger, she had watched a video about this planet. All she remembered about Felucia was that it was home to jungles, mud, and rancor. Not a very pleasant place to engage the enemy force. Probably not a pleasant place to do anything. 

The brutality of the battle and the bad terrain were not her only concerns. Her extra unease was caused by the presence of Master Kenobi’s deputy, Colonel Anakin Skywalker, a human navy officer.

Skywalker was a famed hero. He was praised as the “Hero of No Fear” after he defeated Darksider Ventress. It was a shocking thing that a non-Jedi dared to take on a Dark Sider, which was reckless and dangerous. Nonetheless, this act alone gained admiration from many Jedi younglings and padawans, including Ahsoka herself.

However, there were whispers in the Temple that he was one of the leading actors who called for banning young Jedi Pawadans from learning from their Masters firsthand on the battleground. He also wanted to force the younglings to leave their Jedi family and be returned to their biological parents. He not only thought about it, but pushed the Senate to act on it. Luckily, someone higher up saw reasons and put a stop to it. 

Still, Skywalker had gained a new title in the Temple, the younglings called him “The Bully.”

Master Koon had patiently explained to the younglings that it was not a nice thing to call others names. Skywalker was an ambitious young person with misguided extreme ideals.

By saying this, Master Koon confirmed the rumor was in fact true. Well, it made him an anti-Jedi extremist. 

Since Ahsoka was on board the ship, she had been closely observing Skywalker and his interactions with Master Kenobi and others.

Skywalker seemed normal, as intense as he was in these interviews. He acted respectfully and professionally when they discussed the tactical details. Sometimes when Master Kenobi told a joke, Skywalker laughed wholeheartedly. At times, they were collegial. But with the Force, nothing could fool her. She sensed the tension between the two of them. 

Skywalker was like a Lothcat, who played harmless and innocent but sharpened his claws, arched back, ready to hiss and jump to Master Kenobi's head when the right moment came.

Master Kenobi knew. Skywalker knew that he knew.

They were in the situation room, reading reports. There was still one day’s time before they arrived in Felucia, and they already sorted through the strategies.  Ahsoka decided that it was time to blow up the bantha poodoo. What good would it do to bring these conflicts to an upcoming dangerous battle?

"Master Kenobi, Colonel Skywalker, it may not be my place to say, " she said carefully, "but you two need to have a conversation to work your differences out." She smiled innocently. "It is obvious."

Master Kenobi froze for a moment. Skywalker blinked but immediately responded.

"Very well. I want my lightsaber back." He pushed his datapad aside. 

"What? You have a lightsaber?" She exclaimed.

"If you mean the trophy you got from the battle with Ventress?" Master Kenobi responded calmly. “The answer is no.” 

“There is no rule dictating that the Republic military combatants can not keep the enemy weapons they take from the battleground. There are plenty of examples. In fact, the Jedi Order currently owns several vessels which were taken from Separatists.” Skywalker cocked his head, wearing a challenging smile. “That lightsaber almost blinded me, and left a permanent scar on my face. I do not see any compelling reason to deny my right to keep it for remembrance.” 

The Lothcat was well prepared and had attacked. 

“Ventress’ lightsaber is dangerous in your hand-” 

Skywalker interrupted, “Isn’t it absurd that a child can own a lightsaber, but an adult Republic combatant can not.” He turned to face Ahsoka. “Commander Tano, how old were you when you first had a lightsaber? Did the younger you think that owning a lightsaber was dangerous?” 

Ahsoka hated to be reminded that she was a child. She could handle things well even when she was a youngling. “I was seven when I built my first lightsaber, after the Force gifted me a kyber crystal on the planet Ilum. It is not a danger to have a lightsaber,” she said proudly. When she saw Skywalker returning her a big smile, she realized she had walked into a trap. 

“So, I am not as competent as a 7-year-old?” He said tauntingly as he rounded back to Master Kenobi. 

Master Kenobi stayed cool. “Ventress’ lightsaber is not a regular weapon. It is a Dark Side artifact. The Jedi Order has the right to judge anything related to the Dark Side, and the right to confiscate their artifacts. It is a deadly weapon as well.” 

A Dark Side artifact? The curiosity in Ahsoka raised its head. “Master Kenobi, how is Ventress’ lightsaber different from a Jedi Lightsaber?”

Master Kenobi stroked his beard, deciding what to say. Skywalker looked intrigued now. Ahsoka felt she may have opened a can of worms. Were they allowed to discuss these types of things in front of non-Jedi? “Sorry, if it was an inappropriate question, I take it back.” 

“It was okay, little one. It is an intense topic, but not a classified one.” Master Kenobi smiled at her warmly. He cleared his throat. “I want both of you to listen. I will make this understandable to a layperson.”

“The crystal is important to a Jedi, and many other Force traditions. Kyber crystals have many different colors. Blue, green, purple, yellow, but red is not one of its natural colors. A Force-user can corrupt the Kyber to red with the sheer force of hatred. Such level of hatred could only be possessed by individuals who had murdered other sentient beings. When the Jedi Order confiscates a corrupted crystal, we usually purify it to remove the red. But the damage is done, it cannot be completely undone. It will not return to its original color, but become pale white instead, bearing a permanent scar of the Dark. This was how the Dark Side corrupted creations."

Ahsoka felt a chill down her spine. This was a shocking revelation indeed. The Dark Side could twist every nature’s creation against its own nature. She learned a lot from Master Kenobi today. 

She found Skywalker looking thoughtfully at Master Kenobi with slightly narrowed eyes. His lips were in a thin line. The Lothcat did not give up his prey, contemplating his next move. 

"Dark side corrupted it? Judgment based on Jedi beliefs? No one had the right to confiscate a property solely due to its original creator’s method of creating. You are not beyond the Republic law. I defend my ownership of this property." He said coolly, "You have to prove that it is more dangerous than regular lightsabers such as the one you own, Master Kenobi." Ahsoka believed that she saw Skywalker smile for a second. 

Property rights to a trophy Dark Side artifact! Skywalker was possessive, which was not healthy. Jedi didn't really own anything other than the lightsaber they built, and their uniform. The attachment was a bad thing. This dispute over a red lightsaber was a living demonstration of it. It was a good lesson for her.

But was the red lightsaber truly more dangerous physically?  Ahsoka didn't know there were any differences between her lightsabers and Dark Jedi's sabers beyond their color. Indeed, it was cruel to corrupt a kyber crystal, but did people outside the Temple respect the sanctity of the kyber? Probably not. It was a component of a weapon, that was all. She looked at Master Kenobi anticipatingly for an answer.

"I will not appeal to you with the Jedi tradition, as you already expressed your disagreement multiple times. Possession of a corrupted crystal was not good for anyone's soul. Especially--” Master Kenobi hesitated "--especially, you."

Skywalker raised his voice. "What is the matter with me? You could have told me that this lightsaber was bad on optics, being a symbol of Separatist. I could buy that argument.  But why do you have to attack me? "

"Good to know that you took optics into consideration." Master Kenobi tried to be humorous but then turned serious. "Do you know that you are Force Sensitive? Not enough to meet the Jedi standard, but close."

Oh Force. Ahsoka dropped her jaw. Skywalker shot her a dark look.

"Your Jedi standard is none of my business. But how do you know? It is medical information.” He hissed, "You couldn’t have learned that without violating my privacy and breaking multiple laws."

"You do know that the Order had access to all Republic citizen's Force sensitivity tests. I checked the number after Naboo Occupation."

"Not Force-sensitive enough for the mighty Order, but sensitive enough to have my privacy violated, my rightful property confiscated, and probably my promotion blocked," Skywalker retorted angrily. "Treating sentient beings differently, and selecting who to monitor, based on genetic traits, is called discrimination. I am done with the Jedi oppression." 

Skywalker called the Jedi Order an oppressor. Ahsoka felt offended. The Jedi Master stayed patient, but she must come to the Order's defense.

"You are wrong. We Jedi respect all beings, and try our best to treat everyone fairly. Force-sensitives are unique. Master Kenobi did so because he cares about you and wants to protect you," she said with hurt. "You are so mean to the Jedi. Is your bitterness coming from not being recruited by the Order?"

"What?" Skywalker was drinking water. He spat it out. "The last thing I wanted to do is to condemn my life to spiritual slavery!" 

"Slavery?" This man was impossible. "You can't smear us in this way. You have to explain or apologize."

"You were born with certain genetic traits, thus the Jedi order had claims over you. The Order told you that you are bonded to serve the " Force. " He paused, seemingly trying to recall details, then he continued, "Are you allowed to have any possession? Are you allowed to romantically love anyone and have children? You are taught to be ‘selfless.’ When you are denied everything a normal being enjoys because attachment was forbidden, I don't know any way to describe it other than servitude."

“Anakin, I am impressed that you knew so much about the Jedi Order.” Master Kenobi's voice showed no anger. It was a relief for her that Master Kenobi stepped in after Ahsoka had opened this can of worms.

“Your former student Palis’ HoloNet postings are very enlightening,” Skywalker smirked. 

“I did not read what she wrote, but I know she does not hold grudges against the Order. It is your own prejudice toward the Order that turns innocent aspects into hard evidence for your false accusations.” The Jedi Master shooks his head. “You may be disappointed, but you are by no means the first person that I’ve heard making these accusations.”

Master Kenobi was the center of attention now. Both Ahsoka and Skywalker held their breath.

“When I was on peacekeeping and diplomatic missions, the losing sides of the dispute would accuse the Jedi Order of various things, to discredit the results of the negotiations. You claim that the Order deprives the Jedi of their freedom, however, you do not know the role that the Jedi Order has played in history, what lesson we have learned from our failed endeavors, and how the Code was set up in this way to prevent more mistakes,” he said thoughtfully and gave a chipped nod at Ahsoka. 

Skywalker straightened himself. “Care to explain?”

“The Jedi Order has existed and defended the peace of the galaxy for thousands of generations. It means we’ve had abundant opportunities to make mistakes. Some Jedi misused their talents and power to pursue their personal ambition, eventually pursuing power for power’s sake. They went down a path that led to so many deaths and much suffering.” Master Kenobi gazed out at the roiling hyperspace swirl. 

“The power from the Force is very different from political clout, or physical strength. It came too easy for some powerful Jedi. The Dark Side of the Force also whispered to and tempted them, leading them away from the Light. The Jedi Code was written after we had many fallen members. You may not know that it was the lost Jedi who started the Order of the Sith thousands of years ago. We practice self-restraint to serve both of the Jedi and the Force better.” 

Today was definitely a day that was full of surprise for Ahsoka. The teaching that younglings received never talked about Sith’s origin.

To her surprise, Skywalker spoke. “I do know. Your student wrote a number of scary tales of some Jedi infighting that happened 20,000 years ago. Whoever read it would think that the Jedi are the only force to combat evil, thus the savior for the Galaxy. Her writing intimidated a Senate Committee into supporting the surveillance of all the Senators. That bill may pass, and my father, Padme, and I would be surveillanced when we’ve done nothing wrong. So, congratulations,” he said casually. “You no longer just monitor beings who are Force-sensitives. The surveillance business has expanded. Hard to believe the Jedi are not in it for power. Maybe as individuals, you are not. By denying individual members’ sense of self, collectively as an organization, you are for dominance.” 

“Palis did not mean to intimidate. She believed in transparency. I had warned her that it could backfire." Obi-Wan sighed. “Your fundamental assumption about the Jedi is wrong, we do not pursue power. We serve. We are servants of the Force, the Republic, and her people.” Master Kenobi inserted more authority into his voice. “Force-sensitivity is a double-edged sword. If the Order did not train knights, the gift from the Force would be wasted. Fewer peacekeepers would mean more wars and suffering. The training has to start early, otherwise, attachment and strong emotions would already take a hold on that person, making them easy prey of the Dark Side. Every Jedi is a free person, if they do not like the Order, they have the right to leave.” 

“Can they leave freely ? Palis did not have her citizenship. It caused quite a bit of difficulty for her. You probably could not believe it. I tried to help her. She knew how to fit in the circle of regular people, but if a younger Jedi wanted to leave, like this little one, can they fit in?” He gestured to Ahsoka. 

“I will never leave the Order,” She spat. 

“You never know.” He looked at her with amusement.

“Anakin, as your supervisor, and a friend, I must remind you that your attitude toward Jedi is not good. It is arrogant, disrespectful, and provoking." Finally, Master Kenobi spoke with the authority of a High Council member. “You are making personal grievances a public affair.”   

"Are you suggesting that my criticism of the Jedi is the outbursts of some personal feelings?” Skywalker asked seriously “How about other Jedi critics? For example, Dooku, a former Jedi, the leader of Separatists. He had been on the HoloNet for years, criticizing the Jedi Order whenever he could. Do you think about him in the same way?” He paused. “Or just because I am younger?"

Ahsoka covered her eyes with her hands. This crazy guy compared himself to Count Dooku, a Sith Lord.

“Anakin, I know you have a great deal of ambition, and talent as well. You aim to be an influential military leader.” Master Kenobi almost said painfully, “You have many role models in your life to learn from. You have to learn to accept other people’s opinions, not make more self-important statements.” 

“One last self-important statement to make.” Skywalker slowly pronounced, “If the Jedi stick to the preconception that other beings are unenlightened, misguided pathetic lifeforms , that arrogance will be your downfall.” 

Master Kenobi’s body tensed. Ahsoka saw a brief moment of haunted look. “It sounded like the wisdom of the elderly, your point was taken,” he said. 

“You are welcome,” Skywalker smiled gracefully. “Master Kenobi, you have imposed your Order’s oppressive rule on me, in the name of a higher good and knowing what is best for me. I have had enough of it. Give that lightsaber back to me,” Skywalker asserted. “If the Jedi respect every being, then respect my rights to do some damage on my soul. You believe that lightsaber is dangerous, but I do not.”

After a long silence, Master Kenobi spoke again.“Very well, I respect your desire for self-destruction. If strange things happen, you can come to me.”  He sighed. “I will get it for you.” Then he left the conference room. 

Skywalker laughed, looking at Ahsoka triumphantly.  

“You did not win,” she snapped. “You will regret one day.” Ahsoka was so frustrated by the navy officer. Master Kenobi was such a kind and responsible person, but he was repaid with disrespect. “And you are wrong about the Jedi Order wanting to maintain power for ourselves."

"For the past a thousand years, hundreds of Chancellors have come and gone, only Jedi and its rigid rules remained the same, shaping the power structure of the Galaxy by choosing the winning side of each conflict as diplomats. How long has your Grand Master Yoda stayed in office? A few hundred?” He challenged her. “Even if the Senate schedules a vote to disentangle itself from the Order, do you think the planetary leaders will let go of the source that grants them the power in the first place?" 

"You just believe in conspiracy theories! We Jedi followed the guidance from the Force to mediate, we don't take sides." She threw her hands into the air.

"Jedi showed a pattern to side with the pacifists or establishments in negotiations. They prefer rulers who are similar to them." He snorted, "I did not make this up. My team did the research. The numbers proved that the Jedi took sides."

She wanted to tell him that it meant the Force wished it so, but decided that the extremist would not listen anyway. But she had some questions. "You know, you have the Force, don't you feel that you missed the opportunity to learn how to use it? You are not curious at all? I would be." 

It was Skywalker's turn to be surprised, then he chuckled. "You are a very interesting person, young one. Are you doing a recruitment speech?"

"We received reports that Dooku was recruiting and training more Dark Acolytes. Most of his new recruits were Force-sensitives born in Outer Rim, like you. It seems that many people are interested." Obi-wan came back with the lightsaber, and placed it on the desk. "I don't want to see it ignited anywhere. Lock it up somewhere at your home."

"I know exactly how dangerous it is to be seen wielding a red lightsaber. " Skywalker pocketed it in his tunic. 

Ahsoka only wished he could keep his word. Who knew what an anti-Jedi extremist would do? 

"You have not answered my question yet. Don't you want to be trained, if someone offers?" Ahsoka still wanted her answers.

"Are you asking if Dooku’s been courting me for his competing Jedi Order?” Skywalker laughed. “Not at all. Like I’d stoop to being some Separatist Dark Acolyte. Way below my pay grade,” he scoffed. 

Ahsoka found that she made herself a fool again.

"Little one, are you interested in getting some practice in the Starfighter simulator? I can show you a few things," Skywalker invited.

Despite the frustrating conversation they’d just had, she wanted to vent these negativities out. She would beat him up in a combat simulation session. 

She stood up. "Lead the way."

***2***

Vader locked Ventress' lightsaber in his closet. His request was a reckless move, especially in front of two Jedi, he knew, but he could not resist this temptation. On some days, he found this type of conversation especially intriguing, though on other times he may feel them irritating. 

He must stop antagonizing the Jedi Master, just as Sidious requested. He revealed too much today, almost outright selling out who he was. He unconsciously shifted into the role of a Sith Lord, a philosophical contender. He was facing a young Jedi who needed to know the truth, especially when the Togruta girl was likable.  

He swore that this would not happen again. Otherwise, he would not only doom himself but his master as well. 

He should have not pointed out the true weakness of the Jedi to Kenobi. Both Sidious and Jedi Master Jinn thought the same thing. Jedi were arrogant in general and most of them lacked self-awareness. Fortunately, Kenobi was one of them. 

Sidious predicted that Kenobi would not take Anakin seriously, thus could not find out his true identity. Anakin was just another pathetic lifeform who needed enlightenment or to be saved from self-harm. It was the Jedi's blind point. Sidious called it a blessing, but Vader resented being dismissed as an angry and petty brat. 

Kenobi was not as judgemental and condescending as he had been when they first met on Naboo, however, the older Kenobi still upheld the preconception that Anakin was an unstable and disruptive child. This never changed since the “disrespectful confrontation” with the Grand Master Yoda over a Holo-communication during the Occupation.

Anakin’s life had many twists and turns, but not being taken seriously was the only thing that had remained constant. Slave, refugee adoptee, and welfare case. His life was always associated with being seen as a helpless being. He was treated with either a patronizing attitude, or the opposite, with outright condescension, suspicion, and whispers. Even today, his accomplishment was regarded as nepotism by many.  

Sometimes, he envied Dooku. He was serious when he challenged Kenobi, asking why Dooku was never seen as protesting due to personal grievance. Dooku's open criticism of the Jedi dated way before the revelation of his association to the Sith. Dooku was a Jedi Master, High Council member, and hailed from a noble family. His upbring commanded respect. 

Except Dooku deserved no respect. 

To some extent, Vader was also Dooku’s student. He learned all the Jedi lightsaber forms from the traitor. He was very certain that he mastered Form V Djem so better than most of the Jedi he saw on the battle recordings.

However, at the same time he endured ridicule, sneers as well as abuse. Young Anakin had learned a great deal of Jedi weakness from the Count. Ironically, he did not learn them from Dooku's self-rightness speeches, instead, he learned them first-hand by observing his instructor. The Jedi could blame that on the Sith corruption, but Vader knew better. If the Sith all acted like Dooku, they would have been eliminated a thousand years ago.   

Dooku treated Anakin like he was a useless being. Vader was way more powerful than Dooku, but this old man was easily deceived by the fake midichlorian count in Anakin’s medical records. Regarding non-Jedi as lesser beings probably was a Jedi tradition. Yoda did it, Dooku did it, and Kenobi too. 

Some Jedi showed superiority outright, others were subtler, masked by believable good intentions. He could not discuss this with Padme. She would not understand, instead, she would tell him that he was too sensitive and imagine things. She did not know that the most crucial skill to survive slavery was to read people, read the people how had power over you. 

He could criticize the Jedi flaws for days, but Qui-Gon Jinn was an outlier. Anakin wished that he had not died. His younger self had not been on his best behavior the last time they had talked. He had no chance to amend it. Plagueis and Maul, the two responsible persons were all long gone, thus it was a pointless issue.

In some of his nightmares, Vader relived the time that Dooku had forced Anakin to call him Master, wearing the expression of seeing something of no worth. He saw that look again on Geonosis. He had proved Dooku wrong on Geonosis and again by destroying his agent Ventress. One day, he would face Dooku again and bring ultimate destruction to this traitor.  

One day he would also show the Jedi Order that he was a force to be reckoned with. A true adversary. Brandishing a red lightsaber, casting lightning, or murdering some Jedi were Dooku’s way. Vader would do something different. 

He would make the Jedi leave the Republic for good, which was close to what Plagueis’ Master had planned. Each Sith had their own design for how to handle the Jedi Order. Anakin had read many drastically different possibilities from the Bane line writings. 

However, as the Apprentice, what Vader eventually would do was decided by Sidious. What was Sidious’ plan? His master said it was too early for him to know. Just focus on his current task. 

His thoughts came back to the event today. He learned a few new things. He knew most of the tales Kenobi said, but for some of these tales, the Jedi version was different from Vader’s lesson, such as the origin of the red crystals. 

It was not corruption. It was a symbol of bleeding passion. 

The Jedi Apprentice Ahsoka Tano intrigued him. The conversation hit too close to home several times, but he successfully went away unscratched. 

He enjoyed teasing the girl. Even though she declared that he was wrong about everything, Vader was certain that some of his speech got into her. One day, she would agree that the way Jedi treated Force-sensitives was wrong and realize that she had been used. 

Noticing that he had gotten lost in his thoughts, he recentered on his task at hand, writing a note to Rackeli. In a few hours, they would arrive on Felucia. He would send it to her after the bloody battle. 

He used to think that the Jedi Order controlled their members for power, but their control had interfered with his life on a new level. He recognized just how invasive it had become. 

“About the Jedi operation, I learned a few new things from Master Kenobi. My father did not want the Senate to discuss anything related to the Order. Force-sensitive beings need freedom. We will end their oppressive rule. I will tell you more when I am back to Coruscant.”  

He closed off the datapad, and entered a meditative state. The mission on Felucia would be the toughest ever. The Separatists had a stronghold indeed. Known to only a few, the planet was deeply connected to the Force. Probably there were many interesting creatures like Princess Imperius, but he heard tales saying that people saw ghosts of their past or lost control. 

At least three Jedi would be with him, for how long a period which he had no idea. He must give up his free expression, but practice self-restraint instead. This was no longer for his promotion, but for survival. 

Vader made preparations. A potion based on an ancient recipe, dated back to the era when the Jedi had the schism and infighting. It was used to constrain powerful Force-wielders, by temporarily cutting off most of their connection to the Force. He was not sure whether the Jedi Order still used it now when many other methods were available. 

He drank it before departure. Despite its strong effect on Force-connection, he felt few side effects after initial discomfort. He still could feel the Force, hearing its echoes and whispers. He would be unlikely to see visions, and could not do anything as simple as lifting up a rock. 

Feeling powerless was very unpleasant, but it was a much lesser evil than getting caught. 

The chemicals would last for about a month in his system, hopefully, the battle would be over by then. A month of time to live as a “powerless being”. This was the first time since he left Tatooine. 

Chapter Text

*** 1 ***

Night had fallen and Obi-Wan could finally take a small break. The Felucia campaign had been going on for over a month. The Republic forces had initially been at the disadvantage, but now the tide was turning. The campaign was wrapping up and they were winning. 

Felucia had many critical resources for the Republic. That meant brutal war tactics like orbital bombardment, which was used more and more frequently by both sides of the conflict, were right out. The planet’s surface was covered with swamps, making troop movements difficult. 

The Jedi Council had called for a retreat several times. Under Tarkin’s leadership, the navy strategy cell, which was an advisory board to the Jedi Council on war efforts, had insisted that they stay. 

The Jedi Council had weighed in their advice and delayed the retreat on certain conditions: if Republic forces couldn’t take down certain Separatist outposts, supply chains, or bridges, the fleet would forcefully retrieve them. Obi-Wan and Master Koon won the trust of the local resistance forces and built a formidable alliance. The Republic beat the odds and turned the tide.

Padawan Ahsoka seemed to enjoy Anakin’s company more and more. They shared a common devotion to reckless activities. Obi-Wan was not very concerned about recklessness. Instead, he was more worried that Anakin’s conspiracy theories may be rubbing off on Ahsoka. 

To Anakin’s credit, he had changed his confrontation style since they had started this campaign. Obi-Wan could see that the young man tried very hard. It was a good sign. Probably, Anakin realized that he was out of the line by suggesting that Ahsoka may want to leave the Order one day. 

After the pair’s initial argument, Obi-Wan had talked to Ahsoka at length about why Anakin’s theory was flawed. The padawan pointedly stated that all his accusations were built on an assumption that the Jedi sought power. Therefore, all his conclusions would fall apart if the foundation was false. This was reassuring. Master Koon had also agreed that such groundless charges would not have an effect on his student. 

As the sky darkened, the troopers bedded down for the night. Anakin volunteered to go with Master Koon and Ahsoka on patrol. Obi-Wan decided to meditate. In a few days, a new garrison of troopers would arrive. They would be stationed in Felucia until the war ended, in case Separatists came back. It was a smart move.  Anakin had suggested it and many other smart ideas. 

Anakin was a brilliant officer. He thought outside the box, and his methods were effective. But he also had a cruel side, which Obi-Wan personally disliked. Yet, it was not the reason he blocked Anakin’s promotion. 

Something about the young man was off. Obi-Wan needed time to muse on it.

Where did his hostility to the Jedi come from? When mediating conflicts between worlds or tribes, identifying the source of the conflict was one of the critical steps.

Obi-Wan had indeed misunderstood Anakin in many ways. Anakin was arrogant and unruly, which he found frustrating. There had to be a way to help the young man grow more mature. Obi-Wan had once been that age and had thought he knew everything. The sooner Anakin grew out of that stage, the better.

Anakin was also much more sensitive than Obi-Wan used to believe, which meant he could be easily influenced by bad actors. His untrained Force-sensitivity made him more receptive to strong emotions and radical ideas. At the same time, his natural gifts strengthened his connection with other beings. Anakin didn't have good people skills, but his Force gifts granted him the power to influence the masses. 

That power could be disruptive. The Jedi Order had discovered a pattern among untrained Force-sensitive beings. Many of them were uncannily charismatic leaders, who felt strongly and passionately about issues. They became insurgents, radical politicians, or even terrorist leaders. 

During one of his diplomatic missions, he and Palis had mediated a three-party confrontation that severely destabilized the system. Interestly, all the three leaders in the conflict were untrained Force-sensitives. They were either right below the order's recruitment standard, or their parents had declined to give the children to the Order. These individuals had become the Order’s headaches. 

For the stability of the Galaxy, the Order wanted to have tabs on such people for their own good. The Order neither actively monitored them, nor meddled their life. However, when conflicts escalated again, knowing the leaders' source of strength and action patterns greatly facilitated solving these issues.  Everyone had peace again, and the Order would leave them alone. 

There was another unique and grave danger that these people faced. They often were the prey of sinister Force traditions. It already happened occasionally before the Sith’s return. Sometimes the untrained Force-sensitives went missing, the Order would know where to look for them. 

Obi-Wan wished that the parents who were suing the Order could understand all these risks. Getting their half-trained Force-sensitives children back could cause chaos. 

The dangers had multiplied after the start of the war. The Separatists were recruiting, and they didn’t always ask nicely.

Anakin could be a target. His personal grievances toward the Jedi were definitely part of the reason for his hostility. However, it wasn't the full picture. Something large was in the play.  

It was Count Dooku. 

For years, Dooku had condemned the Republic's corruption and blamed the Jedi for contributing to its decay. Despite the fallen Jedi's propaganda, his attempts at turning Jedi Knights to the Dark Side had little success. 

However, his campaign to persuade Republic worlds to leave was a success. Dooku had spent much time on Naboo to campaign for his cause. Even Queen Amidala once found it an attractive idea after the Occupation. 

This was where Anakin came into the picture. Before they had arrived on Felucia, in his argument with Obi-Wan, he implied that he knew much about Dooku’s campaign and learned from his speech. Obi-Wan wondered whether Dooku had approached the boy in a more direct way. He may have offered to show a younger Anakin the way of the Force, like what he was doing now in Outer Rim. If it was the case, Dooku could come to him again and appeal to his growing frustration with the Jedi.

This was an unlikely situation, but Obi-Wan nonetheless looked into it. It was not difficult to figure out whether a Force-sensitive was trained. For the untrained, the cosmic Force passed through them smoothly and unknowingly. The Force may inspire them, but it was mostly passive. The trained ones interacted with the Force when they took in every breath.

Obiwan studied the young man's Force signature, and how the cosmic Force flew. It was mundane. It didn't seem like he had anything beyond sharp instinct and quick reflexive. Maybe some minor visions or prophetic dreams, but they were not Obi-Wan's concerns. 

After ruling out the possibility, he shifted focus to the potential influence of Dooku's anti-Jedi speech.

Unlike Dooku's claim that the Jedi had passively contributed to the Republic’s corruption, the young man had created a conspiracy, claiming that the Jedi controlled the Republic. The Jedi Order was more influential than the Senate. His argument was very compelling to frustrated people who saw the Jedi as unfair competitors. He had created a division between the Navy and the Jedi leadership. 

Now Obi-Wan realized that Anakin had beaten Dooku in the race of anti-Jedi propaganda. Indeed, Obi-Wan had underestimated the young man. If the Sith used him, it could be a great weapon for them. 

Fortunately, Chancellor Palpatine denounced such divisive speeches and promised the Jedi that he would discipline his son. It was comforting. Unfortunately, his son did not listen. 

Obi-Wan hoped that after the war was won, the Jedi could cut ties with military affairs. He wished these frustrated navy officers who had believed the lies could see the truth. 

Every time he thought about this, he felt immense sadness, as if this was an unachievable goal. 

It must be the effect of Felucia. 

This planet had a special Force-connection, which brought sadness and regret. The longer a Force-sensitive stayed here, the more effect the planet would have on them. In his meditations, his thoughts were frequently drawn to the moment when Anakin said-

“If the Jedi stick to the preconception that other beings are unenlightened, misguided pathetic lifeforms , that arrogance will be your downfall.” 

This scene was replayed again and again in his mind. The solemn voice and grave expression were unlike him. Obi-Wan felt that someone commanding more authority was speaking. He had a glimpse of his late master Qui-Gon Jinn.

The memories of the last few days with Qui-Gon came back to haunt him. Obi-Wan was reluctant to think about these days. Now the Force whispered to him, telling him that these few days had been a shatterpoint and had a great role in the fate of the galaxy. 

Obi-Wan deeply immersed himself in the Force, allowing it to present the moments that may have changed the trajectory of the Jedi Order and Galaxy.

*** 2 ***

Obi-Wan woke up in the Force. He was back in Theed, Naboo’s capital, walking on streets that looked as they had 12 years ago during the Occupation. The exterior of the Royal Palace was damaged. The charred remains of battle droids littered the ground. The smell of smoke hung heavy in the air. 

He went straight to the palace. The guards did not stop him. He was a ghost visiting his earlier years. 

Inside the palace, shards of once-gorgeous stained-glass windows lay scattered across the floor. 

He knew where to go. In the throne room, he would meet his younger self, Queen Amidala, and see Qui-Gon again. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and, in the space of a blink, he was there. 

The younger Obi-Wan exclaimed that the Trade Federation’s Holonet jamming was temporarily shut down. They could make a quick communication with the Coruscant to ask for reinforcement. The older Obi-Wan knew it would last for about 30 minutes. 

Queen Amidala projected herself to the Senate, standing next to Senator Palpatine. Palpatine and the Neimoidian Senator Dod who represented the Trade Federation argued back and forth about whether the invasion was real.

Queen Amidala interjected herself into the battle of words. “I am Queen Amidata of Naboo. Chancellor Valorum had recognized Senator Palpatine, who was my appointee, so may I speak?” 

Both senators stopped the argument, and the whole Senate chamber went quiet. 

Amidala picked up the Holo device and walked toward the window. 

“If you can see what I am seeing, you will see that the once beautiful city of Theed is in ruin. We have been under occupation for three months.  May I ask Senator Dod where the battle droids came from? Isn’t the same type the Trade Federation deployed on the trade route?” 

Dod looked uncomfortable, but the look disappeared immediately. 

Then the Queen turned to speak to Chancellor Valorum. “Your honor, I request an immediate intervention from the Republic--”  

“I object!” Dod cut her off. “I am sympathetic to Naboo’s suffering, but there is no evidence that these droids were sent by the Federation. Your accusation is groundless. I recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth.”

A Gran Senator rose to speak. “The Republic has limited resources, we could not intervene without solid evidence. Malastare concurs with the honorable delegate from the Trade Federation. A commission must be appointed.”

Chancellor Valorum seemed unimpressed by this idea of creating a commission. Then a bureaucrat spoke to the Valorum for about a minute. Valorum’s body language changed, and he suggested that a commission was needed. 

Amidala whispered to Palpatine with a grave expression. The older man shook his head but placed a hand on the Queen's shoulder in the Holo, as a reassuring gesture. 

“I speak on behalf of the Banking Clan.” A Muun Senator took the stage. “Chancellor Valorum just demonstrated his poor leadership skills. He favors bureaucratic procedure over the moral obligation of saving people from suffering. I move for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership!”

“Oust Valorum! Vote now.” Chanting echoed in the Senate chamber.

Valorum looked defeated. “The motion had passed. The vote will be held in three days.” The Holo-transmission ended. 

“I hope my foster father can win. Before he left Naboo, he said he would run for the Chancellor position in the coming election. He is prepared.“ A young boy spoke with enthusiasm. Anakin. He entered the throne room, holding a blaster, dressed like a soldier. The bruises on his face brought out the fierceness of his blue eyes.  

Qui-Gon burst into the room, his green lightsaber alight in his hand. “Contact Master Yoda, be quick. We may lose the connection at any moment.” He looked tired and weary, but still conveyed authority and confidence. 

The older Obi-Wan froze. There were so many words he wanted to say. He cried out his master’s name, trying to warn him that the next day he would die at the blade of the Sith, but Qui-Gon could not hear him. 

The Holo device rang. Everyone was waiting in silence. He noticed that Anakin particularly looked expectantly as if he was waiting for a savior. 

Grand Master Yoda’s image burst to life, along with Master Mace Windu. 

Obi-Wan knew what happened next. His heartbeat raced, while his younger self bowed to Yoda’s image, oblivious of what would happen next. 

“Master Yoda. We met a strong adversary on Naboo, a Zabrak assassin. He is a Force-wielder using a red lightsaber. My padawan Obi-Wan and I fought against him in a handful of duels. I believe he had two targets, one is Queen Amidala, the other is our little friend, Anakin Skywalker.” Qui-Gon looked at the boy with a small smile, then his expression turned deadly serious. “I believe he was a Sith Lord.”

“A Sith Lord?” Mace clearly was shocked. “The Sith have been extinct for a millennium.”

Yoda mused with eyes closed, then opened his dark brown eyes. “The very Republic is threatened, if involved the Sith are.”

Mace countered, “I do not believe they could have returned without us knowing.”

“Hard to see, the dark side is. Discover who this assassin is, we must,” the ancient master said determinedly. 

“This attack was with a purpose, that is clear, and I agree the Queen is the target. I am just surprised that he wanted to attack a child. Do you think the child was of any significance?” Mace frowned.

“Senator Palpatine planned to adopt him. I did not see anything else of significance,” Obi-Wan’s younger self answered. The man he was now could only sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. What an insensitive thing he just said. Qui-Gon shot his apprentice a hard look and raised a hand to stop him from speaking more.  

“I do not know the motivation behind the assassination. This is an irregularity. I will protect both of them at all cost,” answered Qui-Gon. 

“We will use all our resources here to unravel this mystery and discover the identity of your attacker. May the Force be with you.” Mace announced. 

Yoda followed, “May the Force be--” 

“No. Please do not leave,” Anakin interrupted. “The people of Naboo are dying. We do not see an end to this.” The child dropped to his knees before Yoda’s image. “Please help us. I plead with the Jedi Order to send us more reinforcements,” he said with tears in his eyes. 

“In the Senate, the solution to Naboo is. Soldiers, the Jedi Order was not. Fight your war, we could not.” Yoda said every word slowly, “help your cause, an emotional plea would not. Youngling--”

Yoda’s image flicked, his voice was no longer recognizable. Anakin quickly got back on his feet, and said angrily, “The Jedi Order was indeed a disappointment. I was wrong .” Obi-Wan felt a shift in the Force, the room felt colder. 

The younger Obi-Wan raised his voice, “Youngling, you are very disrespectful to Master Yoda. Anger controls you, not the other way around.” He pointed at the Holo-communication console with obvious irritation. “this is not acceptable. You need to improve your behavior.” 

The boy bit lip and looked away, like a wounded Lothcat. 

“Anakin, I know you are very distressed. It is okay. Master Yoda can understand,” Qui-Gon lowered himself to the boy’s height and looked into his eyes. “You will survive this. Naboo will survive.” He made a broader gesture. 

Except you would not, master, Obi-Wan thought silently. 

“Now follow your Queen. She will address the people of Naboo.” Qui-Gon squeezed the boy’s shoulder and smiled at him, the boy smiled back in tears. 

Obi-Wan found it quite touching, but his younger self protested after the boy left. “Master, you are indulging him. Why are you obsessed with these pathetic life forms?”

“My padawan, if we think the beings outside the Order are inferior, it will be our downfall,” Qui-Gon said with his most serious voice. 

The order Obi-Wan looked in Anakin's direction. The boy stopped in his tracks. He did not look back, but he had overheard everything. 

He now understood Anakin's source of resentment. The boy had clearly idolized the Jedi, but was disappointed by the Council’s decision, and felt insulted by Obi-Wan. The only Jedi he admired was dead. Obi-Wan regretted his youthful arrogance. This was an unfortunate turn of events indeed. He sighed heavily.

His surroundings disappeared. He was left in the void. A few moments later, he was sent back to Naboo. He knew what would happen. He was sent back to relive the trauma. 

He helplessly watched the Sith impaled his master. The younger Obi-Wan charged at the Sith with fury, launching a series of ruthless attacks. The Sith taunted him, countered, and deflected his strikes. To the younger Obi-Wan's surprise, the Sith suddenly lost his footing. He didn't miss this opportunity. With a violent un-Jedi move, he beheaded the Sith. 

Everything was over. 

His younger self would rush to Qui-Gon’s side to listen to his master’s final words. The older Obi-Wan could not bear to watch his master dying the second time. He already knew what Qui-Gon would say before taking his last breath. 

The Jedi Chosen One prophecy may be true. The Jedi Order must not let the Sith get him or her first. 

Then Qui-Gon’s breath would grow labored. He would mention the Skywalker boy, but he would not have the chance to finish his sentence. 

The Force guided Obi-Wan to look in another direction. To his surprise, Anakin was here. He stood distantly from the Sith, watching his headless body in shock. Then he looked at his own hand, confusion and horror showed on his face, as if he had something to do with the Sith’s death. Then the boy ran away. 

His surroundings went dark again, then Obi-Wan found himself back on Felucia. His body shivered. His forehead was covered in sweat. His breath was uneven.  He fell backward onto the ground, staring into the starry sky. 

What did all these visions mean? It may have explained why Anakin resented Jedi and resented Obi-Wan particularly. The boy may have accidentally demonstrated some Force power. It was a normal reaction for untrained Force-sensitives when they were under extreme stress.

Somehow the boy thought he participated in another being’s violent death. 

This may explain why Anakin said he had no interest in any Force training either from the Jedi or Dooku. Because he was traumatized. 

Though Anakin was not of significance in the realm of the Force, he was rising to be one of the most significant figures in the Republic. 

An idea crossed his mind. Anakin maybe sort of the Chosen One of the Republic. It would be disastrous if Dooku somehow convinced him that the Republic was beyond hope, as he had done with so many leaders. The Jedi Order was inseparable from the Republic, thus the Order would be heavily damaged if the Republic fell. In this way, Anakin was of great importance in the Force, therefore he must not be approached by Dooku.

Everything made sense to Obi-Wan now. Stationing the young man on Coruscant would be a wise choice, under the direct watch of the Order. 

Obi-Wan may reconsider Anakin's military appointment. It was pointless to block it after the campaign of Felucia. In the Holo briefings with the Coruscant Navy strategy cell, the naval officers already took Anakin's opinion as commands, recognizing him as Tarkin's deputy. 

He was the king in everything except a crown. Obi-Wan had better just allow him to be crowned as a director. 

Then he drifted into sleep.

*** 3 ***

"I thought the Separatists had retreated! Where did all these battle droids come from?" Ahsoka shouted to Anakin while deflecting blaster bolts. "And who is that cyborg wielding four lightsabers? It is coming closer."

"General Grievous, Droid Army Supreme Commander," Anakin shouted back to her as he crouched behind a rock, returning the droid’s fire. "You didn't do your homework, young one. I can't get into the fighter, so we have to engage him directly. "

"We? I think only me. Or maybe my master or Master Kenobi will join me to take him down." Ahsoka retreated to the rock which Anakin shielded himself behind.

"Too bad. They are occupied elsewhere." Anakin scowled. "Give me one of your lightsabers, I will disarm him, in a literal way."

"No way. Too dangerous." She threw a grenade into the swarm of droids. After a loud explosion, the head of a droid fell toward Anakin's location. She sliced it in half.

"I thought we were done with the 'lightsaber is dangerous in my hand' argument." He held out his hand. "Both of us want to leave this damn place in one piece. You can't take on him alone."

"Okay. Don't get yourself killed." Ahsoka frowned but handed one of her lightsabers to him.

“We must take on him from different directions, to keep him busy. Grievous is very prideful. He will take pride in fighting both of us at the same time.” He narrowed his eyes. "But He is more cowardly than Ventress. If he loses one arm, he will retreat."

“Let us go ahead to face him.” Ahsoka was ready to step out of the hiding place. Grievous was walking in their direction. There was still quite a distance between them. 

“Wait. Wait for him to deliver his invitation. We pretend that we are too afraid to face him. He will underestimate us.” Anakin measured the lightsaber in his hand, adjusted the grip a few times, then ignited it. A bright green light burst into life. An excited look appeared on his face. 

“Do you really know how to use it?” Ahsoka shook her head. “This is too reckless. Using your force pike is a better idea.”

“No. His body is specially designed. Electricity from a force pike is useless against him. He could not be hurt by a glowing stick.” He delivered a lightsaber blow towards Ahsoka's direction. She jumped backward and ignited her own lightsaber, then stepped ahead and locked the blade. Anakin moved one step back, but firmly held his ground. 

He knew how to use a lightsaber indeed. 

“I am no match to his speed,” He said ruefully. “You may fare better in speed, with your Force. We must play dirty against him. Force push, grenade, whatever we can do. The goal is to force him into retreat.”

“Well, you are always the guy who wants to crush this and that. Invincible. I did not know you had a survival mode.” She slashed at him. He easily avoided contact. “I see, you can foresee my move.”

“I do. I figured that out when I was five years old.” Anakin grinned. “A big advantage in pod racing.  Grievous is close now. Time for the show.”

Just a few seconds later a menacing voice spoke. 

“Skywalker, Jedi brat, you Republic scum are hiding cowardly behind a rock. Either you come out to die with some dignity,” Grievous’s voice was laden with menace, “or I drag you out and butcher you on the ground. Then I’ll take down your master Kenobi and whoever the kid's teacher is.”      

Ahsoka was almost ready to jump out and declare that her Master was Plo Koon. Anakin stopped her. “Aim at his joints, remember.” Then he stepped out from cover first.

“General Grievous, you are mistaken. Kenobi is not my master,” Anakin said dramatically, with her lightsaber in his right hand. He assumed the opening stance of Jedi lightsaber Form III Soresu, the signature lightsaber form favored by Master Kenobi. 

Ahsoka covered her mouth to hide a giggle, while she walked out of hiding. 

“Your imitation is disgusting. Ventress was too weak. I will take on both of you together. Now face your death,” Grievance declared and charged at them. 

His first attack was aimed at Anakin. Ahsoka sliced from his side, drawing attention to herself. Grievous was really fast. His four lightsabers spun like windmills, blocking her blade from making any contact with his robotic body. 

Anakin slid to the cyborg’s backside, which was a hole in his defense. He sliced at Grievous’s leg. The blade hit the metal with a loud screech. Sparks danced around. However, except for a burning mark, his leg was intact. 

Anakin’s attack drew Grievous attention. While still facing Ahsoka, he swung a lightsaber at Anakin. He blocked it, then danced out of range. 

“Coward Skywalker,” the general spat, turning toward Anakin, “I’ll deal with you first.”

Ahsoka sensed the navy officer’s intent. She retreated a few steps and tossed a grenade between Grievous’ legs. It wasn’t enough to take him out, but he lost his balance for a moment and dropped one of his lightsabers. Anakin threw himself on the ground and rolled toward the still glowing lightsaber, trying to grab it. Grievous dropped one of his legs heavily between his hand and the lightsaber. Ahsoka inhaled. Anakin stopped his movement just in time, otherwise, he could have lost his left hand. It was really close. 

Anakin swept his blade low, aiming at Grievous' ankle joint. Grievous brought two blades toward his opponent, and forcefully struck down. Anakin already stood up, with Ahsoka's lightsaber in one hand, the other hand holding his force pike. 

The force pike was for defense, and the lightsaber for aggression. Grievous was faster than him. After they exchanged a few blows, Anakin changed to using both weapons to defend himself. He barely blocked the attacks. 

Ahsoka sensed malicious satisfaction from Grievous. The general believed that he would win at any moment. “Skywalker, say goodbye to the world.” 

She summoned the force, pushing Grievous with all of her strength. Grievous was pushed about a meter away. Ahsoka charged at him again, drawing his full attention toward her. 

Anakin resumed his attack from the other side. When Grievous shifted attention to him, Ahsoka attacked, and Anakin retreated. They found a rhythm, coordinating seamlessly. Like a team. 

The general grew frustrated. 

Seemingly from nowhere, Anakin produced a thin metal chain. He swung the chain, tangling it in Grievous' legs. The cyborg stumbled once again. He swung one of his blades to cut the chain, leaving an opening in his defense. 

Aim at the joint. Ahsoka allowed the Force to guide her. Her blade landed on the joint of his left rear arm. 

The arm fell on the ground with a crash. 

Grievous staring at his lost arm in utter shock. Anakin stabbed the lightsaber into the joint of his leg. Grievous’ body shook heavily. Fear radiated in the Force.

“You scum fight dirty. Next time, you will die,” The general hissed, then ran away. 

With their commander’s retreat, the droid army fell into confusion. Within a few minutes, the clone troopers took them all down. 

“Commander Tano, Colonel Skywalker.” Rex’s blue image showed up on their commlinks, “We cleared the area. The Separatists are in full retreat.”

“You return to base first. I will have a moment of rest, and then I will return.” Anakin breathed heavily. “Skywalker out.” He laid down on the grass. 

Anakin’s forehead was covered in sweat. His wavy hair was soaked in sweat as well. His eyes cast into the sky, losing focus. His state was very different from the victorious moment captured in the recording of the fight with Ventress. 

Ahsoka knew that Anakin was a man who didn't allow himself to show weakness. This was an unusual moment. Almost like Lothcats allowed someone to get close when they were licking wounds. It was really rare.

She sat down next to him. “You fought impressively, but you look awful.” 

“Thank you.” He rolled his eyes. “Please keep quiet for a moment, snippy girl.”

“Hey, I am not a snippy girl,” she wanted to counter but decided to give him the space. “Okay, fine.” 

They two fell into a long silence. 

“You act like a Lothcat. You know?” She said  "Unpredictable, grumpy but lively. Sometimes, funny. You are an interesting person.” 

“Oh?” Anakin sat up and faced her. Blue eyes measured her intensely. “You do not hate my divisive agenda anymore?” 

“You are almost likable when you are not promoting your divisive agenda, Skycat,” She teased. 

“Okay. I will take it that you do like me.” He grinned. It was Ahsoka’s turn to roll her eyes. 

It was getting silly. She decided to change the topic. 

“How do you feel?” She asked carefully. She knew Anakin hated others to intrude in his space, especially a Jedi,  “That was a tough fight. Hopefully, this is the last one here. We have been on Felucia for more than a month now.”

“How do I feel? Terrible.” 

A terse answer. Probably it was his way to reject intrusion. To her surprise, he spoke again. 

“And powerless. Being stuck in this swamp world for a month has been a misery. I need to go back to Coruscant, now,” he grumbled. “And this place is haunted.” 

“You feel it as well?” Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “Felucia’s Force flow was strange. I recalled some unhappy memories that I thought I had already forgotten. I also wondered about some possibilities that I had missed.” She found sadness in her voice. 

“What possibilities?” 

“I kind of.. like... a girl. We are friends. She is older than me,” she said sorrowfully, “But there is no future. I gave it up.”

“Your codes forbid it. You want to be a good Jedi.” Anakin said sharply, “You should talk with Obi-Wan’s former student, Palis. She could give you some inspiration.”

“Your divisive agenda again. I will never abandon the Jedi family,” she said frustratedly. “There are more important things in the world. I have to make choices. Choices are not always easy.”

Anakin stayed silent, but she knew he was listening. 

“I made difficult decisions as well. I will stand by those decisions. The ghosts from the past are part of the package,” he said quietly, but determinedly. “It is getting dark. Time to go back, Snips.”

Anakin was a man with stories. After they left Felucia, they probably would not meet again. 

“Let’s go, Skycat.”

Chapter Text

***1***

Vader was relieved to learn a battalion of troopers were on their way to the swamp planet. They would be arriving in one day. Tonight would be his last night on Felucia. He knew it would be the worst night.

Despite the confidence he had projected during the fight against Grievous, he had been fighting for his life. He’d even half expected to just die there. 

Despite having fought many powerful opponents, he had never truly believed that he could die. However, this one was different.

Grievous was a lethal adversary. But if the battle had happened a couple of days earlier, Vader would have been in a much better position. He and Ahsoka would not have struggled that much to force Grievous to retreat.

The Force-inhibition potion had indeed weakened his connection to the Force. Even with the potion, Anakin, a military officer specializing in hand-to-hand combat, had known he could handle the fight, especially when teamed up with a Jedi Padawan as skilled as Ahsoka. Limited Force connection made him powerless, but it was not the problem. The real torment was that, as the effect of the potion faded, his inhibited midichlorians began awakening. The midichlorians and the remains of the potion were fighting for control of his body. The searing pain was in every cell. Vader was no stranger to pain. It gave him power and focus, but not this time. His body received erratic signals from the neurons. It impaired his judgment. 

When he took the potion, he was aware of the potential danger, but the danger would only happen when several rare conditions met at the same time. If he was in a heated battle against enemy fighters in the air, the effect would cause some discomfort, but that was all. It was what he had anticipated. However, Grievous was too strong an opponent, who pushed Vader to his limits. 

If the cyborg had come a couple of days later, the effect would have been completely gone, and Vader could fight him without actively calling upon the Force. It was something he was good at. He’d fought Ventress that way.

Of course, it could be very risky if Kenobi was around. However, if he had been around, Vader would have left Grievous to the Jedi Master to handle. He would watch the duel from the backbench with analytical eyes. Grievous deserved a real Jedi Form IV, not a mockery.

Yet, Grievous could not have come on a worse day. To make the matter worse, with the potion's effect fading, Felucia's nightmare mode kicked in.

He was hit by a perfect storm of his own making. Having exercised himself too much in the battle, the symptoms were exacerbated. 

His original intent was to weaken his Force connection so that he would not act out on Felucia. It was supposed to be insurance. Yet the method turned into a threat to his own life.  

He had chosen a tough life. An early career Sith tasked to spy on the Jedi High Council members probably was the toughest. 

No Sith before him had said being a Sith was easy. They didn't pursue some quick and easy path to power like the Jedi had condemned for a thousand years. 

He had willingly chosen a painful journey, to sacrifice, in exchange for a chance to better the Galaxy. It was his destiny.

Yet, he seemed like a failure. In his current compromised state, the midichlorians were waging war from within. He heard and saw things. He was not sure whether they were visions or delusions. Maybe a mix of both.

In his private quarters, he entered a meditative state, trying to calm his agitated midichlorians. It was working, but the progress was slow. If Kenobi was not just two doors away from him, he could perform a ritual and command the midichlorians to go back to normal, swiftly solving the problem. Then he would be exhausted and fall into unconsciousness. When he woke up, he would be hours away from Coruscant. 

Thanks to Kenobi, he had to perform some peacekeeping duty in his own body, patiently and frustratingly.

And all the while he was being haunted. 

The situation started with him feeling sad, sensing indecipherable whispers. Then, the whispers turned to sharp accusations in his head. He could not recognize the speakers.

Then he could tell that they were people that he had encountered, accusing him of mistreating or persecuting them. 

The night before, the situation had escalated into him seeing their ghostly figures looming in the darkness. 

Now, his accusers cycled him, speaking to him directly and loudly.

He knew this was another trial for him. He would prevail.

***2***

Vader remembered her. One of the slavers, pirates, and gangsters who he had executed in the lawless Outer Rim. To be more precise, she was the wife of a slave trader, a human woman. He could not remember each of the people who died at his hand, but this family had been the last to own his mother, Shmi. 

At sixteen years old, Anakin had been searching for Shmi for several years. He had built up a small network of operatives and monitored the slave trade. He had received many reports about slaves who looked like Shmi, but each lead had been a dead end. Nonetheless, he brought justice in each operation. 

In his operations, he contacted the operatives only through commlink to hide his identity. No one would think their employer was a teenager. He never hired an assassin. Instead, he did the bloody work by himself. He outpowered the guards and droids with his strength in the Force and his training in combat. 

He used his lightsaber as a tool to cut through doors and walls. He would not use it as a weapon. 

It was a shame to show his lightsaber in a battle. Despite all his efforts to bleed the crystal, he had only managed to turn its color from blue to white. It meant he was not even good enough to be a Sith Apprentice. He was not powerful and devoted enough, according to Sidious. 

A few fruitless years of searching had passed, he was of age to attend the Academy. If he attended, he would no longer have the opportunity to find Shmi. 

He blamed himself for relying too much on the traditional method of information collection. It was ironic that planning these operations, he could forget he was a Sith who had the Force. He decided to change his strategy. He spent more time immersing himself in Force, to feel the presence of Shmi. 

He did not feel anything, probably due to his feeble skills in meditation, but he was determined to be better. When it was for his mother, no matter how hard the task was, he would move mountains to accomplish it. 

Sometimes he thought Shmi could have been killed in the raid on Tatooine. Probably, it was the reason why he could not locate her. Even without evidence beyond a feeling, he believed that she was still alive. 

The clock was ticking. His time was running out.  Palpatine assigned him a new task to collect information on Dooku’s anti-Republic agents. Probably it was fate that, on one of the planets, he finally sensed Shmi. It was not a moment of great happiness but tremendous pain, like a sharp knife, cut into his chest. 

He found his mother, but she was dying. Even in her weakened state, she recognized her son immediately. 

“Ani, you are free! And so grown up. I knew you were not dead.” She reached for his face, but her trembling hand fell short. He took her hand and laid it on his cheek. Tears streamed down his face to soak their intertwined fingers.  

“I do not have much time left. Seeing you again was my only wish. Now I can leave in peace.” Shmi gave him a pained smile. The light in her eyes started to fade. He knew Shmi was fighting against fate for years. She had refused to yield to a terminal illness, for the simple belief that she would see her son again.

“Leave now. Don’t let them get you. You have a good life waiting for you.” Shmi’s Life Force was leaving her. 

“No!” Anakin held her hand to his chest. “I can save you. Let me save you!” He tried to reverse the Life Force’s direction, but Shmi did not have much will to live.

“Ani, my wish has been fulfilled. I have no regrets.” She squeezed his hand using all her strength. “This is natural--”

“No. I do not want it to be natural!” He seized the fading strands of her Life Force and tried to shove it back. Why wouldn’t it work?!

He was defeated by the laws of nature. She died in his arms, a faint smile on her lips. 

“She is free now,” another slave said matter-of-factly. “You have to leave, or your life will be in danger, child.”

Anakin took out his lightsaber and dashed out of the slave quarter. “The lives of the master and their minions are in danger.” 

In his rage, he finished the transformation. In the dark night, the scarlet lightsaber brightened the dim estate. He executed the criminals one by one using the newly colored lightsaber. 

No torture. No taunting words. It was his way of handling the executions. Sending these evildoers away from the living world and back to where they belonged. 

Finally, he reached the heavily guarded quarters of the master and his family. With a few moves, he quickly ended the slaver’s life. 

Then he came to the woman. Trembling, and scared, she was beautiful and full of life. The opposite of his mother.

A child was hiding behind the woman. The boy was no more than 10 years old. “Please spare my son’s life. He is a child. He did not do anything,” she pleaded. “My husband is a bad person. I am teaching my child to be a better person. Please give him a chance.”

Anakin hissed, “Both your son and you benefit from the rotten business. Did he give my mother a chance?” He finished them with a swift stroke of his red lightsaber. 

Except nothing was finished.  Now the woman’s ghost stood in front of him, with her dead child in her arms.

“My Lord,” the woman started bitterly, “how are you? How well do you feel about murdering an innocent child?”

“Dozens of innocent children were freed that day. Your son was born into a luxurious life at the expense of the freedom of others,” Vader countered. “You could have walked away from the rotten business with him, but you did not. It is unfortunate that he is the son of a slave trader.” 

“You punished him for his father’s sin? He is just one of the many victims who you have killed. Your twisted sense of morality justified everything you have done." The woman glared at him. “How about your future children, Lord Vader? I wish them good luck.” 

The woman laughed hysterically and disappeared. A shiver ran down Vader’s spine. He had never put serious thoughts into the idea of having children. 

If he had a child, he would protect them at any cost. 

“You cannot protect them from who you are,” the woman whispered, "and what you have done.”

Before he could say anything to counter, twin blades flared to life, illuminating Darth Maul’s face. 

“You killed me to replace me,” Maul said with menace. 

“How many people did you murdered on Naboo? You killed the Jedi Master Jinn. You tried to kill Padme and me.” Vader held his anger. “And I could not take Kenobi’s credit.  

“If you had not meddled, I would have defeated that Jedi Apprentice. You and he were against me together.” Maul prowled forward. “You had always enjoyed working together with the Jedi to kill your own kind. You tricked Ventress into an unfair duel. Kenobi meddled. You two are quite a Sith-murdering team.

“But Kenobi’s eyes and blades are sharp.” Ventress appeared next to Maul. “One day, You will die at his hands. He already has suspicions. You can not hide forever.”

"One day, I will not need to hide and I will defeat him," Vader countered.

"You defeat him? You are so terrified by him. In constant worry about being caught," she laughed coldly.

She touched his face with her ghostly hand. "What is the difference between you and me? I pursue power, so do you. I learned from Dooku, the same as you. Both of us want the Jedi Order to be destroyed." She leaned in close, the blue of eyes morphing into yellow. "There is only one trivial difference. You fight on the Republic side, I am on the other side. We are fighting in the same war."

"It makes everything different. You are helping a traitor to destroy peace and order. Destroying the Republic that my master had worked very hard to maintain." He tried to push Ventress' hand away, but he couldn't. There was little he could do to a figure in a vision. Sidious could, but he was not Sidious.

"Maybe you are the one who is destroying the Republic. One day, you will realize what you have done. You showed me no mercy. Don't expect mercy from anyone." 

Ventress ignited her lightsaber, and slashed at him. Her blade touched the scar near his right eye. He felt a searing pain, like a saber cut in real life. He gritted his teeth and endured. 

Both Ventress and Maul vanished. Vader broke out of his meditative state, panting.

He ran to the fresher and looked into the mirror. His scar was bleeding again. It was hard to notice. When he touched it, a little bit of blood stained his hand. 

He inhaled sharply. He never had visions like this.

Vader walked to the closet and took out Ventress's lightsaber. His room was only dimly lit. He stared at the lightsaber hilt for a long time, then he pressed the ignition button. The red light burst into life. A blast of psychic energy hit him squarely and knocked him out.

"Vader," All his accusers said in unison ominously, with Ventress's voice leading them. "One day, you will regret the path you have chosen. You will wish death to claim your soul, thinking it is a salvation for you." The accusers raised their voices, "The freedom you seek is a lie, you are chained by your past choices. Death will not undo it."

"No. I have no regrets," Vader tried to counter, but the world started to spin.  He was dropped to a place completely dark. Many thoughts invaded, speaking in his mind.

"Maul murdered me. You wanted to avenge me by turning yourself into the same thing, a killing machine." He knew this was Qui-Gon Jinn. "You are the child of the Force. You should bring balance to the Force, not embrace the Dark and be consumed by it."

"Ani, you are my child." His mother's voice. "You aren't a free-born. As a mother, I failed you. I hope you find freedom."

"I already found it. You didn't fail me," he cried out. "I failed you. I was not powerful enough to save you. It was not the ending I wanted. I was not able to free you." 

When he was a child, he and Shmi meant everything to each other. He had believed that one day, he would free both of them. He would be a pilot, make money, and leave Tatooine. They would find a nicer place to settle. He would fly Shmi to travel to all the different planets. It was a dream that had kept both of them going. 

The name Anakin meant hope . He was determined to bring hope to every slave to Tatooine. All his dreams had shattered when a slave raid separated him and Shmi. Fortunately, he was freed by a visitor, Senator Palpatine, but his mother had no such luck. 

"Mom, I really missed you," he cried. He almost couldn't breathe. "You lived in bondage and died in bondage. I live a privileged life, but I left you to suffer, until...until."

"Until I finally was freed. You freed me by fulfilling my final wish. I had no regrets. That is the freedom of a soul," she said sadly. "But you are not. I wish one day I could see you free and whole."

"No. Mom, you are wrong," he exclaimed.

"Child, you don't know what true freedom is," Qui-Gon spoke again. "A free person would not live in constant fear. A free person would not speak with evasiveness and half-truth. You even poisoned yourself to restrict Force connection, because of your paranoia."

Anger surged inside of him. "I know what freedom is more than anyone. I am not paranoid. It is because the Jedi Order is a real threat to my life. But it is temporary. I would not worry about anything after they are gone."

"But fear lives within you, becoming who you are. The Jedi Order has little to do with it. When they are gone, your paranoia will shift to other things. Of course, you will claim they are all temporary and caused by real threats."

Qui-Gon's voice was sad. "Have you ever had one single day when you didn't worry about anything? The opposite of fear is not bravery. It is peace."

"I refuse to live in a lie!" Vader forcefully claimed.

"You never rejected peace. You don't know what peace is," Qui-Gon continued.

"I denounce it! Leave me, together with all these falsehoods," Vader demanded.

"You know it is true. You are living in a lie. A lie," thousands of voices chanted in his mind.

He tried to break out of the place, but he was powerless. The place was no longer dark. He found himself chained on a pillar, surrendered by lava. All the beings he had killed closed in on him, baring their teeth, reaching for him with sharp claws. 

"Anakin, snap out of it," a new voice demanded.

Suddenly they were all gone. He was back in his room. His two hands tightly held the ignited red lightsaber.

Kenobi had broken into his quarters. The Jedi turned off the red blade with a flicker of the Force.

Vader dropped himself on a chair, trembling and sweating. He still held the lightsaber.

"I have warned you. Ventress' lightsaber was dangerous in your hands." Obi-Wan shook his head. 

"How do you…know?" Vader struggled to calm his breathing without much success.  

"I felt a blast of Dark Side energy and anguish. It was Ventress' Force signature and your anguish." Obi-Wan sighed. "Making you suffer was her dying wish. Her hatred was absorbed by the corrupted crystal, seeking vengeance. This planet was strange, just to put it mildly. And you were exhausted by the fight a few hours ago. You are quite unfortunate.”

"But how do you know?" Vader summoned his strength.

"I had it before. I tried to study Maul's lightsaber. It happened. This is why the Jedi need to purify the corrupted crystal," Obi-wan said with authority. "May I?"

"Do whatever you want." Vader extended his arm to Obi-Wan, with the weapon on his palm. He didn't care anymore. If the Jedi wanted to confiscate it, so be it. 

To his surprise, the Jedi didn't take it, instead, Obi-Wan concentrated on the lightsaber. The metal parts opened and swirled around a red crystal. Signs of pain showed on Obi-Wan's face. Probably because he had played a minor part in Ventress's death as well.

The red color started to fade. Hot tears ran down on Vader’s cheeks. He tried to stop it, but could not. Sadness washed him over. 

But there was something else.

He felt something warm, soothing, and delicate. A feeling he had never felt before. Maybe this was a glimpse of...peace?

He looked at the crystal with intensity. Its redness faded. It lost all its color. Then Obi-Wan concentrated on the metal parts again. Slowly they closed in the crystal and clicked.

Then the Jedi Master relaxed. Out of curiosity, Vader pressed the ignite button. 

A glowing white lightened both their faces. He immediately turned it off. This color just reminded him of his own failures. 

"I always found it sad. No Jedi has ever been able to turn the bleeding crystal back to its original color. We stopped its bleeding and cleansed the hatred. Nothing could be done to reverse its damage, but it still functioned okay."

"You can take it away now," Vader whispered.

"Maybe it is of some use for you. A lightsaber certainly is not a danger to you. You don't have to borrow one from Ahsoka." Obi-Wan smiled. "Master Koon wanted to thank you. Without your help, Ahsoka would be dead already."

Vader struggled to get up and locked the lightsaber on the top level of the closet.

"We were ambushed. I didn't want to be dead either." He made a face. "But no more. I leave Grievous and his kind to you. It was too dangerous for me to deal with them." 

Vader felt very lucky that the Ventress lightsaber’s backlash didn't expose him. In the future, he would excuse himself from going to any place with a strong Force presence if a Jedi was round. No more lightsaber battles before the right time came.

"It seems that you have learned some lessons." Obi-Wan looked delighted. "We all could do things that we may regret later."

"Maybe." The powerless Anakin could have doubts and regrets, but Vader would not. It was the way of the Sith. He had to crush the weak Anakin, so Vader could be stronger. 

"I want to have some rest now." Vader sat down on the bed.

“Are you sure that you are okay now?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"Yes. Let me have a moment of peace , please?" He knew no peace, so it was a lie. 

"Call me if you need anything." The Jedi Master was still concerned, but he left as Vader asked.

Vader was utterly disgusted by himself. What a weakling he was. He drew out sympathy from a Jedi. He could not tell Sidious about it. He never kept secrets from his Master, but after what had happened today, he decided to practice some mental shielding. It was just too shameful to let Sidious know. 

He needed to refocus on his missions. He took out his datapad and sent the prepared notes to Rackeli. 

Then he called Padme. She immediately answered.

"I am coming back home. I really missed you," Anakin said softly.

"Finally I heard from you." Her voice showed worry. "I think I am heading into trouble. The military bill will have a final debate. A few new amendments may be attached. Then we will cast votes."

"You think the bill will fail?" he carefully asked.

"No. We have enough votes. I promised to go on a diplomatic trip, well, with Senator Clovis. He is a chief sponsor of the bill. I could not say no. But there is more: the Jedi Council told me that Clovis was engaged in some suspicious activities. They wanted me to find out. I could not say no to them either."

"You could say no to both. Just arrest Clovis and interrogate him," he said angrily. "Now you willingly put yourself in harm's way."

"It is not how the Senate conducts business. And you don't trust my abilities to handle it?" she retorted.

"I don't trust Clovis. He is a toxic person who knows no boundaries."

Padme was in shock. "How do you know?"

"He was your ex. He made a few scenes in the Senate before we started to date."

"Oh my! You followed the Coruscant gossip and took them too seriously."

"Everything about you is serious. You know this. I was in love with you for many years," he said with frustration.

"I will have Red come with me. Clovis didn't like the idea, but I insisted." 

"It was a relief. I still think going with him to any place was inappropriate and risky. I don't like it," Anakin said bitterly. 

"You did all sorts of risky things that I consider inappropriate as well." She started to get serious, "Let us change topics. I will be gone when you are back. You remember to play with the Princess cat." 

"I will." He still felt irritated. A so-called diplomatic trip with a handsy ex and a fancy Jedi. Ironically, at least the two of them could balance each other. 

When they were traveling, Palis would not have time to write her fear-mongering columns in the newspaper. What a relief!

Chapter Text

*** 1 ***

"Senator Amidala, the only reason you changed your position on the expansion of the military is your engagement. A political marriage with the Chancellor's son means more political influence for you, " the Kamino Senator accused her. "You berated Kamino for using the war to expand our influence. This is disrespectful. We simply want to be an integral part of the Republic. We are supplying good soldiers at the critical moment for the mutual benefit of Kamino and the Republic." The Kaminoian smiled coldly. "Yet, you pursue your personal ambitions by giving a generous handout to the navy, to your boyfriend!"

Padme had prepared herself for some charges of conflict of interests, but she hadn’t anticipated a senator could use such blatant language.

"My dear colleague from Kamino, the Senate has no place for conspiracy theories and personal insults," Ferrics, the Senator of Carida, intercepted. "Contrary to what you claimed, the Senator of Naboo decided to give my side only a small fraction of what we proposed. No military-industrial complex, despite what the pacifists claim. The Academy Alliance was allowed to open additional schools on the world that we took back from the Separatists. It will only happen after the war ends. For now, we only got funding to upgrade our training centers to provide better education to our cadets and expand our recruitment. We have brilliant young men and women graduate every year, but it would take you another ten years to grow new clones."

"I know you have proposed even more aggressive growth, but it was way too unethical. Five-year-olds on the battleground? The Separatists will surely make it top news to undermine the moral ground of the Republic." Padme held her posture. "It is too cruel for sentient beings."

"More importantly, the Banking Clan would not lend money if the Republic wanted more clones. We don't want to tarnish our good name," Clovis spoke, then looked at Padme with a charming smile. 

Padme returned a small node and spoke again. "The Republic has other important priorities to attend to, such as education and energy. We can't win the war when everything else collapses. The new clone commission is both unaffordable, unethical, and, most importantly, unnecessary." 

She looked into the direction of Chancellor Palpatine and announced, "It is the time to end the debate and pass the Galactic Security and Defense Bill, so our brave men and women in uniform can be honored." 

Governor Tarkin was looking at her with amusement. She sighed internally. It was unimaginable for her to say something like this two years ago. No doubt the crowd protesting against her was quite sizable, but there were many more people pressuring every senator to put more resources into the war. Supporting the war was a consensus, meaning the Senate had to do something in this direction. She had to do something to prevent the clone business from growing.

She was quite surprised that her old opponent, Senator Ferrics, worked with her all the way, without further bickering. The academy didn't get many benefits from the bill, but they seemed to be content. As long as the agenda of the Kamino competitors were foiled, they didn't care much about other things.

"Don't hurry Senator Amidala. Your bill accomplished too little if not nothing. I have one more important motion to put forward," the Kamino Senator spoke slowly. "I ask that we give the Supreme Chancellor the authority to directly control all the military efforts. The current way is too inefficient."

"I object to this motion," Senator Organa of Alderaan spoke before Padme could respond. "Chancellor Palpatine already has too much power. If we want to maintain a democracy, we must reject any attempt to give one person all the power." 

If Organa's statement created any reaction from Palpatine, he didn't let it show on his face. 

Other senators were loudly talking to each other. The Kamino Senator realized that her motion did not have enough support, so she quietly left the chamber. The military bill sponsored by Padme passed almost unanimously, which was a relief for her.

Yet Padme was more concerned than ever. She noticed that the idea of giving more power to Palpatine created more excitement than concerns among senators. Both Tarkin and Ferrics looked intrigued when the Kaminoan brought up this topic. These hawkish people always created opportunities to test how far they could push their agenda. This same motion probably would be brought up again. She had to be ready to oppose it when it came back.

Palpatine had promised that he would step down after the war ended. However, it seemed like more and more senators were okay with Palpatine staying in the office even after the war. They praised him as an unprecedentedly strong leader. She worried that one day Palpatine could become a dictator who could rule as long as he wished.

With the war going on, the reserved and unassuming Palpatine was gone. A demanding authoritarian figure was emerging. She felt compelled to prevent the rising of a potential dictator. She must start to rally support from like-minded senators, such as Bail Organa. 

This issue also concerned her on a personal level. It was no secret that Anakin liked strong centralized power. He cared a little about democracy. He supported whatever power structures that could maintain peace and order. As long as he did not openly advocate for any effort that could undermine democracy, she did not mind. In the past, he expressed his support for the militarization bill to Padme, but he wasn't bitter about Padme leading the opposition. 

Anakin was loyal to people, not to principles. For the same reason, opposing authoritarian regimes became difficult when Palpatine was in the play. Anakin would consider it an attack on his father. It was impossible for him not to take a side. She already knew whose side he would take. For Anakin, his father was the Republic . 

More and more people referred to Padme as “Princess of the Republic," as if she was an heir of a kingdom or empire, which was very unsettling for her. She really adored her fiance, but having a dictator father-in-law was unacceptable. If it happened, she would have to choose between being true to her values and vision or being true to her love. It was a situation that she wished never to happen. She must reemphasize her strong disapproval of an authoritarian regime, and hoped that Anakin could understand and accept her position. 

“Senator Amidala,” Rush Clovis approached her. “It is the time to celebrate the passage of our bill, then we can start our diplomatic trip.”

She sighed internally. She indeed wanted to thank all the staff members and allies who helped with the bill.  

She invited everyone to her apartment to have a drink. She found it hopeful that Palis and Rackeli had set their differences about the Jedi Order aside and worked together on this bill. But this collegial working relationship would end when the Jedi Order came back into the picture.

After the celebration, Padme started to pack up for the trip. Palis was already prepared. She was playing with Imperius with a feather toy while she waited. 

“Princess Cat, your Dad is coming back. Can you talk him out of his anti-Jedi obsession?”

Padme picked up the cat and kissed her goodbye. “You cannot change Anakin from being who he is. Don't forget Chancellor Palpatine condemned Anakin's proposal in front of the Jedi Council. You can sleep well.” She squeezed Red's arm. “Red, do not let Clovis wait. Otherwise, he would say more things that make me feel nervous. Honestly, I don't want to go to Scipio”

“Indeed.” Palis made a face. “But think about it this way, Scipio is the homeworld of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. The Clan can easily influence hundreds of Senators . Maybe we will get some clues about the Sith Lord Sidious. Then we catch the Sith and end the war!”  

*** 2 ***

Reckeli and Anakin scheduled a meeting in a small cafe in the Senate district. Instead of taking a taxi, she walked. She needed some fresh air to clear her mind. 

Anakin sent her a message about his new knowledge of the Jedi Order. Anakin said the Jedi did not evaluate his professional contribution fairly. This was not news. He also found out that the Jedi had some special surveillance over him and many other people. Besides, he said that Jedi practiced discrimination.

It was too much information for her to process. The information was not well connected. Ideas jumped around. Her lawyer’s instinct told her some critical information was amiss. 

She walked past the Jedi Temple. To her surprise, Anakin emerged from the Temple entrance. She waved at him, and he waved back.

“Why were you at the Jedi Temple?” She measured her friend’s attire. He wore a brown duster coat. She could see his navy uniform beneath. “Director Skywalker.” 

“Military briefings,” he said with annoyance. “Now my second office is in the Jedi Temple.” 

Realizing Rackeli was confused, he explained. “The Temple repurposed a wing to house the navy officers, clone commanders, and civilian staff members. Few are happy about it. The navy thinks the meetings should be held in the GAR compound, instead of going to the Temple for Jedi’s convenience.” He rolled his eyes. “I had no idea why the Senate passed such a frivolous motion to make this arrangement. Some hardcore Jedi worshippers took every opportunity to pay their homage. Ironically, the Jedi think it is an abomination to their tradition as a peaceful organization. Great.” 

Soon they arrived at the cafe. After ordering their food, Rackeli asked the question that had been in her mind ever since she received his message. 

“You are Force-sensitive, right? It is your privacy, you can refuse to answer." 

“Yes,” he answered curtly. Clearly, he had anticipated this question. 

“Everything makes sense now. I am not surprised.” She felt relieved. “I am organizing more parents to file complaints. Interestingly, some Force-sensitive adults contacted me. Their parents did not give them to the Older when they were babies. As far as they believed, the Jedi Order somehow meddled in their life, but they had no evidence.”

Then the food arrived. A plate of fried fish for her, a plate of steak for Anakin. She had insisted that they should take turns paying, and this time was her turn. 

“You think they discriminated against you? But on what basis?” She asked thoughtfully. “Wait a moment. You said in conflict mediation, Jedi preferred pacifists. Clearly, you are not a pacifist. So...” 

“Yes. My agent provided the data. The statistics told a solid story about Jedi's alliance with pacifist leaders. The Jedi installed planetary leaders who think like them, as a way to maintain power,” he spoke passionately.  

“Don't change the topic. Stay on the topic of discrimination. Is there a possibility that their preference is related to the Force-sensitivity of the local leaders?” 

"I never thought in this way." He jerked upright as though struck by lightning. "It happened to me. I couldn't be the only one. Besides, the Jedi monitored Force-sensitive individuals for 'our own well-being'. Obi-wan said it openly. They don't think it is a problem at all." 

"Unfortunately, it is a gray area. The Republic intelligence did this a lot these days. On the basis of the world of origin. As long as the authorities don't intrude our--" She corrected herself, trying to not sound resentful. "--their life without justification, it is legal. If the authorities do it with a pattern, it is a sign of discrimination. In a civil rights lawsuit, the plaintiff must show evidence of malicious intent or prejudice."

"Malicious intent? The Jedi claimed that they are nothing but compassionate, but they are very prejudiced." He became quiet, contemplating this idea.

"Did they say Force-sensitives have some bad traits?" Before Anakin could respond, she answered it by herself. "Well, I think I know the answer. If a Force-sensitive being is not trained from a very early age, they become too dangerous to be trained. They gave that answer to me, many times." 

"So, in Jedi's mediations, they seemed to favor pacifists, but in fact, they were against Force-sensitives outside the Order. I need to know the midichlorian count of the people who lost disputes mediated by the Jedi," He exclaimed.

"I do not suppose you have access to this medical information." She shrugged.

"Only the Jedi Order has the access. I know my father does not," He said sourly. "The Jedi can do whatever they want. There is no shortage of Senators who want to do them a favor. This is exactly why we need a law to define what the Jedi could do and what they could not." He placed his fork on the table heavily.

"There is another way. If the leaders who claimed being discriminated against can file a class-action lawsuit. The court could not use the excuse ‘Jedi internal business’ to dismiss it. It is different from the children's case. Planetary leaders are involved this time." She smiled. "If the court rules in our favor, the children's case could be resolved as well." 

Anakin frowned, confused.

"As Force-sensitives,” she elaborated, “either you would be given to the Order as a child, sacrificing individual freedom, or you would be discriminated against by the Jedi because of Force-sensitivity." She started to write on her datapad, then handed her datapad to Anakin. "Is this what you want?"

"Force-Sensitive Freedom Act. A legislation to protect the rights of the children of the Force," Anakin read it aloud. A big smile flourished on his face.

"I will instruct my agent to gather the plaintiffs. He is very committed to ending Jedi's exploitation. We will win." Anakin took his commlink out of his pocket  

"Yes, we will." 

*** 3 ***

“Senator Clovis, I know you wish to speak to Senator Amidala in private. Sorry, you are not allowed to do so." Palis commanded authority, but internally she was laughing. "I am an investigator of the UnRepublican Activities Control Committee. We are heading to a world that claims to be neutral, but who knows. All the intel about the banking clan is under my purview. If you have no involvement in UnRepublican activities, there is nothing for you to worry about." 

She played the role of a ruthless agent who wholeheartedly embraced the idea of surveillance. In reality, she was making up excuses to keep Padme away from harassment, and Padme got the idea.

The UACC was a joke. It didn't produce anything useful. No one was interested in looking for the Sith Lord. The misguided recommendation to monitor all Senators met vehement opposition. Who would want their own privacy invaded? They may support wiretapping every Republic citizen but would make sure to have themselves exempted.

Clovis looked at her with defiance. Padme intercepted. "Rush, you should listen to Investigator Athia. We are discussing Senate business, and she works for the Senate."

"She is not what she claims," he said with some menace.

"Oh? What am I? Want to check my papers?" She flashed her badge. 

"You are doing Skywalker's bidding. I overheard your communication with him." 

"Director Skywalker and I have different views on many issues, but we both agreed that the safety of Senator Amidala is of great importance." She bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing. "If you wish to speak to Padme, please do it now. Otherwise, I will escort you out." 

A few moments later, Clovis left the dining area. Palis laughed out aloud. "I sensed he indeed has serious business to discuss, but he doesn't know how to talk without inserting suggestive language. He will come back."

"Thank you, Red.  He is a dependable colleague, but his manner is… not what I like." Padme looked into Palis' eyes. "I worked together with Clovis a lot before we, well, broke up. He is not the type of person who will betray the Republic. I can't believe what the Jedi Council suggested."

"We will see. I am no longer a Jedi, but I can tell deception." Palis took a bite of her dessert. "He is back. A few meters away from the door."

"Padme, and Investigator Athia." Clovis returned with a charming smile, but she sensed much nervousness. "There's corruption in the banking clans. I need your help to collect evidence. I mean Padme, not you." He looked at Palis with frustration.

"It is definitely an unRepublican activity. It is my duty. You are welcome," she said with amusement.

Clovis detailed how the clan leaders covered up each other's misuse of funds, and retaliated against anyone who wanted an audit. He suggested that the banks may have run out of money. He wanted to check the account book, but he didn't have access.

"You want Padme to make up an excuse, so she could go into the main vault, then she downloads the data when no one is watching?" Palis set aside the food she was eating.

"I don't need an excuse. I can tell the clan that the new defense bill required money to fund the war," Padme said thoughtfully. 

"Yes. It is the idea." Clovis looked at Padme expectantly. "Will you do that?"

"Terrible idea," Palis responded first. "When the clan leaders find out about the information leak, they would immediately know who is responsible. It will damage the Republic’s relationship with the banks, and push them toward the Separatists."

"What do you think?" Clovis looked at Padme.

“If the banks have such a level of corruption, the stability of the Republic will be jeopardized, but we need to be careful with how to proceed. The investigator and I will put more thought into it,” Padme replied diplomatically. 

"How about you give me the schematic of the computer system and holos that show the inside of the vault?" Palis said casually. "I will assess the feasibility of your suggestion."

“Fine.” Clovis’s face fell.

When Clovis was out of the eardrop, Palis whispered to Padme, “I think what he said about the bank was true. But his motives were unclear, and he had other plans. We need to proceed with caution.”

Padme looked unconformable and was quiet. After a few seconds of contemplating, she said, “I will listen to you.”

*** 4 ***

“You have heard me. Release Senator Amidala and Ms. Athia. Your charges against them are groundless,” Anakin demanded of Clu Lesser, the spokesman of the Banking Clan leaders Core Five. He had arrived on Scipio an hour ago. The spokesman agreed to meet him immediately. The meeting was held in Lesser’s personal conference room. It was quite an honor for an off-world person. He could sense that Lesser was afraid. 

Anakin had never visited Scipio before, the homeworld of Darth Plagueis. The Sith Master was publicly known as Hego Damask, a high official of the Banking Clan before his death. The Sith still had loyal allies on Scipio. If Anakin talked to the right person and revealed to them who he was, he could easily have Padme and Palis released, no questions asked. However, it was too risky. He had to negotiate their release by himself, as an official of the Republic Navy. Vader excelled in aggressive negotiation, but Anakin had to plan by the book. 

About two days ago, the Banking Clan informed the Chancellor’s office that Senator Amidala and her aide had been arrested on suspicion of espionage, and they would be held indefinitely for investigation. 

The clan claimed that they found their bank transaction log had been downloaded without authorization. They arrested a dozen individuals who had visited the main vault on the day when their database had been breached. 

After hearing this charge, Palpatine sent Anakin to Scipio for the purpose of securing the loan for the newly-passed defense bill, on behalf of the Navy. Of course, everyone knew the true reason for his trip.

“You said this yourself. The security camera showed that nobody was in the vault at that time. A data card was inserted in the computer system...by itself. The door opened automatically, and the data card flew out and disappeared.” Anakin folded his hands on top of the desk. “I do not see how Senator Amidala and her staff were involved.” Except he knew exactly who was responsible for it. 

“It is a Jedi trick. Jedi is with the Republic.” Lesser was adamant about it. 

“Everyone who entered this section of the planet went through a security check.” Anakin lifted an eyebrow. “Were there any Jedi on Scipio that day?” Except there was a former Jedi here. In the Republic database, Palis’ education and work history were either fake or ambiguous.

“No Jedi. We confirmed,” the banker said awkwardly, “but who else could do it? It must be the Sith then.”

Anakin laughed. “How much do you know about the Sith?”

“I heard that there were two Sith at a time. My assistant said the Coruscant newspaper had some articles on this topic." Palis wrote under a pen name, which showed benefits now.

“Only two? And you think they have the time to tamper with your computer system?” Anakin put on his serious face. “The separatists leader Dooku opened a shadow Jedi Order in the Outer Rim. This information was from a Jedi High Council member. Maybe you should look into the Separatists.”

“I thought Dooku was a Sith.” Lesser seemed to be confused. “The newspaper said so.”

“I do not know what he is, nor do I care about it. Release Senator Amidala and her aide now,” Anakin demanded.  “Arresting a sitting Senator breaks the neutrality the Banking Clan claimed to uphold. By doing so, you are advancing the Separatists' interests. You will face sanctions.”

“There is some serious misunderstanding. We arrested officials from the Confederacy of Independent System as well. We did not take a side.” 

This Munn was just impossible. 

“If you do not release the Senator and her staff by noontime tomorrow, the Republic will forcefully retrieve them, and declare war on you,” Anakin declared, and stood up. “Now show me the way to Senator Amidala. I will stay with them until their release.”

Padme and Palis were under house arrest in their hotel room. Their commlinks and other communication devices had been taken away from them. When he arrived, the two ladies were playing Dejarik. Padme smiled as one of her beasts pummeled Palis’s. She looked up and her smile grew wider as she caught sight of him. 

“Anakin! I didn’t think you would come.” His fiancee hugged him and cupped his face. They kissed briefly. 

“I said so.” Palis rolled her eyes. “Otherwise, who else would Chancellor Palpatine send? A Jedi? Don’t we have enough conspiracy theories about the Jedi infiltrating the banks? Anyway, I feel bored. How about you join us to watch a holo movie together.” 

“Ms. Athia, you are more carefree than I thought. It seems like you are not worried about your release at all.” Anakin cocked his head. 

“Senator Amidala and I are completely innocent. I believe the truth will prevail,” Palis said while turning on the holo station. 

She clicked the remote to select the channel. A Coruscant news feed caught their attention. 

“Breaking News. Senator Clovis of Scipio put forward a motion to audit the banks for irregular activities. The motion was passed.” 

Then holo showed Clovis addressed the full senate passionately. 

“I had long suspected the leaders of the Banking Clans were engaging in corruption. Many respectable members of the banking system requested an audit. All good-faith requests were rejected. Now, they have arrested my colleague, Senator Amidala of Naboo, and her staff when they traveled with me to secure the funds for a bill we cosponsored.” Clovis made some exaggerated gestures to express his outrage. “These ladies never came close to the computer that the clans had claimed to be compromised. It was a political game to distract the public and shift the blame on the Republic. Only an audit will serve the public interests.” 

The Senators roared, and the motion was passed unanimously. 

It annoyed Anakin that this toxic man brought Padme to his world and got her arrested, and he himself played the hero in the Senate. 

“You two are framed by this man.” Anakin spat. “He used the public outrage for your unlawful arrest to advance his personal agenda.”

“You judged too fast, love.” Padme shook her head. “I know you do not like him, but you do not want conspiracy theories to rule your life.”

“Conspiracy theories?” He shook his head. “I do not trust this man. You need to face reality.”

“I tend to agree with Anakin here,” Palis inserted herself into the conversation. “This is all too strange. We had a simple tour in the building that housed the main vault. An hour later, we were arrested for some mysterious activities,” she said innocently as if she was not the culprit herself. Her speech was for the clueless agents who were monitoring the room. 

“The bank leaders seized our datapad, and they did not find the leaked information on our device. This is a setup but this setup itself was too poorly prepared. It must have been plotted in a hurry.” Palis nodded at Anakin. “Clovis was my top suspect.” 

“What is his agenda then?” Padme was frustrated. “Anyway. You two rarely agreed on anything, so I will defer to you two.”

Palis offered her hand to him for a high five, and Anakin accepted it. It was ironic that he and the fancy Jedi united by the cause of watching over Padme’s ex. 

“Soon there will be more drama about the bank in the Senate.” Palis changed the channel again. “Let us watch something lighthearted before that happens.” 

Chapter Text

***1***

“All the charges against you and your staff are dropped," one of the bank representatives spoke to Padme apologetically. "We are sorry for this unfortunate incident. We hope that it will not damage the good relationship between the Republic and the Banking Clan."

Padme gracefully accepted the apology. Then the trio left as soon as they could.

Once they’d arrived at Anakin's ship, Padme finally asked the question. "Red, what have you done?"'

"Nothing." Palis said sheepishly, "Well, a little bit. With the Force, I downloaded the bank’s data, moved the datacard out of the vault, and threw the datacard into the closest trash can. I neither touched the computer nor read the data."

"Clovis didn't get the transaction data?" Padme was confused. 

"Unless he picked it up from the trash." Palis shrugged. "No. He didn't know I did it. He definitely had his own suspicions, but this was not what he had planned. He needed a chaotic situation as an excuse for an investigation. We delivered this ‘excuse’ but didn't get our hands dirty. Absolutely no evidence!"

"What had he planned?" Anakin demanded.

"Easy, my friend." Palis made a calming gesture. "If we had gone along with his plan, Padme would have stolen the information for him. We would be caught red-handed. Clovis still would be the hero who exposed corruption, but the Republic would shoulder the blame. Now our names are clear. It looks bad for the bank, not us."

"Agreed. The auditor just reviewed the transaction log. The bank’s corruption was immediately exposed. The Core Five resigned. What is next?” Padme sank to a chair. “Wait. News just came in." She projected the holo.

"The Senate confirmed Clovis to be the new leader of the Banking Clan. He is endorsed by both the Republic and the Separatists." Anakin snorted. "Your arrest paid handsomely, love. Instead of trying to get you out, he immediately went back to Coruscant for his own big show."

"He did get us out. Exposing corruption forced the Clan to release us," Padme explained.

"I don't want to hear more about Clovis. This man is full of secret agendas and deceptions," Anakin said irritatedly. 

"One last thing, he will step down from the Senator position to lead the banks. It is good news for you, boy." Palis grinned at Anakin.

"I am not a boy,” he grumbled. “I am going to check in on R2. I don't want to talk to either of you." Then he left the lobby of the ship.

"Anakin is jealous of Clovis. It made me uncomfortable." Padme sighed. "We two are engaged. Clovis was in the past. How can I get Anakin to understand this?"

"He is very protective of you. Overly protective is more accurate." Palis poured a glass of tea and passed it to her. "I did sense deception in Clovis. I don't know what he was hiding, but Anakin was not wrong."

"Thanks." Padme drank a mouthful of tea, "And good to know your opinion. Hopefully, with Clovis' gone, we can have some peace."

"Anakin cannot live without drama." Palis looked into her eyes. "You two are very similar. Sorry, I have to point it out."

"Am I? I thought I was the level-headed one." Padme blushed.

"The way you two looked at each other, you are obsessed with each other." Palis stood up. "Anakin is coming back. I don't want to be the third wheel. You two have a good time."

Right after Palis left, Padme’s fiancé dragged her into their private quarters. They had sex with their clothes on. Both of them found their release soon. 

In the bedroom, Anakin was usually like a relaxed Loth-cat. He let Padme do whatever she wanted to him and made happy noises. Today he was quiet, aggressive, and dominating, like a Loth-cat chasing its prey. He left marks on her neck and shoulders as if to mark her as his. She gave him a few bites and scratches in return.

After a long period of silence, Padme spoke. "Ani, you don't trust me."

He didn't respond immediately.

"I hated it when I came back from a battle that almost killed me, and found out that you were used by a deceptive man who only cared about his ambition! And you didn't see it as a problem! You could be hurt or killed." He didn't look at her. "You blamed me for being jealous when you're blindly trusting a dangerous man. It is unfair." 

Padme didn't know what to say. She wanted to say that Clovis cared for more than his own ambition. It would be pouring oil on the fire.

"He is working with the Separatists. I know it." Finally, he looked into her eyes.

"You know it?" A new groundless charge.

"Jedi Council is right about him." Anakin groaned. "If they sensed something, I would consider it true." Padme knew this was a lie, but she did not call him out.

***2***

The ship needed fuel to return to Coruscant. They stopped by a nearby system to get the supply. Another piece of breaking news showed on Anakin’s datapad. He recently set up a filter to feed him all the news about Clovis, in addition to his filter on the Jedi Order.

“The former leader Clu Lesser of the Banking Clan had a press release, claiming that Clovis had personally dealt with the Separatists.” He read it aloud. “Interesting. They did not provide details though.”

“What? Give the datapad to me.” Padme grabbed the datapad, and read, “Clovis hired separatist agents with mysterious power to infiltrate the computer system. Red, you hacked the computer. They were making this up to destroy him. It was infighting for power. ”

“Maybe he really got an agent. Dooku had plenty of students to supply,” Anakin said while taking his datapad back.  

“Wait. The Jedi Order issued a press release, signed by Obi-wan. This may be related.” Palis read her own datapad. “They are going to investigate Dooku’s Dark Jedi training program. They will contact untrained force-sensitives in the Republic to warn them about the danger. “

“Warn them? It was the code word for surveillance,” Anakin spat. “When will they come to warn me?” 

“Read this.” Padme looked at another news feed on Palis’ datapad. “In response to the suspicious activities of a few senators, especially Clovis, the Senator Surveillance bill has been brought up for debate, and they are going to vote on it." Padme looked pale.

"Oh, no, they already voted, it was passed with a very thin margin! Jar-Jar voted yes on behalf of Naboo.” She covered her forehead with a hand. “What the hell was going on when I was away! If I was there, I could have opposed the bill on the Senate floor, swung a few dozen votes, and defeated it. People gave into the fear of a mysterious threat. This Darth Sidious had not yet been proved to exist," Padme said bitterly. Palis looked hurt by her statement.

But the Sith were real. She was going to marry one. Anakin felt amused.

The senators should be afraid if Sidious was against the Republic. On the contrary, Vader and his Master were trying to save it from the former Jedi Dooku. 

“The Senate tasked the Jedi Order to interrogate the senators who are suspected of UnRepublican activities. They believed that the Jedi Order was the best choice because these senators were working with a Sith Lord." Palis cried, "The Order should reject this Senate arrangement! Serving as generals in the war is already too much." 

“Great. I am under double surveillance now." He glared at the fancy Jedi. “ You started all of this! And you think the Jedi were the victims? Isn't hunting the Sith their top agenda? They must be thrilled by the new security law.” 

"No. It was the agenda of the hardcore Republic loyalists. Neither I nor the Order had anything to do with it,” Palis said defensively. 

A few seconds later, her mood totally changed. She announced with excitement, “Good news! The Committee just approved my proposal. They support my search for Darth Sidious in the Outer Rim. I will go to some Separatist worlds to look for clues. I am leaving now.”

He wanted to say that her “Bloody Sith History” intimidation campaign was the reason for the bill's passage. In her reports, the Sith were responsible for every atrocity in the galaxy, but it was indeed good news that she would go to the Outer Rim. At least that way she’d be going in the wrong direction.

"Good luck with your search. May the Force be with you.” He pretended to be sincere.

“May the Force be with you too, but defeat your divisive agenda,” Every word was sincere, which he had sensed.

Then she said with a sad voice, "The Jedi Order is defeating itself. They are losing their way. I really need to focus on catching Darth Sidious. Then everything can go back to normal."

“Take good care of yourself. You can consider me your family. Contact me when you need anything.” Padme gave Palis a hug. “Good luck and safe trip."

He protested internally about Padme’s clueless statement. It made him the fancy Jedi's family as well. Nonetheless, he was confident that Palis would find nothing in the Outer Rim. The real threat was Obi-wan Kenobi, who he had almost fooled. But Kenobi had sharp eyes. Anakin needed to be careful all the time. 

Watching Palis leave, he found himself a little bit sad. Red probably was the only Force-sensitive person that he could consider a friend, at least until she started to hunt down the Sith. He had wished that she could have stayed out of the Sith-Jedi business after she left the Order, but she had not. 

He realized that Padme was crying. He held her with one arm. “This is a difficult day for all of us.” 

Unfortunately, it was far from over. Tarkin’s image burst into life on his commlink. 

“Director Skywalker, you have an assignment. Clovis announced that the banks will increase the interest rate on the Republic side, but not the Separatists side. In Scipio's capital city, thousands of citizens protested against Clovis' illegal dealing with the Separatists. Dooku arrived with troops and attacked the peaceful protestors. Clu Lesser pleaded for help. You are assigned the command of a fleet. The captains are expecting you.” Tarkin smiled at him knowingly. “No Jedi is aboard.”

“Yes, sir,” he answered confidently, “send me the coordinator.”

“You got it. See you back on Coruscant with Clovis in custody.” Tarkin was a competent commander, who Anakin would exceed one day.

He sensed that Padme was conflicted. She clasped her hands together tightly. Her knuckles turned white.

“Ani, you are right about Clovis.” She said quietly, “I was foolish. I will talk him into surrendering.” She hugged him and wept on his shoulder. 

Still too trusting. Anakin sighed in his mind, but he welcomed this change. “Time to head to my Star Destroyer.”

***3***

Ruth Clovis stared at the ceiling in his new office. He was outsmarted by Dooku. He simply wanted someone to help him expose the corruption of the banks. Of course, by doing so, he could become the new leader. 

A few weeks ago, Count Dooku had visited the neutral world Scipio on a diplomatic mission. They briefly talked, and he mentioned to Dooku that the bank had irregular activities. The Confederacy leader promised that his side would give pressure for an audit, but it would need

Republic’s support as well. Dooku suggested that Clovis contact his most trusted ally in the Republic Senate and invite them to visit the planet directly. 

It was no one other than Padme Amidala, Senator of Naboo. 

He and Padme entered the Senate at the same time. They bonded together and passed several bills that strengthened the economy of Mild Rim worlds. Their professional relationship gradually turned into a romantic one. But it ended a few months later when Padme told him that they should roll back to the professional relationship. It was very hard for him. 

Until today, he was still in love with this strong independent woman. He would seek opportunities to work together with her and to help her with issues that she felt passionate about, even after she got engaged to Chancellor Palpatine’s brat. Padme was like a spice, one he could not resist. 

He was shocked by Padme choosing Anakin Skywalker, who was fresh out of school, hot-headed, and did not have much depth. Many senators whispered that it was a simple political marriage for power. 

He knew better. Padme was a stateswoman in her own right. She did not need Palpatine’s power. On the contrary, the connection to Palpatine, who had drastically different political views, was baggage for her career. She was strong enough that she did not need to marry any man or woman to increase her status. After she broke up with him, several colleagues had said to him that Padme was the type who would devote all their life to public service, and end up having no family of their own. They thought that she was not interested in any long-term relationship. 

However, they were all wrong. Padme was a very romantic person. The romance was the only missing piece in her life when she had everything else. Skywalker was a good-looking young man with daring actions on the battleground. It was enough to capture Padme’s heart.

On the way to Scipio, he wanted to tell her that marrying Skywalker was not a wise choice. Working together to expose the corruption of the banking system may reignite the old sparks between them. 

But everything went wrong. An hour ago, Skywalker issued an ultimatum, demanding that he surrender, otherwise the Republic would take the capital. 

Skywalker had a reputation out here. He was ruthless. Collateral damage was of little concern for him, which made him more efficient than the Jedi generals. However, a big part of his reputation came from the Republic propaganda. In a time of crisis, people wanted to have heroes to believe in, thus the propaganda department created heroes to meet this demand. Due to his inflated reputation, some Confederate sympathizers surrendered directly without a fight, which further elevated his status. In reality, he was a spoiled child. 

Clovis did not want the Scipio defense system to fight him or the Republic. He had not collaborated with the Separatists at all (except a few small pet projects with the Trade Federation). He was coerced to increase the interest rate because Dooku stationed his troops here. 

Dooku was the source of all his nightmares. 

Clovis was puzzled by the main vault computer incident. He asked Padme to download the data, but she refused politely. From what was shown on the security holo, the invader was a Force Wielder. 

Clovis grew more and more suspicious about Padme’s aide Palis Athia. In the Senate database, her record was nothing but ordinary, but the way she carried herself was unusual among senatorial staff members. She commanded authority and power, even if she downplayed it by branding herself as some sadistic investigator. Padme deferred to her judgment, which was a big sign of irregularity. 

He guessed that she was a special agent from the Navy, sent by Skywalker. Later Dooku revealed to him that Athia was Obi-wan Kenobi’s former student, who left the Order when the war started. 

A Jedi operative in plain sight. 

A revelation hit him. It was Dooku who suggested that he invited Padme to inspect the banks. What Dooku actually wanted was to bring the Jedi operative to Scipio to create chaos. Ironically, Clu Lessor’s accusation that he hired a separatist’s Force-sensitive agent was correct from a certain point of view. Dooku played him all the way along. 

The Jedi deserters were indeed a group of dangerous individuals. The old man Dooku started a Galactic Civil War. This redhead Athia single-handedly undermined the neutrality of the Banking Clans without showing her hand.  Without Jedi Order supervision, these Force Wielders were a great threat to ordinary people. 

The rumors about the roots of the Clone Wars may have some truth in it: Dooku and Yoda had different ideas about how the Jedi should rule the Republic behind the scenes. They could not work their differences out, so they created a bloody civil war to settle this dispute.

In the Republic Senate, there were many whispers about another type of Force Wielders, the Sith. In these stories, the Sith had been unthinkably dangerous and destructive to the Republic throughout the entire galactic history. He wondered how catastrophic it could be if the Sith really existed. It would be a thought for another day. 

For now, he had to deal with the Republic’s brat Skywalker, without breaking Padme’s heart. 

***4***

Vader studied the Separatists fleet which blocked his path to Scipio. The Separatists were led by Count Dooku’s flagship Invisible Hand . They just had a bloody battle with both sides sustaining heavy damage. 

The battle in the physical world was ending. The fight in the Force had just started. 

No Jedi were around. That meant free access to the Force. He could sense Count Dooku’s presence. Unlike Vader, Dooku did not need to hide his signature in the Force. 

Finally, it was time to take Dooku out, in the way of the Sith. 

“Captain, hail Invisible Hand. I will have a word with Dooku,” Vader instructed the Defender 's captain. He wanted to precisely locate Dooku. 

They waited, but no response came from the enemy flagship. Probably Dooku suspected his plan. 

“Close the distance between Defender and the enemy flagship, then employ iron cannons. We will have a good conversation with the Count.” 

Vader concentrated on Dooku’s Force signature and sent a blast of Force energy toward the former Jedi Master. He created a disturbance in the Force, but Dooku directed the energy back to him. This engagement enabled Vader to lock on his opponent. 

He pictured Dooku in his mind’s eye, and applied a Force grip on the arrogant man’s throat. Dooku shivered in the Force, but quickly fended off his grip, and fought back. 

After a few rounds of interactions, Vader and Dooku faced each other directly in the Force. Their eyes were burning flames. Dark energy swirled around them like a thunderstorm.

They used sheer willpower to push each other toward the storm, but neither gained much ground. Many painful memories in Vader’s early age cut into his consciousness, trying to distract him. Nonetheless, he pressed on. Slowly, he outpowered Dooku. He sensed Dooku’s desperation. 

However, a sudden blast of energy knocked him out of the meditation, and almost forced him down to his knees. He struggled to maintain balance. What the hell had happened?

“Director Skywalker, are you okay?” his captain inquired with concern. 

He put forward a hand to stop the officer from asking further. “All the laser cannons on the Invisible Hand ."

“Incoming transmission from the enemy flagship,” the second officer exclaimed. “It’s Dooku.”

“Let it go through.” Vader gritted his teeth. 

Dooku’s arrogant face showed up on the main screen. He looked imposing, but Vader could tell that he was exhausted. They locked eyes. 

“Young Skywalker, I allow you to have the victory today. I could have blasted your fleet into oblivion if my master had not had other priorities.”

“Your master? Who is that?” Vader demanded, but Dooku cut off the connection. The Separatists fleet jumped into hyperspace.

It was Yoda, Vader mused. It had to be. 

This was a shocking revelation to him. He needed to immediately contact Sidious. He spoke to him directly through their Force Bond, which he usually tended to avoid. He felt exposed and vulnerable in direct Force communication, but he had to do it today.

“Master, I have urgent matters to report.” He spoke through their bond and waited.

After a long while, his master responded. “My Apprentice, what is your report?” He sounded distracted. 

“I just had a confrontation with Dooku. He said that he was retreating because of his master ’s bidding.”

“What did you just say?” Sidious sounded alarmed. 

“He is in collusion with Yoda.” Vader spat, “This is treason. We must take down the Jedi Council now .”

“My young Apprentice, patience. The time has not come.” Sidious turned back to his authoritative self.    

“But master, this is the opportunity we cannot miss. Arrest Yoda so we can interrogate him!” 

“No. You will obey me. Taking back Scipio is your current assignment. Yoda will be dealt with later.” Sidious cut off the connection.

Vader felt drained. He was annoyed by his master’s decision. Sidious was nothing if not patient, which he admired but frustrated by at the same time. The Sith Master was wise, but allowing Yoda’s treason to slip through angered Vader. He trusted that Sidious had a larger plan. However, it was frustrating that Sidious said he was not ready to know yet. 

It was pointless to question his master’s decision. He straightened his uniform, then tapped into the Force to replenish his energy.  

Dooku retreated, but Clovis still had his ground force to defend himself. It was time to take the traitor out. 

***5***

Republic's troops blasted through the Scipio's ground defense. Clovis realized that he may have underestimated Skywalker.

The young navy officer stormed in, flanked by clone troopers. Clovis and his elite guards were held at the blaster point. He still had a fighting chance, thus he would not give up just yet.

"Clovis. Please surrender. The Republic will be lenient." Padme emerged from the hallway, and stood next to Anakin. 

Her fiancé's icy look told a different story.

"Lenient? Your boyfriend might not think so." He faced Skywalker's gaze. "He wanted to kill me."

"Groundless accusation. You are under arrest for your actions against the Republic." The young man proclaimed with fierceness, pointing his blaster at Clovis' forehead. "If you choose to violently resist arrest, you seal your own fate. Surrender."

"Anakin, don't." Padme moved a few steps ahead, standing in front of all the soldiers. "Clovis, it doesn't need to come to that. Scipio was a neutral world after all. Your charge was not treason, but false neutrality."

This moment was for Clovis. He silently signaled the sniper, who hid behind a bookshelf. His agent would shoot Skywalker with a stun blaster. The hidden guards would bring down the clone troopers. With the Chancellor's son in his custody, he could negotiate terms with Palpatine.

Without looking into the direction of the sniper, Skywalker swiftly moved his blaster and shot down the man before he could take any action. 

Clovis froze. How could the young man know about the sniper? He acted as if he had foreseen the attack. 

The next moment, Clovis was on his knees with a blaster pressed to his head.

"Order all your guards to surrender. You know what I am talking about. Do it now."

He felt despair drilled in his mind, and heard himself pleading for mercy.

"Don't kill me. I surrender." He felt compelled to follow the voices in his head. 

Then the despair was gone. He felt he could breathe again. A clone trooper pulled him up and handcuffed him. 

"You will have a fair trial on Coruscant. You can choose your own lawyer." Padme looked at him sadly. 

She took Skywalker's hand, and turned away from him. “We have won. Finally, we can have some quality time together." 

The couple walked away without sparing another look at him. At this moment, he felt that he truly lost.

***6***

"The Banking Clan asks for protection from the Republic." Anakin watched Clu Lesser pleading in the Senate on his office's screen. "We can no longer fend off the attack from Dooku's troops and infiltrators."

After every military briefing in the Jedi temple, he returned to his office in the GAR compound immediately. He found it hard to concentrate when there were so many powerful Force signatures looming in the background. They were like predators surrendering him.

His younger self would be thrilled by being able to infiltrate the Jedi Temple. The briefing location arrangement turned out to be to his advantage.  He could walk around the building as if he belonged there and make whatever observations he wanted. But he hated staying with the Jedi for one more second.

He forced himself to stop thinking about the Jedi and focus on the Senate proceeding.

Clu Lesser had regained his power. The official story was that the Banking Clan System did a full investigation, and proved that Clovis was the culprit behind the corruption. They simply shifted al thel blame to the losing side. Anakin didn't believe a word of it. Nobody in the Senate believed it. However, no one wanted to point it out, not even Padme. It was political suicide to defend a treacherous former Senator. The charge of UnRepublican Activities would be thrown at them right away. 

Upon their arrival on Coruscant, Padme had formed a Senate Caucus called "Defending Democracy Caucus." Senators also called it the “delegation against Palpatine.”

He wholeheartedly disagreed with her efforts. It would just prolong the war. But what he could say when Palpatine himself gave the new caucus his blessing. He found it was hard to understand his master's plan. 

One the screen, Lesser continued. "The Banking Clan has a long history of working with the Republic leadership. The former Core Five leader Hego Damask was a close ally of  Chancellor Palpatine. Damask trusted the ability and integrity of Palpatine completely. In this moment of crisis, the Banking Clan entrusts the banks into the care of the Office of the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

Hego Damask... Darth Plagueis. Lesser was an ally of the Sith, which was a surprise for Anakin. 

This was a really interesting turn of events. He was marveled at how well his master ended the Banking Clan crisis and turned the chaos to the Sith' advantage. 

In the holovideo, Senators chant "Long live the banks!" 

Palpatine accepted the responsibility with grace. He promised to return the banks to their former standing once the war ended.

His master’s speech went on, but cheers and applause were the only sounds Anakin could hear. 

He turned off the display and placed his commlink on the desk. Padme would call him at any moment to complain about the new Undemocratic development.

Padme treated him like he was the spokesperson for all the "undemocratic activities." In fact, it was the contrary. He avoided speaking about his opinions on this matter.

Still, she would pour all her lectures on him. She demanded he debates her. Defeating him in a debate was like defeating all the senators who supported a stronger centralized power.

She acted as if winning over him was as important as taking power away from the Chancellor. 

How could he possibly win a debate with Padme, who was the most articulate and passionate person in the galaxy? He quietly listened to her lectures and told her that she was right. 

What's the point of all of this?

Anyway, he was prepared to listen to the news lecture about the bank and admit she was right. She would be frustrated by his half-hearted concession.

At night, he would pacify her in another way.

Chapter Text

*** 1 ***

Obi-Wan Kenobi had come to the Supreme Court Building many times. He either served as an eyewitness or testified as an expert. This time his role was different. In about a standard hour, the court would hear the oral argument of Children of Force v. Jedi Order.

The Order was accused of infringing individual freedom and discrimination on the basis of Force-sensitivities. As a High Council member, he was sent to defend the Jedi in the court.

Under the leadership of Rackeli Loo, the organization “Children of Force” represented several dozen plaintiffs. They were either parents of Force-sensitive children who had been given to the Order, or Force-sensitive adults who believed they had been discriminated against by the Order in diplomatic disputes. These adults had political influences on the planetary level, thus the lawsuit gained some media attention. 

He carefully reviewed all the files provided by Rackeli. The Order was accused of committing large-scale systemic oppression, yet most of the evidence was either emotional testimony or anecdotal. If the court ruling was solely based on the merit of evidence, he was confident that the Order would win. However, if high-profile plaintiffs joined the lawsuit at the last minute, they may bring political pressure on the judges. 

The deadline for evidence submission had passed. The name that he feared to see did not show up. 

Now he was waiting for the lift to the courtroom. A familiar voice spoke to him from behind.

“Long time no see. Master Kenobi.” Anakin Skywalker bowed to him respectfully. “I hope you are doing well.” His boyish defiance was gone but his fierceness remained. Wearing a stylish black uniform with a black cape, his posture was authoritative, reserved, and in some way regal. The rumor about the Navy’s attire department was true. They had indeed hired fashion designers to promote the image of high-ranking officers. 

After the battle of Felucia, he had only seen his former assistant a few times. They had never had a chance to talk. Anakin was the director of the Military Strategy Unit. Obi-Wan was not the Jedi Council member who participated in those meetings. 

“Thanks. I am well. I hope it is the same for you. I should call you Admiral Skywalker,” he returned the greeting.  

“Vice-Admiral still. The promotion is on the desk of the Jedi High Council.” The lift had arrived at its destination.  Anakin gestured to him to go in first. “Like old-times, just call me Anakin.”   

“Your promotion will pass. I did not hear much debate about your case in the last Council meeting.” Truth to be told, every single naval admiral-level officer had written a letter of recommendation. The Council members were surprised since the politics and infighting in the navy were quite a thing. 

“I am grateful for your guidance.” The young man smiled at him.

Obi-Wan was surprised by the change in Anakin's manner. It seemed like living on Coruscant with Padme transformed him from an unpolished boy to a rising aristocrat, though the Outer Rim accent remained. He still had many bold military endeavors, which did not change at all. 

“I am glad to see your career advancement.” Obi-Wan smiled back at him. “When will you start to serve on the GAR High Command?”

“I already started to attend the meetings as an observer while waiting for my new rank to be approved,” Anakin answered while following him out of the lift. 

Enough of pleasantries.

“My friend, what brought you to the Court today?” He already knew the answer, but asked nonetheless.

“The same reason that brought you here,” Anakin said politely but intensely. “I am curious about how Ms. Loo made her case. And I have questions to ask you about the Clone troopers Tup and Fives.”

Her case . It was his case as well. Palis helped with the draft of the rebuttal when she was traveling between the Outer Rim worlds. She circled out the sections that clearly were written by Anakin, including some word by word quotes from his old Holonet blog “Pod Racer.” 

They sat down in the courtroom. Obi-Wan decided not to point out his involvement in the case, instead, he answered the question about the clone accident. “You meant the incident where Tup accidentally killed Jedi General Tiplar. According to the report from Kamino, some virus damaged his brain.”

“Then Fives attacked my father .” Anakin narrowed his eyes. “Fives was infected as well according to the report. Interestingly, at the same time, Fives arrived on Coruscant for more tests and pleaded his case to my father, I was tasked to lead an Outer Rim campaign and shipped off-world."

He turned to Obi-Wan sharply, glaring at him with a dangerous look. “I can tell. There was more than what was written in the reports. Is the virus completely under control? No more infected troopers? Is it really a virus, or maybe something else?” he said slowly with a hint of a threatening tone in his voice. “The Order must submit the full reports to the High Command. It is a terrible idea to commission a clone army in the first place. Now, this new madness may cause a bloodbath in the Senate.” 

The way Anakin spoke commanded authority, at a level beyond a high military rank could give a person at this young age. It made Obi-Wan unconformable, but he could not tell the reason. 

“All the individuals whoever had contacts with Tup and Fives have been tested. They were all free from the virus. Kamino is sending more information,.” Obi-Wan replied calmly. 

“I would not take their words as it is.” The intensity in Anakin’s voice reduced. “I will request the Senate to have a future investigation. The Kaminoans need more pressure to cooperate.” 

“Very well. We agreed here.”

“I will leave you to prepare your case. I wish you good luck.” Anakin stood up, shook hands with him, and moved to sit next to Rackeli who just arrived in the courtroom.  

“I arrived on time! The Force is with us." A hand laid on his shoulder. Palis dropped herself on the bench next to him. “They do not even have a legal basis to sue. The so-called discrimination defined by them is legal. We didn't discriminate against anyone. Force-sensitives are different from others, thus should be treated differently. They just do not understand.” 

“And refuse to listen. They know they will lose. They do not care about the ruling results. I can tell. But I don't know why they pursue this case so relentlessly," Obi-Wan said to his former student thoughtfully. “They are up to something else. Good to see you back, Red.”

“I found something in my investigations. I will ask for your opinion first before I report back to the Senate Committee.” She gave him a warm smile. “Time to show them who are the real experts of the children of the Force.” 

*** 2 ***

Palis winced as she listened to Rackeli's passionate assault on the Jedi Order as she waited for her turn to give testimony. Rackeli cut a surprisingly polished figure in her silver-grey top and black skirt.

"We request the Court to rule in our favor by demanding that the Jedi Order stop mandatory blood test and data collection, return the younglings to their concerned parents, as well as stop special surveillance and other discriminatory actions based on Force-sensitivity."

Palis peeked in Anakin's direction. He listened to the argument with a blank face. Occasionally he nodded in agreement. He seemed lost in his thoughts a few times.

Then Obi-Wan's turn came. He refuted each of the accusations against the Order. 

She thought Anakin would show a flare of anger or at least some strong irritation. Instead, he only slightly frowned when Obi-Wan ended his argument with a forceful statement.

"When keeping the peace of the Galaxy, the Order has the legal right to do everything the plaintiffs have accused us of. The plaintiffs do not have adequate knowledge about either the Force or the Order. Their evidence cannot justify their allegations, thus, on behalf of the High Council, I request the Court to dismiss the case."

When Obi-Wan returned to his seat, Anakin gave him a curt nod to acknowledge him.

Then the plaintiffs gave their testimony. They either told sad stories about how their families were torn apart because their child was no longer with them, or accused the Order of ruining their political ambitions. 

One plaintiff told of her failed revolutionary career. "When I was in my early 20s, I led a revolution against the oppressive regime of my home planet. The King called the Jedi Order to intervene. The Jedi mediators said the Force revealed that supporting my side would cause chaos and deaths. They scared my followers into abandoning me," the human woman recounted as tears ran down her cheeks. "The King soon went back to his old way, silencing speech, and crushing protests. I rose up again to fight the Crown, but the Jedi Order came immediately to side with the King. We are still living in misery."

Palis could empathize with her lost cause, however, the lady didn't acknowledge that her followers were anarchists. This woman herself was full of hatred and called for retaliation against the ruling class. This was how she rallied supporters. Despite the flaws of the Crown, he was a better choice than the revolutionaries. It seemed like the plaintiffs could not see their own flaws.

A few more plaintiffs made their cases, then Rackeli spoke again. 

“The only justification for these discriminatory actions is the prejudiced assumption that the Force-sensitive individuals are inherently dangerous. Can you provide proof?"

"We have plenty of the proof.” Finally, Palis spoke as a witness, she provided all the evidence that she collected from both the Jedi Archive, and her trips to Outer Rim. In her concluding remark, she announced, “throughout the history of the Jedi Order, there have been countless bloody testimonials of the violence committed by the Force-sensitives. If the Jedi Order hadn’t adopted the current practice, the Galaxy would not have had a thousand years of peace. Now the real danger has returned. The Sith are trying to destroy the Republic. Attacking the Jedi Order undermines the backbone of the Republic. The Children of Force are an extremist group. They don't have the best interest of the Republic in mind. They are influenced by the Dark Side. It is the Sith bidding."

She felt confusion and fear from the audience. They didn't understand what the Sith were. Rackeli was furious. Anakin had a very strong reaction, breaking the pretense of calmness. However, unlike the rest of the audience, it was hard to read what his emotion was. 

Interesting. She needed to figure out what specific things she had said had caused this response. She had said plenty of things. Was it that the Jedi were the backbone of the Republic, or that Force-sensitives were dangerous? Or was it about the Dark Side, the Sith?

She had many issues to discuss with Obi-Wan. Watching over Anakin was one of them. The number of Jedi haters was growing, with more and more people becoming frustrated by the war. A few Jedi deserted to join Dooku, thinking the Separatists would be a better choice for the galaxy. 

What if some Dark Side agents had made contact with Anakin, promising a swift victory for the Republic if he agreed to learn from them? It would be a blatant lie. In the Order’s record, most of the individuals around his midi-chlorian count ended up in the Agriculture corp. However, the offer could be tempting nonetheless. 

Some rudimentary Dark Side training was enough to cause some craziness in the young man's mind, given he was not the person with the best temperament to begin with. An unstable person on the High Command. Quite unthinkable. It was exactly what the Separatists wanted.

She looked at the plaintiff's seats after she finished her testimony. Rackeli and Anakin were exchanging words with low voices. The lawyer gestured at the podium with an encouraging look. Anakin seemed to be struggling with a decision. Eventually, he shocked his head and put forward a hand to stop his friends from further speaking. She nodded with understanding and resignation. 

Palis read Anakin’s lips with the aid of the Force. He was saying, “Not today.” 

This was really interesting. The more level-headed lawyer became more radical than Anakin, the pioneer extremist. But it was good for the Order. His nonsense about the Jedi being incompetent and lusting for power would not be aired today. 

She thought the Court would wait a few days to make a ruling. To her surprise, the Chief Justice issued the determination immediately, ruling in the Jedi Order’s favor. She allowed a big smile to show on her face. She was relieved at least for the time being.

Obi-Wan already walked toward the plaintiffs to shake hands. Several plaintiffs refused and said some nasty words. Rackeli and Anakin both offered their congratulations in a reserved manner. 

“It seems like you have questions for me,” Anakin spoke first.

“I saw you want to say something as a witness. What would you have said? ” Palis responded straightforwardly.

“I disagreed with your statement about the non-Jedi Force-sensitives being dangerous. You have some guts to say that out loud.” He frowned. “That was all.”

“I will stand by my statement because it was true. You didn’t see what happened in the Outer Rim. Dooku’s agents are basic savages. Avoiding the truth just to sound polite only leads to disasters.” 

“Very well. I hope you have realized the irony. You just declared that you yourself are dangerous. On paper, you are not a Jedi anymore.” 

It took her a few seconds to realize what he meant. She’d never thought about it that way. “Thanks for your concerns.” She extended her hand to him. He took it, and shook it firmly, then left. 

“Go to the Jedi Temple, and find some privacy. Then tell me your findings.” Obi-Wan finished his handshaking and talking to reporters. 

At the Temple entrance, she showed her Senate employee badge to the guard. Anakin’s words flashed back, making her wince. She brushed these thoughts away.

They went all the way to Obi-Wan’s apartment. 

“What did you find, besides the information you already presented in the court?” Her former master inquired. 

“Did you notice Anakin’s reaction when I gave my testimony?” She spoke fast. 

“Of course. It is not news that he does not like the Jedi. He had stopped openly criticizing the Jedi since he left my fleet. I consider it good enough.” Obi-Wan did not sound alarmed at all. “He may come around if we stop antagonizing him.” 

“Hopefully, but I will stay watchful. I feel the Force is telling me something about him. He is a shatter point in the Force,” she added some weight into her voice.

“Since I’ve known you, you said the Force never told you a single word.” He chucked. “But you probably are right. I meditated on the same thing during the battle of Felucia. He is a powerful leader on his own right now, the new face of the Navy. If he ran into some trouble, it would not be good.”

“If there is more than that? If he has some secret agenda?” She paused here, but Obi-Wan still did not get it. “Anyway, I have warned you.” 

“I know his agenda. We all know. Decommissioning the Jedi from war leadership. Not a bad idea, ironically,” Obi-Wan said with a frown. “Now you sound like him. Be careful. Don’t fall into the trap of conspiracy theories. You were the one who scolded me for not being respectful to people outside the Order.” 

"I meant the ordinary people, not the radical ‘Children of the Force’ organizers. But you are right. My attitude was not good," she said apologetically.

Obi-Wan changed his tone. “I have something to tell you. Maybe it could be a clue for your search for Sidious. Do you remember the bounty hunter Fett on Kamino? He told us he was recruited by a man named Tyranus?”

“Yes, I remember that ominous name. You found him?”

“It is Dooku’s Sith name,” he said as if it pained him. “We accidentally found it out when we investigated Kamino. Sifo-Dyas was the person who proposed the commission of clones to Kamino, but the real deal was sealed by Dooku. This all happened before he quit the Order.” 

“Oh, no.” She covered her mouth with a hand. “The clones were commissioned by a Sith. One clone killed a Jedi, and another attacked the Chancellor. This was really bad. Did the Council tell the origin of clones to the Senate?” 

“No. We decided not to tell. At least not now. We highly suspect that Darth Sidious is hiding in the Senate. Dooku spent quite some time in the Senate to promote his ideals before he left. We will look for clues here. We need your help.”

“Probably you should tell the Chancellor, but it is not my place to say. My Darth Sidious Transparency project already caused quite some problems, I admit.” She shook her head with frustration. 

“How about you come back to Coruscant and do more investigation together with the Jedi?” Obi-Wan looked at her expectantly. 

They fell into silence. After a while, Palis answered. “No, I will not join you. I believe the answer is in the Outer Rim. I heard a few tales. About 6 or 7 years ago, a mysterious person crushed quite a number of slave trade businesses. These operations were bloodbath.” She paused a little bit and continued. “ I found a witness. A former slave. She saw the person use a white lightsaber. A male Humanoid. The person never showed his face, but the voice sounded young, maybe in his 20s by human standard.”  

“You think he was a Sith student or Sidious himself? But a white lightsaber?” Obi-Wan stroked his beard. “A purified Crystal. That makes no sense.”

“Yeah. It makes no sense but deserved more investigation. I am going to look for this person. He may know something.” 

*** 3 ***

Anakin put his folk down as he finished the roast steak. Some days he and Palpatine met as father and son, instead of two Lords of the Sith.

They were sitting in a high-end restaurant’s private booth. He employed some Force tricks so that no one could hear what they talked about.

"Congratulations, my son. You are now on the High Command. I am very proud of you."

"Thank you, father." He felt this was quite ridiculous since nobody else was listening, but Palpatine had insisted that they acted like a normal noble family, so that he could learn how to behave like the proper heir of House Palpatine. His adopted father said he was improving impressively. 

These teachings were helpful indeed, otherwise, he would be in endless clashes with Jedi Council members as well as other high society members. But he felt like he was being Imperius the Lothcat. She gained adoration by becoming fluffier. It was a very silly feeling.

He appreciated that Palpatine was spending more time with him. Before the war, he was either studying with private tutors, doing work in Outer Rim, or attending the Academy. The only time they’d really spent together was during the Senate recess, when they visited Sith Temples and other relics for training. Most of his training was through studying the Sith Holocrons by himself. 

He was a citizen of Naboo, a permanent resident of Coruscant, however, he spent so little time on neither of these two planets, which meant he had little practice on how to act as a member of the elite class. It didn't reflect well on his family when he was frowned upon for being uncivil. His accent was already a trait of inferiority, certainly, he didn't want to add more to that list.

He signaled the waiter to order dessert, and carefully pronounced a long exotic name. He hated dessert, but it was a part of being a Naboo noble. He preferred to be the no-nonsense person he was in the GAR buildings or on the battleground, however, his House Palpatine adoption paper was part of the package. 

"I heard from Padme that you saw a doctor. You are not well?" 

It was pointless to hide now. "Yes. A mind healer. She insisted." Anakin sighed. "And got some medicine." 

"Your diagnosis?" The older man looked at him curiously. "I see doctors as well. Don't worry, son."

"Some brain chemical imbalance, causing sleeping disruption, volatile mood, paranoia, and many other functional impairments, such as concentration." He scowled while quoting the words on medical records. "The healer gave me some medication. Padme watched me taking them every day. I am not paranoid. They are . I can't tell them about the Force."

"Maybe they are right." Palpatine's comments surprised him. "Our career has very high health risks indeed. Does the medicine help? Does it hurt your ability to work ?" he asked like a real father.

"It doesn't weaken my connection to the Force. But for all the problems they are supposed to address, the effects are little to none." 

Palpatine quietly measured him. He didn't seem to mind his new weakness. "I trust you can find solutions in our way." 

"I have to live with it for now. The navy-issued stimulants are potent enough to get things back to normal when I needed them to be. The Jedi are breathing down my neck. It is dangerous to experiment with the Force even when I am at home. They are running some surveillance programs. I don't want to take any risks." 

“Yes. You need to be extra careful with the Jedi’s meddling,” Palpatine said appreciatively. 

Spending time with his adopted father brought a weird sense of security. The Senate prohibited any type of surveillance over the Chancellor’s office. It meant the Jedi could not probe him if he was with the Chancellor. 

He was certain that the Jedi had their eyes on him. His own fake midichlorians count had become a nuisance. The number was deliberately made to cover up his unusual agility and reflexes, because his Force ability was too high to be passed as an ordinary person, no matter how hard he tried to hide. If his papers said he was not Force-sensitive at all, some curious Jedi such as Obi-Wan could request a new blood test in the Temple. Then he and Palpatine would have a lot of explaining to do.

However, it was a double-edged sword, making him subject to Jedi surveillance. The burden on him was more and more obvious. Palpatine didn't have the same problem because he was a politician from the beginning.

Anakin sighed again. "At least the problems will not impair my function in the way of Force if the Jedi take actions against us. It is treason. I will take them down as a Lord of the Sith." Sudden anxiety surged in his mind. "The Clone Army is a big uncertainty. I will leave no stone unturned until I find out the complete truth. This is what keeps me awake at night."

"I will take care of it. Son, you focus on Yoda, Windu, and your old friend Kenobi. He will be the next rotating Jedi Council member on the High Command. You figure out what they are up to."

"If they have some secret agenda, these discussions will be in their own Council Chamber. We will never know." 

"Things will change." Palpatine placed a hand on the back of Anakin’s hand. "I am very glad that you didn't give in to the impulses to testify in the Jedi lawsuit."

"I indeed wanted to call out their self-righteous nonsense. All the rebuttal arguments already formed in my head." Then he laughed. "But you are right. I don't want to become the civil rights icon of the Jedi children's affairs. I am grateful that you allowed me to attend the trial in person. It meant a lot for me, father."

The lawsuit was doomed to fail from the beginning. No law gave Force-sensitives any protection from the Jedi Order. It was the honorable duty for the Jedi to take down every trouble-making Force user, proudly claimed by Master Kenobi. The whole purpose of this lawsuit was to hear the arguments from the other side, so they would be prepared. More importantly, it had allowed them to obtain the video of the arrogant and offensive words from the Jedi's own mouth.

Palis' testimony on dangerous Force-sensitives outraged Rackeli. Finally, she started to truly see his perspective. The Jedi were not some annoying privacy intruders. They were the tyrants of the Galaxy. Not only the Force-sensitives, but every citizen was under their oppressive rule.

"You upheld your side of the deal. You indeed didn't confront the Jedi in public anymore. Of course, I kept my side of the deal." His adopted father pushed his own dessert dish to him. "You can have mine. I am too old for sweets."

"I just pushed my share down my throat," Anakin grumbled. "I will bring this home. Padme had a visitor. Palis Athia will stay with us for a few days. She loves this sort of thing."

"Please pass on my regards. I am very curious about what she will report to the Senate this time," Palpatine said with a small smile, then his expression became serious. "You need to be careful around her. I think you may have underestimated her." 

“Why do you think so?” Anakin was a little confused. She spent more than a year looking for evidence in the wrong places. “The reports on Dooku’s terrifying students impressed you? Or her writings on the so-called Sith history?” 

“Her single-minded obsession and perceptiveness. She’s quite creative and adaptive as well,” the older man said thoughtfully. “Most importantly, she does not think like a Jedi. It makes her more dangerous than Obi-Wan Kenobi. Do you understand?”

“I see.” He still thought Obi-Wan was a bigger threat, but this was not a topic worth arguing about. “I will make up some excuses to stay in my office for a few nights. There’s a lot of work to do anyway. Tarkin has been living out of his office for two months now," he said as he packed up the dish. "Palis will have my cat Imperius as her company."

"Is that a Sith name?" Palpatine lifted up an eyebrow. 

"You may think in this way." Anakin grinned.

"Then keep your cat away from her, otherwise she may try to feed some lies to your cat."

The two Sith Lords walked out of the restaurant. The senatorial guards in civilian clothes left their assigned posts and quietly followed them into the dark night.

Chapter Text

***1***

“Can you tell me the truth? Are the Jedi monitoring all Force-sensitives?” Padme asked her friend after a long time of contemplation. Palis was chasing after Imperius to give her a brushing, but the furball refused to come close.  

“No. I gave the same answer under oath in the court. I could be sentenced to prison for a long time for perjury if I cover-up for the Order.” Palis put aside the brush and moved closer to Padme. “Jedi are not running a surveillance program. They are tracking down Dooku’s new Dark Side trainees and have arrested many. They sent out notifications to the Force-sensitives who have records in the database, to warn them about Dooku’s manipulations, so that they would not fall into his trap and be used as a tool.” 

“If Dooku’s trainees are running the recruitment for him, the Order will inevitably end up following the Force-sensitives that the trainees contacted,” Padme thought aloud. 

“You are correct. There is a fine line, but the Order has no intention to watch over them beyond the purpose of stopping Dooku’s Dark Side operation,” Palis explained. “However, by some people’s definition, it is considered massive systemic oppression, I guess. I cannot reason with them.”

“You mean Anakin.” Padme sighed. “He was convinced that the Jedi Order was watching everything that he did. I tried to talk him out of this idea, but I was not successful.”

Palis winced slightly. “He is not exactly the most popular person with the Jedi. He is the instigator of this radical 'Children of the Force movement'. The Order is wary of him,” she added awkwardly. “I warned Obi-wan to watch over the new episode of movement. He must be stopped before it becomes galactic news. Navy v. Jedi Order. It is a win for Dooku and the Dark Side. Believe me. I did not suggest anyone invade his privacy, not the way he was paranoid about.”

“Paranoid is the word,” Padme agreed. “I do not consider what the Jedi Order did unethical, but he felt differently about it. I know where his feelings came from. He has a unique perspective on freedom . It is very personal and important to him, but it affects his health.”

“Unique perspective. Can you tell me more?” Palis looked very interested in this topic.

“His beliefs come from how he grew up. It is private though. I cannot tell you more. You can ask him if he wants to talk.” 

“Do you mean Palpatine is an abusive parent who restricts his freedom?” Palis was alarmed.

“Oh. No. It was before he came to Naboo. His mother, Shmi, was not abusive either. You need to ask him.” She changed the topic; otherwise, Palis would ask more questions that she had no right to answer. “I have another issue that I want to consult with you about. A clone trooper attacked Chancellor Palpatine. The reports said a viral infection caused his aggression. Anakin could not sleep after that. He believes in a conspiracy that Dooku invented a virus that could mind control clones and they would murder senators.”

Palis’ eyes widened, and her body trembled for a brief moment. 

“You know something, right?” Padme asked cautiously, “You were on Kamino when the clone army was discovered.”

After a long wait, Palis answered, “The Jedi Order has their own investigations. I do not know exactly what they are doing, but I have a suggestion for you. Use your position on the Galactic Security Committee to demand a thorough investigation of Dooku’s activities in the Senate before he left the Jedi Order. Besides that, you should demand that the Jedi Council tell you more about Dooku. This is all the advice I can give you. ”

“What about the virus?” Padme asked while writing Palis’ suggestions down. “Anakin wanted to investigate that.” 

“His theory was not entirely impossible. I remember the genetic vulnerability is one of the arguments against the expansion of the Clone army. Targeting senators? Another clone killed a Jedi. Sounds like a solid anti-Republican plan. What else did Anakin say? He has interesting theories. The possibility is worth thinking about.” While she was talking, Imperius sat down in a spot within her reach.

“He would appreciate what you just said.” Padme smiled awkwardly. “However, he thinks the Jedi and Dooku are plotting together to take over the Republic. I demanded that he see a doctor and receive treatment. He dropped this crazy idea for now. His job is too stressful. The doctor said after the war was won, he would feel better.”   

“It’s good you did that. There is indeed too much stress. He has to fight the Separatists and fight a secret war with an imaginary Jedi oppressor at the same time. Tough time.” Palis pinched her nose bridge. “I am tracking all sorts of anti-Jedi propaganda. The most damaging stories are that Jedi have failed the Republic because they lead the war efforts poorly. Unfortunately, leading the war efforts poorly is accurate, in my opinion.”

Palis paused to think, and added, “Please remind Anakin not to spread his ‘the Jedi are working with Dooku’ conspiracy theories.”

“I demanded to know whether he was spreading this rumor. He said he only told his father and me.” Padme shook her head. “He admits that it will make him sound like an insane person, and damage my and his father’s reputation.” 

“What did Palpatine say about it, do you know?” 

“His father dismissed it, calling it immaturity.” 

“Just immaturity? Palpatine did not tell him how absurd and impossible this idea was?” After seeing Padme nod, Palis continued, “He should have used his authority as a parent to ground his son to reality. His ambivalence just leaves room for more paranoia.”  

“I know. I want Palpatine to be more assertive in family matters, rather than assertively grabbing more powers in the Senate.” She fought to keep her sadness out of her voice. “Anakin and I are very divided on this issue. He does not see that giving one person so much power is destroying the Republic from within. I can only hope the war ends quickly and Palpatine will step down as he has promised. I am pessimistic that he would do it willingly, so I am fighting very hard for it.” 

Palis came close and gave her a hug. “It must be very difficult for your relationship. I am curious how you two spend free time together without getting into an argument.”

“We both are very busy, we have little time together even after he was assigned back to Coruscant. He spends many nights in his office. When he can not sleep, he devotes his time to work.”

“Like for the past couple of days?”

“I guess it is because he wants to avoid you,” Padme chuckled, and patted Imperius who just moved to her lap. “When he is back home, we talk about our travel plans for after the war. He would open a star system map, and point at the places that he wanted to go together with me. He is very knowledgeable about different worlds. I feel so happy when we talk about things like this, like when we were children during the Naboo Occupation. It brings hope.” She became emotional as she talked.

“I like to travel as well.” Palis said quietly, “I do not like to travel to these war-torn worlds to investigate the Sith, but I have to. I hope that one day, I could travel to these same worlds after they are rebuilt, and see people’s new life.”

“It would be great.” She smiled. “I plan to retire from politics, and maybe I will teach in universities. It is what my father does. Anakin will stay in the military. If he can choose, he wants to lead the corps of engineers. He wants to build things.”

Palis looked intrigued. “Of course he can choose! He is a free person. I thought he would devote his whole life to the cause of bringing justice to the Jedi Order or try to be the most powerful military leader in the past 1000 years. Being a head engineer will be a wiser decision.”

“I only hope when the time comes, he could make a wise choice. I do not know. I may choose to not retire if I see Palpatine stays in power, or see someone else more threatening come to power.” She took the brush from Palis and started to brush the Loth-cat. 

“I wanted to be on the Jedi Council once.” The former Jedi looked out the window. “I thought the Jedi's reclusive way of living and seeking enlightenment from the Force made the Order distant from people who we are supposed to serve. The Council meditated on this and that, but will follow the Senate’s mandate when receiving an order. It is like the Order had surrendered our own free will. Instead, they followed the Senate or the Force’s command. Suddenly, the Jedi found themselves becoming generals of war. So, I quit. More freedom to do things without the Council making decisions for me.” Then she laughed. “This sounds like Anakin and Rackeli’s speeches, but I had the freedom to leave, and I left. No grievance from me. It is a hard decision though.” 

Imperius left Padme’s lap and sat next to Palis.

“I am wondering why this war is so hard to fight. Our side has more military might, but the Separatists seemed to understand our weakness,” Padme mused. 

“Maybe Anakin is right about one thing. There may be a collaboration between Dooku and someone from the Republic, but not within the Jedi.” Palis seemed to contemplate what she should say. “The Jedi Order now believe Darth Sidious exists. Sidious may be working closely with some key senators or maybe a senator themselves. It is possible that Dooku and Sidious are not against each other, but have some shared interests. But Sith love backstabbing and infighting more than anything else. Anyway, like I said, looking into Dooku's friends in the Senate before he left the Jedi Order may give us some clues.”  

The Lothcat grumbled. Palis tried to calm her down, but she hissed and jumped away instead.

"Imperius is a really interesting cat." Palis measured the cat carefully. "Her name is funny. Sounds somewhat familiar. A princess cat?" 

"Princess of the Galaxy according to Anakin. It is a joke, but it made me feel uneasy because his father is more and more like a dictator. Anyway, it is an innocent name, and she is just a cat." Padme stood up and readied herself to go back to work.

"I hope I can talk to her, and she may tell me something important," Palis spoke with seriousness.

"If you think a cat can give you some intel, then I have to recommend Anakin's doctor to you," Padme said scandalously and picked up the cat who purred loudly.

***2***

Obi-Wan was meditating in his apartment when Palis called him. 

"I have a few important things to tell you. Anakin has a Loth-cat. She is a Force-sensitive creature, sort of his familiar . When I was speaking ill about Anakin or the Dark Side of the Force, she was unhappy. Her name is Imperius. It could be a Sith name." Her anxiety showed clearly in her voice. "Anakin knows how to use a lightsaber, and is very skilled at it. He may have some connections to the Sith. A worshiper at least."

"A Sith worshipper because he has a cat named Imperius? I just looked it up on the Holonet; thousands of pets share the name Imperius. You think the cat dislikes you talking about the Dark Side of the Force. Maybe the cat is not a fan of you." Obi-Wan noticed the irritation in his own voice and fought to lower it. "These are groundless charges against a military leader. It is divisive and dangerous. Anakin already stopped talking about his misgivings about the Order in public. I don't want a new reason for the Navy's anti-Jedi sentiment to resurface. Everyone is on edge nowadays, the citizens, politicians, naval leaders, and even many Jedi Knights!"

He called upon the Force to calm himself down. "I didn't mean to be harsh to you. After almost three years of war, I feel there are super-battle droids in every corner, ready to ambush me. You are looking for the Sith, probably you see Sith suspects in every corner as well. You need to keep yourself grounded, not let paranoia take hold."

"You are right. But maybe, just maybe, if Anakin has some involvement with the Sith, it will destroy the Republic from within. His father may be involved as well. He gathered so much power in such a short period of time," she pleaded.

"You must stop here. Palpatine having too much power is a separate matter." He tried to calm her down. "You are always a cheerful person, now you act like you are desperate. You need to take a break from this Sith search. We have a list of suspects who may be Darth Sidious and we are working on it. You don't need to put all the burden on your shoulders, it could crush everyone."

Palis quietly nodded, thanked him, and bid goodbye. Her image disappeared.

A few minutes later she sent a message. "I am going to visit the last few worlds where the anti-slavery operations were conducted. If I cannot find any information about the being using a white lightsaber, I will put a stop to all of these."

Then another message. "I am going to be a fiction writer!" She added a big smiley face. "And make a lot of money!"

Obi-Wan was always very impressed by her ability to cheer herself up.  More importantly, her willingness to adopt new ways of thinking when facing a challenge, whether the challenge was from outside or within. He hoped that the Jedi Order could have more of her spirit, but not her wild imagination. He hoped the future generation of Jedi could be different, not the same Jedi Order that was losing its way in the conflict. 

In the holocall, he hadn’t wanted to tell her that one of the Sith suspects was an advisor to Palpatine. He was almost certain that Palis would combine this information into her guesses about Anakin and produce some blazing conspiracy theories featuring the First Family of the Republic.

Anakin was not reformed enough to stomach such a personal attack. The recent clone incident made the young man look at every Jedi with suspicion. His demand to look into the clone production and virus was a welcoming one. But, if he knew Dooku was involved in the clone creation, he might think the Jedi and Dooku had a shared secret agenda. 

Now it came to the question about Dooku. He knew the clone's genetic vulnerability, which meant he could create bioweapons targeted at the clones. If he had not done it yet, he certainly could do it in the future. Sifo-Dyas created an army for the Republic, but the Sith made sure the clones had vulnerabilities to exploit by providing the genetic template, Jango Fett. 

The most troubling aspect was that Dooku's involvement with Kamino was under his Sith name. He was already a Sith before he left the Order, which was an astounding revelation. It meant that his turning to the Dark Side happened much earlier than the Order had suspected. More importantly, it meant that being a Sith was not detectable even for powerful Jedi Masters, including Yoda.

Sith could not be found until they revealed themselves. Either the Sith were caught doing their dark job on the spot, or they came out of the closet themselves. Otherwise, the Jedi could only have speculations. And some speculations could be seen as treason if they involved the Chancellor himself.

Even if Palis’ theory about Anakin being a Sith admirer was correct, what could the Jedi do about it? 

Nothing. As long as he was not sharing intel with Separatists, defecting to their side, or causing some tangible damage to the Jedi Order, he had the right to do whatever he wanted, including being a nuisance to the Order. Rackeli’s radical movement (with Anakin’s not-so-secret and steady fast backing) accomplished very little, compared to the daily state-sponsored news on the Clone Wars latest death toll (under Jedi Leadership), and the anti-war protests in front of the Jedi Temple. 

When Anakin’s recommendation to High Command was sent to the Jedi Council, there was a brief moment of spirited discussion. It was not a popular idea to have a radical person in such a high position, but the Council had no alternatives. All other candidates were more problematic in their own ways. There was no question that he was selfless in his service to the common good of the Republic, not to mention his track record of leading the Republic to victory. The worst fear was that he would have dramatic episodes with the Jedi leadership because of his personal feelings, but that fear had already been proved not true in the past that first year. The Council approved his position unanimously.

However, the words unsaid in the Council Chamber were that the single-family had too much power. Two established political leaders, and a fledgling military leader. The two politicians were in conflict on various issues, but still too much power in the same family. 

Obi-Wan turned off his commlink and entered a meditative state. Finding Darth Sidious needed a lot of meditation. 

***3***

"I know why the Court issued a determination so fast. Usually, it would take a few days, but they ruled against us in a blink of an eye." Rackeli stood up to relax her body after reading the court filing a few hours in a row.

"I guess we didn't convince them of the existence of systemic discrimination," Anakin's agent, a man calling himself Crusader, answered. He had been working with her on investigating Jedi for more than a year. Crusader of course was a codename. He gave her the impression of a military man. When he first showed up, he had a few patches of bacta on his face, claiming he had been injured in an accident.

But later she figured it was more likely plastic surgery. He was careful, efficient, and, most importantly, he was willing to do anything to expose Jedi's wrongdoings. His obsession made her nervous at times. Compared to him, Anakin was moderate.

"No, it is an excuse. The judges believe the Force-sensitives are dangerous. I rewatched the recording, their facial expressions told everything. They were afraid of these people," she said bitterly. "Red did a great fear-mongering job."

"But we get the footage of her and Kenobi making these hateful accusations. I am almost done with editing. Do you want to watch it now?" Crusader was eager to show his work.

"Wait until later. Their speech is triggering. I don't want to get myself too upset." She shook her head. "I am going home. Let us come back to work tomorrow. We need to convince the public that the Force-sensitivities are not inherently dangerous. Some were recruited by bad actors, which is the problem. People blindly believed the Jedi and their accusations."

"Maybe you can ask the other side, the Sith, to say a few words?" he teased.

"Go ahead to get Dooku or his students to speak. They can give a talk on how they turned harmless people to evil. Let the Sith give us a quote,” she grumbled. “Seriously, we need more quotes to make the video. Your boss is still deciding whether he will speak or not. By the way, how do you want to name the video?” 

“Jedi Cult! The Shadow Galactic Ruler for 1000 Years,” her colleague declared. “Do you like this title?”

“I would say absolutely no if I hadn’t heard all these blatant things they said in the court,” she said angrily. “Yesterday Red replied to my blog calling me a Sith agent.” She paused when she saw Crusader smiled awkwardly. This was not a great joke, sounding like a traitor to the Republic. 

“We will give it a last try.” She changed the topic. “Senator Ferrics already filed our bill. Chancellor Palpatine blocked it immediately. Anakin said he could not convince his father to change his mind. So, let us stage a big protest. I hope the video can get viral.” A few sparks of excitement emerged. “We are fighting for freedom for ALL!”

If her younger self knew what she was doing now, she would think the older self had gone crazy. She used to want to be a judge in the High Court. After seeing how the judges were afraid to rule against the Jedi, her faith in the court system had a free fall. For now, she just wanted to finish what she had started. She started with trying to get her neighbor's child back. Now she was overthrowing the Jedi Order.

Rackeli was pulled from her thoughts by the chime of Crusader’s comm. He answered and Anakin’s image sprang into view. 

“I have an urgent assignment,” he said. “I already sent the document to you. I want a sample of that clone brain virus.”

“Yes, sir.” Crusader looked at his boss with almost reverence. “It will be done, assuming it actually exists.”

“This is my suspicion as well. Tomorrow the Senate will hold a hearing on the clone accidents.” Anakin turned to Rackeli and looked at her knowingly. “I need you to review my notes. Not the best day for me.”

“Gladly.” She smiled at him. 

When they were preparing the lawsuit together, she had found that Anakin’s writing style was interesting. When he could not sleep, he used criticizing the Jedi to kill time. Sometimes his writings were terse, blank, and disconnected; sometimes, they were long and full of emotions, ideas jumped around. On some other days, he wrote eloquently, with assertive, measured, and concise language. She pointed out the inconsistency. He told her about his medical condition. No matter how powerful he was, he was a vulnerable human after all. 

“Don’t be bothered by what Palis wrote on your blog.” He shook his head. “We are doing a good thing. If the Jedi disliked something, they always found a way to call it the enemy's agenda. I may see you in the Senate building tomorrow. Good night.” Then he disappeared. 

She and Crusader parted ways. She had moved to a small apartment on upper-level Coruscant. She was a few steps closer to her dream, but her faith in both the Senate and the Court was faltering. The Senate was totally dysfunctional. The hearing on the Clone accident should have the highest priority, but some senators kept on blocking it, using it as leverage to negotiate for their own agenda. Chancellor Palpatine forcefully cleared up all the procedures and ended the bickering. Some people called Palpatine a dictator, but this was the only way to get things done in a war. Her own world’s political turmoil and drama had new episodes every few months. It would not end until the war was ended.

To her own shock, she found that she believed in Palpatine more than she believed in any institution, despite the fact that he blocked her bill. She could find a dozen reasons to be angry at the Jedi, but it was hard to hate Palpatine, even though he was helping the Jedi. 

Rackeli decided that she needed a break after the fate of the Children of the Force Freedom Act was decided. The bill’s chance was slim, but she would make sure that the public saw the Jedi in a new light. 

Chapter Text

*** 1 ***

Anakin and Padme cuddled in bed. They wanted to have some intimacy, but Imperius was sitting on Padme’s head, kneading and purring.

"She is such a baby." Anakin waved a hand at the Loth-cat, trying to lure her away.

"It will not work, love. She is as needy as you," Padme teased.

“I am not needy. It is that you are too attractive.” He touched her face with a hand. Imperius immediately started to lick it, which made Padme chuckle.   

"Today, the Kaminoan senator needs to make a confession about the fake virus." His mind shifted to the issues that concerned him the most. 

"No politics in the bed. Get up." She smiled at him. Her warm brown eyes always melted his heart. He wished they could stay this way forever.

They got up and moved to the kitchen. C-3PO had already prepared their breakfast, and now he was nowhere to see. 

They started to eat. Another concern hit his mind. "I still don't like the idea of investigating Dooku's old contacts in the Senate," he grumbled. "You’re just asking for trouble. Both you and my father were quite close to Dooku. Dredging up the past won’t help you find his ally in the Senate. What is happening now is what matters, not the events in the past. Isn't that the point of the Senate surveillance program?" 

"I don't support that program," Padme hissed. "Ever since the inception of the program, we haven’t caught a single Dooku collaborator, instead, dozens of senators were indicted for offenses such as love affairs, conflict of interests, or even just saying controversial things. This program can incriminate everyone if your father sees fit."

"You can't speak ill of my father like this," he pushed back. "Don't forget that the Jedi supervised this program. My father just reviews the final reports."

"Tarkin was the one who did everything. The Jedi can't stop him. He is the closest ally of your father. A good friend of yours as well," she said with annoyance. "Think about your role in this."

"I am sorry. I can't choose who I am," he said dramatically.

Padme shot him a hard look, clearly unamused. "Yes, you can. You can choose democracy!" 

If he could honestly speak his mind, he would say that democracy was a joke from day one.  Democracy was designed to force the competent leaders to stand aside, and indulge the incompetent politicians who turned the Senate into a circus. All senators should have equal voices under the rule of democracy. But really? Padme clearly deserved more power than the Kaminoan senator. Shouldn't merits and moral characters have more weight on who can speak?

"Democracy almost killed the clone virus hearing, Ms. Chairwoman." He finally was fed up by years of democracy lectures. "You are enthusiastically chairing a hearing that was sanctioned undemocratically. What would you say about that?" he challenged her.

To his surprise, Padme became quiet. After a while, she said, "Let us focus on the virus issue and the hearing. It is the most important thing at the moment. Are you prepared?"

"I will do fine. My public speaking definitely improved in the past couple of years." He moved to Padme' side of the table and hugged her. "It is exciting that we are fighting in the same battle." And not fighting against each other, he finished the unspoken part in his mind.

"Indeed." She kissed him, an intoxicating kiss that lit up his entire day. 

*** 2 ***

"These are all conspiracy theories, Ms. Chairwoman,” Halle Burtoni, the senator from Kamino, launched another round of personal attacks on Padme. "You and your xenophobic special-interest group hate the Kaminoans. You claimed that we designed genetically flawed clones because you want to destroy our economy. Only humans deserve jobs, right?"

She didn't fall into her trap. Nowadays senators would not even care to call out these dirty tactics such as public shaming. Civility was long gone from the Senate. Whoever made a bolder accusation won the debate.

Burtoni moved on to attack Anakin. "Your boyfriend is the worst. He made up the story that the virus was not real. He did it out of hatred, because the Jedi work with us, and they love us, not him!” She turned around to glare at Anakin. "Don't pretend the Jedi are your friend now. I am no fool." 

"Feel free to call me whatever you want. Human supremacist if you wish. The Navy demands a live sample of the virus. We are not going anywhere until the demand is met." Anakin commanded authority, which made Padme very proud. He looked really good in his naval uniform. As military leaders during wartime, the optics were important. Before they left home, she applied some makeup for him to hide the signs of his lack of sleep. It also helped to make him look a little less like the little boy too many people saw him as.

"Skywalker, for the last time, we had to destroy all the samples of the virus in order to control the spread. We already submitted the genetic information of the virus. You can research more if you wish. We don't have any live samples in our possession," Burtoni announced confidently.

"You destroyed the two bodies against all your own protocols. This is highly irregular. I am not alone in believing that the accident was not caused by a virus. I suggest the Senator from Kamino be interrogated for UnRepublican activities. Does the Jedi Order approve?"

"The Jedi Order has no specific opinion on this matter," the surveillance program's Jedi representative answered. That meant that, as long as Palpatine said yes, Burtoni would be arrested and interrogated. From what Padme knew, the Jedi's interrogation was like a children's game compared with what Dooku's operatives had done on Republic agents. Anakin called it chitchat.

Some senators looked at the Kaminoan with pity. They believed that the words of Palpatine's son were some type of decree. 

All the eyes were on the Chancellor now. Padme anticipated Palpatine would approve the motion because the stakes were very high, and the cloners' behaviors were indeed suspicious.

"My dear colleagues, I heard passionate arguments from both sides. I am very concerned about the clone accident since my own life was under direct threat." 

A few people in the audience shouted in agreement at his words. He raised a hand to quiet them.

"But I have to put my personal feelings aside. I don't see evidence of the Kaminoans conspiring against the Republic. Senator Burtoni has been a patriotic leader since the planet joined the Republic. She is an important ally for us. Let me set the record straight, without Kamino's support, we will not be this close to victory!" 

The audience fell into a collective silence, shocked by his words.

"The separatists are retreating everywhere! If we work together, rather than fight among ourselves, we may be months or even days away from the Separatists' surrender." His voice became sad. "The Republic has already suffered so much damage. The war already lasted much longer than it should. Please do me a personal favor, unite for the common good during my final days as the Chancellor. Each of us must do our parts as a loyal Republic citizen! Then we will win!" He finished the speech with conviction. 

The cheers in the Senate chamber were like thunder. 

Padme and Anakin made eye contact. He clearly could not believe what just happened. This man was not politician material. 

Palpatine was addicted to power and he didn't care about any other consequences imposed by the clone problem. But, to his credit, the war was indeed going well recently.

Like she just predicted, a senator put forward a motion to grant Palpatine more executive power. It passed almost unanimously. Padme didn't even try to intervene this time. She didn't have enough votes to stop it and she had better not antagonize Palpatine and his loyalists at this moment.

She would lead her delegates to request him to step down the minute the war was won. He might say the Republic needed to be rebuilt from the ground, so he was needed. But for Padme, it would be a job for the next Chancellor.

Anakin ran to her and grabbed her hand. His hand was cold. 

"This is so wrong!" he exclaimed.

"More emergency power is wrong?" she asked sarcastically. He’d certainly never had a problem with it before.

"You know what I mean. The fake virus. My father must have good reasons, but I can't let the murder happen again," he said anxiously. As the media’s Hero With No Fear, Anakin was always careful to appear collected in public. He must really be upset to appear so rattled in front of an audience. 

"Each of us does our parts as a loyal Republic citizen." She smiled. "I am with you, love."

*** 3 ***

Palis’ ship entered the atmosphere of Carajam, a lawless desert planet. It was where the last slave-freeing operations took place. Another ruthless slaughter of the slavers and their families, but salvation for the enslaved. 

Her gut feeling was that the person with a white lightsaber was Anakin, despite the fact that the 15-year-old Anakin was a bit too young to lead these operations. 

Yet, Anakin was anything but ordinary. He dared to challenge Ventress, a powerful Sith Acolyte. It was not something an ordinary person would even contemplate. He was very confident in the ways of combat. The Jedi thought that he was overly confident, and had won by luck, but she believed that he knew exactly what he was doing. 

Most importantly, his resentment toward the Jedi was out of proportion. Anakin and the Children of the Force had lost their case in the Court. The next day they introduced their radical ideas in the Senate. 

The so-called Children of the Force Freedom Act did not attack the Jedi Order directly. It talked about Force-based organizations in general. However, it went far beyond allowing parents to take their children back from the Order, or stopping the alleged discrimination against individuals. 

It legalized the Order of the Sith without spelling out its name.

“If Force-sensitive people are not acting directly against the interests of the Republic, they have the right to organize without any other Force-based organization’s interference and/or monitoring.” 

Translation? If the bill passed, the Jedi Order could no longer intervene to protect the Republic from threatening Force-tradition like the Sith, if they somehow convinced the politicians and judges that they were not against the Republic, but against the Jedi Order only. The Sith acting against the Jedi would no longer be illegal. 

“The Senate of Republic shall not grant power to a single Force-based organization. All organizations shall be equal.”   

Meaning? The Jedi Order would lose all its authority to decide which Force-traditions were a threat to the Galaxy. 

Anakin and Rackeli could claim that they simply borrowed language from other equal rights bills, but Palis did not believe it was coincidental. Anakin himself did not know how to use the Force, so he could not run his own Force-training school. Why did they even bother to write such things in the bill? Only Sith worshippers had the motivation to do so. They wanted the Sith’s “rightful return.”

Interestingly, the bill had a citizenship clause: a former member of a Republic-recognized Force-based organization shall be automatically granted citizenship. 

She could imagine the expression on Anakin’s face when he wrote this. It was a bribe designed for her. She still hadn’t gotten her citizenship status worked out yet. They wanted her to drop her opposition for her own benefit, but she would not take the bribe.  Instead, she wrote a letter to oppose every single line of it. 

Regardless of how much she was frustrated and angered by Anakin’s group, she did not hate them. Her heart had a soft spot for Anakin. 

She befriended him when he moved to Coruscant when he was 10. They had met in a memorial ceremony honoring Master Qui-Gon Jinn after his death on Naboo. She could tell that Anakin had been close to Qui-Gon, but he was uncomfortable with being surrounded by numerous Jedi Knights and Masters. At that time, her master had just been expelled by the Council, so she shared a similar uncomfortable feeling.  

She had sought him out and asked his adopted father’s permission to take him to visit different places on the Coruscant. His father had reluctantly agreed. Presenting themselves as an older sister and a young brother, they had managed to participate in some pod racing in the Lower Level together. He had beaten her in every race. 

They had shared secrets. He told her that he admired Padme and wanted to marry her one day. Palis told him that she just broke up a secret relationship with her boyfriend. It was quite surreal that a 10-years-old kid and an adult Jedi shared secrets about their love life, but they were a good audience for each other.  

When she returned from the offworld missions, she brought small gifts to him. However, it did not last long. He left Coruscant after a vicious smear campaign in the Senate. Someone claimed that Palpatine had adopted the child for sexual exploitation. But where did he go? He had told her that he visited many places and studied with tutors, but what exactly did he do? Maybe he met a Sith without knowing the whole truth? 

Despite all his troubling making, Palis wanted him to be happy. Doing all the anti-Jedi activism would not bring him happiness. His obsessions of “freedom” and the imaginary Jedi oppression would only hurt him. She wanted to knock him out of his crazy pursuit, so both of them could sleep better. 

She landed her ship near the old slave quarters. Setting off into the surrounding neighborhood, she pulled up the hood of her plain brown poncho. She hoped it would help her blend in, but she immediately drew wary looks from the locals. Luckily, she was very good at making friends. Soon she was introduced to an older person. He was a former slave and the only one who had a glimpse of the person’s face. 

She showed a younger Anakin’s picture to the older man, and asked him whether this was the person he saw. To her disappointment, the man’s eyes had an infection at that time, so he had not seen the person’s face clearly.

“He came to rescue his mother, but she was ill and dying,” the old man told her. “She believed that she would see her son again before she died, and she was right. Shmi died in peace.”  

Shmi. That name sounded familiar to her. 

“Do you know her full name?”

“Shmi Skywalker. Very interesting last name.” 

Palis felt that she was electrified and frozen at the same time. A big wave of sadness hit her. Her gut feelings about the slave freer’ identity had been accurate, but the tragic story was beyond her imagination. 

Padme mentioned to her that Anakin had a very unique perspective about freedom. Now Palis knew why.

“The son was also a slave?” She knew the answer, but she wanted confirmation.

“Yes. His mother said he was born on Tatooine.”

“Did you see him with a lightsaber? I mean a bright laser sword.” She needed more information. 

“No, I did not.” The man shook his head. “He killed all the masters single-handedly, and burned the house down. Everything was on fire.  I do not know what weapon he used.” 

Other all former slaves nodded.  

She still did not have enough evidence to prove Anakin was the person who had a lightsaber. Even if he was that person, then so what? He could have bought a lightsaber on the black market. She had heard stories about some Coruscant elites collecting lightsabers. Anakin was obsessed with the Jedi. If he brought a lightsaber, she would not be surprised. 

If the Sith gave him the lightsaber, it should not be a white one.

The new revelation was shocking indeed, but it did not help her to find Darth Sidious.  

What she knew, for now, was that Anakin had a lot of blood on his hands. However, in the lawless Outer Rim worlds, outside Republic’s rule, the murder of slavers was something to celebrate. Justice was served for the slaves.   

There were still many questions that needed to be answered. She wanted to tell Obi-Wan about the development, but she felt Force whispered to her, telling her that it was not the way. 

Why did the Force start to speak to her after all these years? Was it really the Force speaking, or just her imagination? She knew what she did was a wild goose chase, but she had nothing to lose. 

Then an old conversation flashed in her mind. 

"Good luck with your search. May the Force be with you,” Anakin had said before she embarked on the Sith investigation journey. She knew Anakin hadn't meant it. Maybe the Force took his words literally. If he was indeed related to the Sith, he granted her permission to be found.

“May the Force be with you too, but defeat your divisive agenda,” she had replied. 

Perhaps, the Force granted both of their wishes. 

“Show me Shmi’s grave.” 

*** 4 ***

“I am going to ask the Kaminoan senator a few questions myself. You secure a place where no one will see us . ” Vader started to draft an encrypted message to Slick. He stopped in the middle and deleted it.

Too risky. He sighed. 

He needed to extract as much information as possible from Burtoni, but not cause any harm to her. Because of Kamino’s prominent role in the war, anything that happened to her would cause public scrutiny. If his Force-assisted interrogation did not go well and her memory about the event was not completely erased, Vader would be the first person to be suspected thanks to their ugly confrontation in the Senate.   

He had been thinking about how to proceed with the “virus” case since the hearing. Sidious said he had already had things under control, and foresaw a victory of the war. No more questions were needed.

However, Vader had the feeling that there was a conspiracy with the Jedi involved. The Jedi knew more than what he was told. They refused to share all the information. Thus, the information had to come from the Kaminoan directly. 

Forceful interrogation was off the table now. But, as Anakin Skywalker, the son of Chancellor and a military leader, he had plenty of tricks to play.

He went to the fresher, fixed his hair, put on fancy clothes that befitted his social status, then walked out of home.

He knew the senator was in the conference room in her own office, talking to her allies, discussing the possibilities of creating some clones as labor for the post-war reconstruction.

Interestingly, Vader himself was not so sure the war would be won in a short period of time. Palpatine said the victory may be just days away. Indeed, the Separatists were retreating. Intel said the Separatists senators were discussing a peace treaty. Again.

He was tired of this. Every time when the Republic was gaining ground quickly, Dooku would deliver a surprise and change the tide. It had been a pattern.

He had long suspected that the Jedi Council had traitors who shared intel with Dooku. The top suspect was Yoda, who had once been his master. Dooku stole knowledge from the Sith, then cut a deal with Yoda. Who knew what else was in their sleeve? 

It seemed that Dooku had not told Yoda about Palpatine and Anakin's identities yet. He could do it at any moment when he believed it was the right time to negotiate a better deal. 

This meant Palpatine had to be ready to arrest the whole Jedi Council and everyone else who defended them. With the newest emergency power, Palpatine could activate the Insurrection Act to crush any Jedi coup without a Senate vote.

If that happened, Vader would have a lot of work to do. Finally, he would be known for what he truly was. He didn't want to think about Padme's reaction. Probably it was the end of their relationship, all thanks to the galactic conflicts created by Dooku and the Jedi Council because they wanted to run the shadow government for another 1000 years. 

The Sith would not allow it to happen. They had proved that they were much better at ruling the Republic during the crisis. No more Jedi shadow government. They would no longer be able to handpick planetary leaders in the name of unbiased negotiations. All the lies would end. Ironically, Dooku was a catalyst to make all these possible. Evil fought against themselves and justice finally would be served. 

But how? Palpatine already had the power to disband the Jedi Order with a strike of the pen. Of course, Jedi could rebel against the decision. As the Commander-in-Chief, the Chancellor could command the clone army to fight the Jedi, but only if they followed the order. 

What if they refused? There was a good chance that they would refuse because the Jedi created them. Troopers like Slick who saw Jedi as oppressors were rare. The Navy and newly trained Academy soldiers would be outnumbered and outpowered by a rebellious Clone army led by the Jedi.

This mysterious "virus accident" made matters more uncertain. What if the virus indeed existed? It could be a secret bioweapon created by Dooku or even the Jedi themselves to function like the infamous mind-control worms on Geonosis. 

However, his instinct told him that it was more likely the “virus” was a cover-up for something else worse. Otherwise, the Kaminoans would not go that far to destroy evidence.

He asked Jedi Master Kenobi for more details about the clone's original creation, but he hadn't said much.

Some critical information was hidden, and Vader knew it. 

Sidious was wise, but he didn't take the risk of the clone army seriously enough. Securing the loyalty of the Kaminoans was far from enough. More emergency power was still not enough.

This was exactly why the Sith Order needed a faithful Apprentice to cover all the angles. This was what Vader was doing now.

"Senator Burtoni, I came to apologize." He greeted the Kaminoan with all the sincerity he could muster. "I was wrong to suspect and insult you. I want to make things right with you."

"Oh, Stars. Skywalker." She looked at him with suspicion. "It sounds nice, but how could I trust you?" He could sense both suspicion and excitement within her. Actually, more excitement than suspicion. 

"The draft of the Republic Defense Bill is in my hand." He smiled devilishly. "I can add one line or two. Senator Amidala would not mind if they are for reconstruction."

"Interesting. You knew about these closed-door talks so fast." She was genuinely surprised.

"Word in the Senate travels fast. And you know who I am." He extended his hand. "How about we discuss this matter further in my father's favorite restaurant? My treat."

Burtoni took the bait.

Over the dinner, he indulged the Senator with some of the First Family's gossip. The senator drank far more wine than what her body could handle. Of course, she didn't know he had quietly manipulated her midichlorians to intensify the intoxication.

"Now I believe the virus was the cause of the accidents. I want to know more about improving clones' health. What policy would you recommend?"

"Now you believed it?" She laughed.

"Of course. Why not?"

"I thought you were smarter than this, Admiral." She smiled at him conspiratorially. "There was no virus. You were right." 

Her answer didn't surprise him. 

"Then how did it happen?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible. 

"It was a malfunction." 

"Malfunction of what?" His heart was racing to a level that was dangerous. 

"Of their brain-" 

But the conversation was interrupted.

"Anakin, I didn't know you were here," Palpatine interrupted. He and Tarkin approached the table. "How nice to see that you and Senator Burtoni are friends now. I am very proud of you, son. May we join you two?"

"Father, it is great to see you and Governor Tarkin." He stood up and let Palpatine sit at his side of the table.

Vader sighed internally. Palpatine's agent had been monitoring the Kaminoan. He had said that every move of Burtoni should be watched. This was his way of telling his apprentice not to meddle.

Very disappointing, but Vader was one step closer to the truth.

Malfunction of the brain. There was a genetic flaw that could be exploited.

He made up an excuse, paid for the whole meal, and left the restaurant early. 

He arrived home soon and locked the office door. He needed Slick to do more investigations, but before he could contact Slick, a blast of Force energy hit his mind. 

Light side of the Force. He was dragged into a vision.

Chapter Text

***1***

Palis could tell that Shmi was beloved from the way her grave was maintained. It was a small, but decent grave. In front of the tombstone, there were flowers. The freed people told her that they were grateful for Anakin coming here to deliver all of them from bondage. 

They became quiet when she questioned whether it was right to kill the slave trader's children. 

"We don't care about them. Our children were born into bondage because their parents were slaves. Children of the slavers could be treated as such," one of them finally spoke, and everyone else nodded. 

Hurt people hurt people. The cycle of violence was perpetual. But she admitted that she had no place to judge any of them. 

After the locals left, she sat in front of the tombstone with legs crossed.

She took off her necklace. The pendant was the kyber crystal that Obi-Wan had gifted her when she left the Order. Concentrating on the green crystal, she channeled the Force into it. She could meditate like a proper Jedi, but she couldn't hear Force speak to her, so meditation was boring.  

It was a desperate try. She wondered what Obi-Wan would think if he knew what she was doing, sitting in front of a dead woman's grave and wishing the Force to tell her whether her son was a Sith worshipper and who was his influencer.

She prayed that Force could answer her since the Force was within everyone and it knew everything. Palis waited for hours. The night came. Nothing happened. She kept on waiting. The sky began to lighten to the east and she suddenly found herself no longer on the planet.

She was among the stars. Figures swam in and out of her vision, but she couldn’t make out their faces. Disembodied voices talked, laughed, whispered, and shouted, but the actual words were indecipherable. She mentally pictured Anakin, trying to summon him, hoping one of the figures was him. 

One of them came close to her. With the sound of hiss, a white lightsaber ignited. The glowing light illuminated the night sky, but she still couldn’t see the face of the person who held it.

"Everything ended up here today!” There was an almost mechanical quality to their voice, like a droid or someone speaking through a scrambler. “Each one of you will pay for your crimes properly." 

Palis was hit by a blast of dark energy. The white light of the saber bled to scarlet. The hooded figure turned to face her. They had no face, but only two glowing eyes.

The figure knelt down, talking to the void. "The galaxy is riven with injustice. I won’t forget where I came from. I owe everything to you. I will pay back your generosity, by committing myself to your teaching, my master."

"Your service as Sith Acolyte ends today,” a different voice spoke, sounding older, male, and tantalizingly familiar. “You have already proved your worthiness of being my Apprentice. A powerful Sith Lord you will become. Henceforth, your soul is bonded to mine by the Covenant of the Sith, until death does us part. You shall be known as Darth… " 

The voice faded before Palis could catch a name, but she’d heard enough. A Sith Lord. She was struck by a wave of panic so intense it took her breath away.

Was this person Anakin? Was this in the past or in the future, or in some alternative reality? Or was everything actually a trick of the Dark Side, showing her whatever she wanted to see?

The Sith lowered their body, as if they were talking to someone laying on the ground. 

"Stop, you cannot go here. It is the land of the dead. Don’t go here. I do not allow it,” the Sith pleaded. "I can't live without you. If I have to exchange my life with yours, I will pay the price."

Palis was swamped by despair, the same despair the Sith felt. She sensed the figure was losing their life force.

"I have been in love with you for 10 years. I can't lose you like I lost my mother. The Force can create life. My power can save you."

She looked at her crystal. It was radiating red. The Sith Apprentice's anguish and grief were so strong that they had corrupted the crystal being used to channel the Force.

This Sith Apprentice was Anakin. The person he tried to save was Padme. Anakin looked terrible after the confrontation with Dooku on Geonosis. 

He didn't want to lose her like the way he lost Shmi.

He had fended off Dooku using … explosives… 

She remembered that there had been an explosion of dark energy on that day with thunder-like sounds. Dooku had said that Anakin had attacked him with explosives and escaped. No, it hadn’t been explosives. It was Sith lightning.

Who was that Sith Master Anakin pledged to? Dooku? Did Palpatine know his son's secrets? 

Everything about Anakin fitted. But there was still a possibility that the vision was about someone else, about multiple persons, or about an ancient Sith. She wanted to tell Obi-Wan about this vision, but she already knew what he would say.

Obsession and paranoia, a trap of the dark side. Her way of meditation was not how Jedi seek guidance from the Force. A Jedi let the Force flow through them freely, they didn’t cling to it.

Before she could think about it more, the vision shifted. Two hooded figures were chanting in a ritual.

They drew on the dark side and manipulated it, trying to force it into another sentient being. A brilliant wave of light energy pushed back. The two figures disappeared and the loud cry of a baby interrupted the silence.

"You know who he is. He is the Jedi's prophesied Chosen One," a solemn voice spoke to Palis directly. "He will bring balance to the Force."

A new vision came to her, sending chills down her spine.  Everyone in the Jedi Temple was dead, including children. They had been killed at the hands of the clone troopers. A tall humanoid with glowing eyes searched the Temple for survivors with a red blade, walking like the Destroying Angel.

Then another vision kicked in. Standing in front of Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin demanded to know Dooku's role in the Clone's creation. 

"Dooku recruited the bounty hunter Fett. Do you know about it?" 

"Who told you?" Palpatine demanded vehemently. 

Then all the visions ended.

Palis fell back to the real world, exhausted. Seeing her crystal, she winced. The green crystal indeed bled to red. 

Ironically, this so-called Jedi Chosen One was a Sith asset. Whoever this Sith Apprentice was, he had already made his decision.

Before she found a place to take a nap, she needed to purify the crystal before she put it back into the necklace. 

She concentrated on the crystal and surrounded it with light energy.

***2***

Vader knew he was summoned by the Force. This had never happened to him before, but he learned about a similar incident from the Holocron.

A Force summoning could only be done by Force wielders who were sophisticated in manipulating cosmic Force. Sidious mentioned that Yoda was the only one in the Jedi Order who could do it. Yet, there was another possibility: the person being summoned had given the permission, which Vader had given to his Master alone.

So, this was most likely to be Yoda. It meant he had to be extremely careful, otherwise, he would be exposed, if he had not been yet.

He saw Shmi's grave. It was the dawn of the planet. No one was there except some fresh flowers, probably left by a recent visitor.

He had never come back to visit since her death. Maybe after the war, he could move her grave to Naboo, a place that had the beauty and prosperity that she may not be able to imagine.

However, he didn't want to disturb her peace. He believed that Shmi had rested in peace and peace was a good thing for her. 

But not good for him. Peace was a lie.

"Ani, I want you to choose wisely when the time comes," his mother said. "Peace, not violence. Healing, not corruption. Love, not hate. Freedom, not servitude."

Then he was sent back to his office. The vision made no sense to him. How could he ever choose slavery? 

But he didn't have the time to think about anything other than the clone brain malfunction problem.

He took out his commlink. A message was waiting for him from an anonymous sender.

"Jango Fett was recruited by a man named Tyranus. A Sith . Use this information wisely."

Vader was in full alarm mode. Dooku participated in the Jedi's commission of the clones under a Sith name. It happened before he betrayed Sidious. But how could he use his Sith name? 

He immediately called Palpatine.

"Father, did you just message me?"

Palpatine was still in the diner with Tarkin and the Kaminoan senator.

"No, of course not." 

"I just got some information about the clones. Very important," Vader asserted.

"No more talking about the clones," Palpatine said with obvious annoyance. "Not anymore. Your obsession was unprofessional. I have important issues to discuss with my colleagues." He hung up.

Vader felt a flare of anger raised in himself. Why did his Master keep on pushing him away from investigating the clone problem? 

And Dooku… What did his participation entail? The clone template was chosen by Dooku! It had a flaw in brain function. A "malfunctioned clone" attacked Palpatine, yet, he said everything was under control.

What else could be more concerning than this issue?

Actually, there was another one. Who was the sender of the message? Were they Kaminoan? Or maybe a Jedi? Why did they emphasize Dooku was a Sith? 

Wait. How could they know Tyranus was a Sith name?

Most importantly, why did they send it to Anakin? How was Anakin supposed to use this information? Admiral Anakin Skywalker never showed any interest in the Sith. 

Except for the Jedi, who cared about the Sith? No one! It was an old legend and Dooku's anti-Republic propaganda.

Palis Athia. It must be her.

Vader inhaled sharply. She was on Kamino when the clone army was discovered. She was obsessed with the Sith. She called Anakin a Dark Side asset when she was angered by his blog posts, and called Rackeli a Sith agent.Somehow she made this connection between him and the Sith and she took this theory seriously. 

It only meant one thing. 

He must immediately find the source of the brain malfunction, and prove it was deliberately designed by the Jedi. Then they could be dealt with.

Palpatine must immediately activate the Insurrection Act and take all the Jedi down. It didn't matter whether they really would make a coup in the future, which would give Palpatine more legitimate justification. Secretly designing a flawed clone army could be framed as treason. 

He needed to do some investigating now . The Sith had a lab on Coruscant. It was where Plagueis did some of his experiments.

"Meet me at the works,” he messaged Slick. "I need to scan your brain."

***3***

Rackeli watched the "Jedi Cult" video again. The video connected all the Jedi's wrongdoings together smoothly in one single video. She was marveled by Crusader's talents and passion. 

It started with a Jedi teenager dying on the battlefield. Crying parents wanted their younglings back home. (Child Soldier)

Then Jedi Council member Master Kenobi declared the Force-sensitives dangerous, and vehemently condemned the opposition organization Children of the Force. (Bigoted and intolerant)

Immediately, the video jumped to various problematic planetary leaders who had won the Jedi's favor over the Force-sensitive opposition leaders in negotiations. The video depicted how they later ruined the economy and violated sentient beings’ rights. (Support oppressive government)

Then a massive anti-war protest in front of the Temple was featured. Speakers passionately condemned the Jedi commissioning a clone army was using child solder and slavery. (Warmongering)

Another scene was a Jedi running the Senate surveillance program. Senators were taken away, later were forced to resign for trivial issues. (Infringe individual freedom)

Then the video presented Count Dooku and Yoda showing up together in old footage during a Senate session. Then the scene shifted to Dooku declaring the start of the Separatists movement. A few scenes of Separatists' atrocities. (Conspire with the enemy to rule the galaxy together)

Later, a few prominent scientists, engineers, and officials from the Navy announced that they were Force-sensitives. The ending scene featured the families of Force-sensitives declaring that the patriotic Children of Force supported liberty for All.

Quite an impressive video. 

Unfortunately, Anakin hadn't agreed to participate.

Rackeli had to admit that Crusader's narratives were biased against the Jedi. He took some of Obi-Wan's speech out of context. He chose the worst leaders that the Jedi had supported as examples, yet the opposition side was not any better. As far as she knew, the surveillance program was led by Tarkin with Jedi being tasked to do arrest and questioning. 

This was a smear campaign, a small voice in her mind whispered. She brushed it away. Her side must do what was needed to curb the Jedi's power.

They are doing things against the Jedi. They had the new bill filed in the Senate, but she already knew the bill would not pass, even if Chancellor Palpatine dropped his opposition. Most of the senators were afraid of Force-sensitives. They believed the Jedi Order could manage them by training them to serve the Senate's will. The freedom of Force-sensitives was too dangerous for these powerful people. They were in the corrupted business with the Jedi together. 

But they would face justice one day. Chancellor adopted a Force-sensitive son who was highly successful in his career. This pair of father and son were fighting against Senate and Jedi corruption one way or another. 

Now she had to come back to her task. Crusader was out of his office for an urgent matter. She took over his role. She selected the video and clicked "upload." 

"Jedi Cult" was going to be played billions of times in the Galaxy.

***4***

Obi-Wan made sure there was no security camera running when he spoke to Padme in her office.

“What should I do? You are a masterful politician. I need your advice." He put a hand on his forehead. "We are fighting a war, but these radicals felt so compelled to launch a smear campaign."

"Do nothing. Ignore it. When the war is won, the Order can hire a public relations person to handle such misinformation. But don't hire Palis. She took it too personally," Padme said sympathetically.

"I am used to having multiple attack ads aimed at me at the same time. The most recent ones called me a Separatist asset because I was opposing Palpatine's power-grabbing actions. But another one called me Palpatine's agent, the head of the military-industrial complex, and bedmate of a warmonger." She laughed sadly. "Don't take them seriously."

“Agreed.” Obi-Wan nodded sharply. “I am leaving Coruscant for Alderaan in an hour. The intelligence department intercepted messages. It says the Separatists will attack a few core worlds as their last-ditch effort. Alderaan is one of the targets. Please remind Bail that he needs to be careful."

The reason that he came here today was neither Alderaan nor the smear video. It was about Palpatine. 

Padme had been a powerful leader who opposed Palpatine's more and more authoritarian rule. It impressed Obi-Wan, even though he was not a person who could trust politicians easily.

Padme and he had been in touch since the Naboo occupation. However, when she became engaged to the Chancellor's son, he started to have doubts. After two year's observation, he believed her opposition was not another performative act in the political theater. 

She was also a steadfast defender of the Jedi Order. 

They two sought each other out in public gatherings, talking about how frustrated they felt about the radical movement, then they shifted the topic to the Chancellor.

Now he was facing a challenge, and Padme may be the solution.

He produced a data card and handed it over to Padme. He had been debating with himself about whether he should tell her about this discovery. The Council would not approve because they still didn't trust her, but Padme was their best chance. Also, she deserved to know this particular intel.

"An advisor of Palpatine was suspected to be the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. There are signs of suspicious activities, but we don't have direct evidence," he whispered. "The Jedi are not allowed to monitor the Chancellor's office. You are his family. You are able to have an eye on him and that advisor." 

She looked shocked but quickly collected herself. "It makes sense why he is so into grabbing power if your suspicions are true." She shook her head.

"You do know what this entails, right? If you are found out-"

"Treason. I know," she said determinedly. "It is imperative to take him down if he is led by the Sith. Otherwise, the Republic will be destroyed from within."

"You know the consequences for your relationship with Anakin?"

"I know. I pray that he will understand." She smiled faintly. "Maybe the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you too, my old friend." 

***5***

Slick looked around the medical lab before he laid down on the operation table. 

"I didn't know you could do surgeries, sir." Slick swallowed a little bit. He was nervous, but he was not afraid. 

Jedi designing a flaw in his and his brothers’ brains was an insidious crime. Exposing the crime even at the expense of his life was worthy of it.

"I had performed many medical procedures when I studied life sciences," Skywalker said. He wore a black robe, but he didn't put on his hood the way he did when he recruited Slick.

Life sciences meant his Force sorceries. He gave Slick drastically different feelings when he talked about the sorceries than when he talked about his military endeavor. He was a threatening presence without even using a threatening tone. It must be the power of the Sith. 

"I am going to use the scanner to scan your brain, but it will be aided by the Force. You may feel nauseous when you wake up. Now sleep."  

His boss waved a hand. The last thing he could remember was Skywalker's glowing eyes before he lost consciousness.

Probably after a few hours, Slick woke up. He indeed felt nauseous, but also a piercing pain on his right side of the head. 

Skywalker was sitting in front of a computer, staring at a holo image with a frown.

"What have you done to me?" Slick was confused.

"I removed a tumor in your brain. It was very difficult to discover by normal scanners," he answered without looking back. "You don't need becta. I completely seal the cut." 

"Take a seat." His boss gestured to the chair next to him. "I had access to some Coruscant medical facilities which had treated clones' brain trauma before. All the brain images showed the same tumor tissue in the same area. Do you have any idea what it is?" 

He turned away from the computer screen and looked at Slick intensively. His eyes were back to being his usual blue, but Slick could see traces of yellowish color.

"Then it is not a tumor. It is a designed thing," he answered tentatively, "maybe a chip, or something like that. Like all the slavers did to their slaves."

His boss flinched. He always had a strong reaction to the word slave .

"Interesting, a slave chip? I know this type of thing. Some can blow the run-away slaves into oblivion, some can function as a tracking device. The worst is programmed to receive signals and control the slave's actions," Skywalker said slowly, a hint of pain in his voice.

"The Jedi are not beyond the worst option, sir," he spat. "You should scan the chip and uncover the information. Then we prove the Jedi crimes."

"Indeed." 

Skywalker ordered Slick to leave the operation room so that he could concentrate on the task.

After two hours, he emerged from the room with his face completely pale.

"Sir, have you found anything wrong?"

"No. Everything is normal,” he said with a harsh tone.

It was a lie. His boss found something, something very very wrong, but it was beyond Slick's pay grade to know.

***6***

It was truly a mind-control chip. The Jedi indeed was the enemy of liberty. To maintain power, they indeed used the clones as slaves. 

Child slaves.

However, after Vader read through the deciphered information, for the first time in his life, he had doubts about his Sith faith.

The chips contained dozens of orders. When triggered, the clones had to follow orders to do whatever they were programmed to. Murder the Jedi. Kill dissent political leaders. Kill Padme.   

These orders could only be activated by a certain person's voice. 

A voice sample was programmed in the chip. He immediately recognized the speaker.

It was Sidious. He didn't speak with the voice of Palpatine the Chancellor, but Sidious the Sith.

How could it be possible that the Jedi created a clone army that answered to the Sith?

There was no escape anymore. Vader had to face the hard reality. 

Sidious had known about the clones from the beginning, and Vader had been kept in the dark. He was never trusted. 

Vader was no stranger to cruelty, but he could not stomach slavery. 

But what could he do now regarding the clones? He remembered his mother's voice in the vision.

"I want you to choose wisely when the time comes. Freedom, not servitude."

He had thought this would be the easiest decision in the galaxy, but it was untrue.

He had to obey his Master.

Chapter Text

*** 1 ***

Crusader came back the second day. He looked tired and anxious. Rackeli asked him what was troubling him, but he changed the topic.

He sat down in front of the computer. “I had better get busy. The protest will be in an hour. I talked to anti-war protesters about our bill. They were immediately in. All the groups will meet in front of the Senate. Actually, we are going to block the Chancellor’s office and demand him to drop his opposition. The ‘Jedi Cult’ video is very popular. We are going to have a really large crowd. We the People are so fed up with the Jedi.”

However, since Rackeli uploaded the video, she had started to have doubts. Was she really doing the right thing? A civil rights case had become a propaganda campaign against a well-respected organization. Well, at least it had been before the war. 

Maybe she was too wrapped up in her resentment towards Obi-Wan and Palis. 

“I am concerned. Maybe we should not do this-” She was interrupted by her colleague. 

“There is no turning back now,” Crusader cut her off. He sounded authoritative, like Anakin almost. “My boss said he would be responsible if anything bad happened.”

Ironic, considering they were protesting against his father. “Where is Anakin, do you know?” she asked with concern. “Will he join us?”

“He said he would.” 

She felt relieved. Anakin was always true to his word. He had mentioned to her that Palpatine's attitude toward the bill had changed since the last time he had talked to him. Palpatine said he may throw his support behind it. It was a pleasant surprise to her. Interestingly, their movement was no longer divisive. What had changed?

“Then let us go.” She led Crusader from her office with new determination. 

She looked back to the office building thoughtfully. If they won this battle, this small workshop would be of little use for them. She appreciated the time the three of them spent here. She would even miss the arguments she had with Palis over the commlink. 

Crusader was already a few meters ahead. She started to run to catch him up.  

When they arrived at the Senate building, the protesters had already gathered in front of the grand entrance, holding signs. They also attached signs and slogans to the massive pillars. 

Anakin was waiting for them in the building with a flat face. He wore civilian clothes, looking exhausted and withdrawn.

Each of them went through security checks, then they walked to the Chancellor’s office quietly with other protestors following them. Some senatorial staff frowned at them. When they saw Anakin, they immediately put on smiling faces. 

Anakin knocked on the Chancellor’s office door. A few seconds later, a guard in red armor opened it. Anakin walked into the room by himself. A few protesters tried to follow, but  Crusader blocked them and signaled everyone else to wait outside. 

To everyone’s surprise, Palpatine emerged from the office quickly with his son by his side. The crowd circled them immediately. Anakin frowned. Several reporters showed up from nowhere and squeezed themselves into the circle. All cameras were pointed at the Chancellor. 

“My fellow Republic citizens,” Palpatine apple with a hard voice, “I have to tell you that I am no fan of your video.” 

The tension in the hallway was so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

“But I heard your concerns.” He changed to a soft tone. “I read the Freedom bill. I agree with many of your reform ideas. I am a father of a Force-sensitive son. This bill mattered to me on a personal level.”

The crowd turned to Anakin. Several people gasped in surprise.  

“Banning the Force-ability blood test entirely is not a good idea. I modified it. The blood test results will be saved in a database, which will be managed by the Chancellor’s office,” he announced with mild enthusiasm. “The Jedi Order cannot see the results until the Force-sensitive children reach the age that they are able to consent by themselves. For humans, like my son, it is ten. For certain species, such as Master Yoda’s kind, it may mean more than 100. No more Force-sensitive child-soldiers, I assure you.”

The group cheered. Anakin wore an emotionless expression, which confused Rackeli. He would be happy, right?

“The freedom of organizing and forming new Force-based religions will be granted, as long as they obey our laws. Soon, the Jedi Order will no longer dominate others.” The Chancellor seemed very pleased. Anakin briefly showed a thin smile. 

“Any former member of a recognized Force-based organization will automatically enjoy the full rights of a citizen.”

“How about banning surveillance and discrimination of Force-sensitives, who are not members of Jedi?” a lawsuit plaintiff asked.

“Personally I like this idea, but we are a democracy. I will leave it to the Senate to debate about it. I heard some opposition from senators.” 

This confirmed her suspicions that senators were afraid of Force-sensitives.

“But rest be assured, a revised bill will pass. I will see to it.” To her surprise, Palpatine looked into her eyes, and extended a hand. “Ms. Loo, I admire your leadership. The whole galaxy will be better off because of your tenacity and persistence.” 

She took his hand, and shook it firmly. 

“Now you can go back to celebrate. I will have a moment with my son. I miss some family time.” He put a hand on his son’s shoulder. She heard Palpatine tell Anakin that Padme was waiting for them. They two disappeared in the hallway, with red guards trailing after them. 

She felt refreshed. She thought she should be very excited, because Palpatine gave them his firm support. The Senate was extremely unlikely to stop it after they knew the Chancellor's position. It was indeed a time to celebrate. 

This was the easiest protest she had ever organized or attended. Too easy. Their demands were met within an hour. It was like a political show. There was more than what met the eyes. 

“Rackeli, let us have a drink,” Crusader exclaimed. “All of us, let us go for a drink. Admiral Skywalker will foot the bill!” 

The crowd cheered loudly. The reports took holos of the cheerful crowd.

As she walked out of the building, her commlink chipped with a news alert. Jedi Master and High Council member Mace Windu had issued a statement. He condemned not only the bill, but also Palpatine’s overreach in Jedi’s freedom of religion by breaking the tradition honored by all the Chancellors before him. 

*** 2 ***

Padme made an appointment with Palpatine, wishing to discuss some political issues. She took Obi-wan’s assignment seriously. If she was to observe Palpatine’s interaction with his advisor Sate Pestage, she had to come back to Palpatine’s inner cycle as she had done when she was a new senator. 

Sate Pestage was a human male. He had served Palpatine from his days as a Senator from Naboo, and rose alongside him, becoming the galactic security advisor to Palpatine the Supreme Chancellor. From the Jedi Order’s report, Palpatine gave him important assignments. When looking into some cases, the Jedi found Pestage involved in espionage, abduction, and murder. His methods were cruel and unusual, thus drawing the Jedi’s attention. The Order planned to arrest him for further investigation. 

Yet, these troubling incidents couldn’t be directly linked to the Chancellor.  

Unfortunately for Padme, her appointment with Palpatine turned into the First Family going shopping together for a whole afternoon. Quite unbelievable during wartime. 

She at first refused, claiming public officials should stay focused on ending the war. But Palpatine insisted that a small break was justified. News of the victories in Outer Rim came one after another. The state-sponsored media already announced that total victory was within reach. 

Spending time with Palpatine was not pleasant for her. But walking hand in hand with Anakin made her happy, even though her fiance was not exactly in a good mood. 

They went to several high-end shops. In another time, Anakin would have loved to spend time shopping with her. He was not very interested in buying things for himself, but he always wanted to buy everything that Padme had shown an interest in. Today, he was different. He was lost in his thoughts and far too quiet.  

She brought him to a skycar shop, which was his favorite. In the old times, he would talk enthusiastically about how the newest models were different from the older ones. To be honest, she did not understand half of what he talked about. 

Now, she missed his excited chatter and hoped he could get better in a few days.

The next stop was a fancy tailor shop. The owner was a human male Palpatine’s age. He greeted them with much respect. 

“Your Excellency, what brings you here today?”

“My son and his fiancée are planning their wedding,” Palpatine explained. “Anakin needs clothes other than his military uniform. By the way, your designs for the High Command were astounding. These uniforms were extremely popular among the public. We came back to you for the wedding attire." 

The couple blushed. She and Anakin had decided that they would hold the wedding soon after the war ended. 

“My son wears black well, but he needed to light up a little. We need something more celebrative.”

“I can definitely make some hand embroidery, befitting the status of the First Family.”

Padme wanted to say that they would not be the First Family after the war. Palpatine needed to resign from his office. They would be a normal high-society family, and spend more time on Naboo. 

But, before she could say anything, Palpatine turned to her, speaking in a fatherly tone. “My dear, how about you having your measurements taken here? It would take quite some time if you need to travel back to Naboo to do the measurements, and take more time to make the dress. I already talked with your parents about the wedding planning. Go pick your favorite color and design. Don't tell Anakin what you choose.” 

Palpatine sometimes could be considerate. She appreciated this little surprise. On Naboo, it was tradition for the mother of the bride to prepare the dress, but the war called for a more efficient arrangement.

She surveyed around and picked ivory-colored lace and asked the tailor to make it a traditional Naboo style. She mentally pictured the way Anakin would react when he saw her at the wedding. It made her very happy.

It took quite some time to finish the measurements, then they went back to Palpatine’s home to have a family dinner. 

Servants brought several trays of traditional Naboo food including Padme’s favorite Five-blossom bread. It paired well with the blossom wine from Palpatine’s estate. 

The three of them were chatting about unimportant matters, when Sate Pestage emerged from the door. The advisor spoke to Palpatine in a voice too low for Padme to hear what he said. 

When he was about to leave, Padme took the opportunity to ask Pestage a question. If he was a Sith, he would have some reaction to what she was going to say. 

“Sate, you must have heard the Chancellor's statement on the Force-sensitive bill. I am concerned about the Republic's security. It was very close to disbanding the Jedi Order, the backbone of our sovereignty and democracy. What do you think, Senior Advisor of Republic security?” 

“I do not have a particular opinion on this topic. I will wait and see how the Jedi respond to it,” Pestage said politely without any emotion. “Milady, I do not wish to interrupt your family time.” He bowed to her and left. 

Now she waited to see Palpatine’s reaction. 

Palpatine was indifferent to her statement. She tried another approach. “The Jedi have been serving the Republic for a thousand years. They sacrificed so many members in the war. At least, they deserve to be left alone.”

“How about they leave everybody else alone?” Anakin refuted passionately.

She wished he would stop for just one moment. This wasn’t about Anakin or his mad crusade.  Ever since Palpatine was granted the latest emergency power, he had acted very boldly. Too boldly. Within a few days, he had already made many controversial policy changes and distorted the very constitution with a single stroke of his pen. 

There was no pretense of reserve and humility anymore. He was the emperor without a crown.

“My dear, most of your colleagues would disagree with you. We must listen to the people.” He put on the fatherly look again. 

She found the "listen to the people" incredibly thorny. She wanted to say that the senators were fed up by the Senate surveillance program, and the misinformation on the state-sponsored and censored media. Thus they wrongfully blamed the Jedi for everything.  But she controlled her anger. It did not help her with her mission. 

She concluded that her Sith investigation strategy was futile, regarding Palpatine and his advisor. Worse, it had angered Anakin, which she had no intention to do again. 

“Okay. I am not going to bring up this topic again. Anakin, you can celebrate your victory. I will not bark at you.” She forced a smile. 

“Let us talk about wedding planning,” Palpatine changed the topic. 

They spent half an hour discussing the planning. Only she and Palpatine were speaking. Anakin focused on his food and stayed quiet. Probably his mood problem affected him again. She felt sorry for him. 

Suddenly, the window shattered. The security alarm blared. Palpatine’s guard dashed into the room. The infamous cyborg General Grievous emerged with his four lightsabers all lit up. His shuttle floated outside the window.

Anakin already stood in front of her, his blaster in hand. “General, you are outnumbered by the senate guards. We had already set up special plans to handle you. We are prepared for today. Surrender now." 

With Grievous distracted, Padme took out her hidden blaster, shooting straight at the general's naked eyes. Her aim was off. The bolt skidded across his metal skull.  

Grievous hissed. With a swift move, one of his lightsabers reached the striking range of Palpatine.

“Didn't you see that I can kill your father with a simple strike of my saber?” Grievous touted. “Then I can resolve our old business, brat. There is no Jedi here to save you.”

Anakin was about to say something. Palpatine signaled to him to stop. “What do you want?”

“The First Family of the Republic will pay a visit to the Confederacy's flagship. My Lord Dooku is waiting for all of you on the Invisible Hand . You will issue a surrender to the Confederacy.”

All the sparks came back to Anakin’s eye. “In your dreams!” He pulled a grenade, seemingly from nowhere, and cocked his arm back to throw. Palpatine stopped him with a simple gesture. 

“Don’t be hasty, son. We will talk to the Count. I believe he will surrender instead.” Palpatine tried to stay calm, but Padme could tell that he was nervous. 

“You are wiser than your brat.” Grievous pushed Palpatine to the window. Padme and Anakin followed reluctantly. Anakin eyed her, quietly telling her not to worry.  

Once they boarded the Invisible Hand , they were thrown into three separate cells, with binders on their wrists. Padme kicked the guard droid when it was cuffing her. Unfortunately, she was subdued quickly.

Anakin broke a droid's neck with his hands tied. But a more advanced droid poked him with a glowing staff. Anakin groaned and fell down on the ground.

Palpatine was the first to be taken out of the cell by Grievous. Anakin cursed Grievous, other than that he did not do anything drastic. 

A few minutes later, a super battle droid came. Anakin seemed to have recovered mostly from the staff hit. He looked into her eyes when he was ushered out. “I will come back. Trust me,” he called to her, earning him a push from the droid.  

Padme’s heart sank. There was no escape for him this time. Dooku and Grievous both could kill him easily. Based on his past experience, they were more than willing to do so. 

They indeed had no Jedi help today. Instead, they had Palpatine, a helpless old man. What good could come out of this?  

*** 3 ***

Dooku’s ship was completely operated by droids which made Vader’s escape easier. He could do whatever he wanted without resulting in blood and screams. 

Once Vader was out of Padme' sight, he used the Force to push the super battle droid to the wall. Grievous had taken his blaster and other weapons away, but he didn't know he had a lightsaber hidden. The metal parts were scattered in different pockets. The crystal was hidden behind his rank insignia.

He held out his right hand and made a grasping motion. The metal pieces flew toward his hand, swirling around the crystal. A few seconds later, a lightsaber was in his hand. A scarlet beam burst into life. He cut off the binder and destroyed the droid. As more droids closed in, he used his lightsaber to deflect a number of blaster shots. 

There were too many droids. He became impatient with cutting them apart. With an explosion of Force energy, he blew up all the incoming droids. Then he turned the saber off and ran. 

He could sense that both Sidious and Dooku were on the observation deck. He didn't doubt his Master's ability to handle Dooku. But, as the Sith Apprentice, it was his duty to deal with such a threat.

Upon his arrival, he saw Dooku kneeling before Sidious, who was sitting in the commander’s chair. Grievous stood behind the Count, in a submissive post. 

“My Master, I am delivering the Republic’s victory to you. Our Empire is rising,” Dooku said with reverence. 

Vader felt he was electrified by lightning. No, being hit by lightning would feel better. Sidious and Dooku must have had some communication and made a deal at some point during the war. However, maybe Dooku was pretending and playing some game here. 

Vader pressed the ignite button and held the blade in an offensive position. 

Seeing Vader, Dooku tensed. He turned back to Sidious. “You had promised before that I could fight this boy and take his life whenever he and I met. Today I will prevail.”

“Only one Apprentice can leave here alive,” Sidious pronounced with an authoritative voice. “The stronger one of you is worthy to rule the Galaxy by my side. Grievous, leave us.”

“It will be me,” Vader declared with fury. He was ready to end this pathetic former Jedi once and for all. He had a lot of questions to ask his Master after Dooku was dead. 

“I am much more powerful than you, old man.” 

Dooku ignited his saber in response. He held the initiating position of Jedi Form II Makashi. “Kid, show me your feeble skills then.” 

Dooku was a fencer, and fought with ease. He could easily exploit opponents’ weakness in defense without spending too much of his own energy. Vader himself had the advantage of physical strength and a more powerful connection with the Force. Most importantly, through these years, his fighting style incorporated schools of combative techniques outside the Jedi or Sith Orders. His strategy against Dooku was to exhaust the old man’s strength by forcing him to counter Vader’s aggressive moves. 

Because of his rage and fury, Vader had an unusually clear premonition during this battle. As he anticipated, Dooku threw a bolt of lightning at him. He held the lightsaber with both hands. With a swiping move, he used the lightsaber to deflect and throw the lightning back to his adversary. 

Dooku fended off the attack with some hard effort. He looked surprised but still unflinching. 

Vader charged at him with his full strength. They exchanged quite a few blows, with their blades clashing and hissing loudly. 

Eventually, the two scarlet blades locked to each other. The impassive expression completely evaporated from Dooku’s face. Panic started to take over. 

“Besides dirty trickery, what do you have, old man?” Vader taunted.

Dooku did not answer, instead, he clenched his left fist and used the Force to choke Vader. 

Vader’s vision started to grey, but he wasn’t done yet. As he sank to his knees, he hurled his lightsaber like a spear. At the same time, he shot a bolt of lighting toward Dook’s outstretched hand. The lightning bolt hit Dooku’s left hand just as the lightsaber cut through the flesh of his right arm. 

Dooku hissed in pain, with his lightsaber falling to the ground. Vader called both lightsabers to his hands, then held them next to the former Jedi’s neck like a pair of scissors.

“What do you want me to do, Master?” Vader asked with cruelty. 

“Do whatever you want, Lord Vader,” Sidious answered with a laugh. 

Dooku was too panicked to speak, but his eyes begged for mercy. 

But Vader had no mercy for him. 

He beheaded Dooku with one quick move, then turned off both lightsabers. He felt his strength leave his body rapidly as the adrenaline was used up. He looked at Sidious and knelt before him, both showing respect and recharging his energy. 

“Master, it was done,” Vader said with exhaustion. 

“Raise, Lord Vader, you have proved yourself as a worthy Apprentice, just as I foresaw.” Sidious surveyed Vader’s face with intensity. “I sensed confusion in you.”

“Yes, Master. I am confused. You are working with Dooku. I did not know this.” Vader stood up and looked straight into Sidious’s eye, which earned him a frown. 

“My Apprentice, you were too young to know everything. The less you know, the safer for the Sith Order and our grand plan.”

“I have questions,” Vader said with defiance. 

“Don’t be resentful. It is unbecoming of you,” Sidious said sternly. “You will understand soon.”

It was his Master’s way to demand that he stop asking questions. He was not happy about it, but he nonetheless obeyed.

“How could we explain this?” He gestured at Dooku’s headless body.

‘Easy.” Sidious took off his commlink, he spoke with his Sith voice. “General Grievous, come back.”

Grievous emerged from the blaster door immediately and knelt in front of his new master.  

“You are the leader of the Confederacy now. You defeated the traitor Count Dooku, when he tried to sell out the Confederacy’s interests. Do you understand?” 

“Yes, my Master,” Grievous answered obediently. Clearly, it was not the first time Sidious had communicated with the cyborg in his Sith role. 

“Now leave us. I would like to have a moment of privacy with my Apprentice,” the Sith Master commanded. 

Vader finally had the chance to look outside the viewport of the ship. The dark sky was lit up by hundreds of fighters shooting at the Invisible Hand. The ship had a strong shield, otherwise, they would have been shot down. Vader sensed a Jedi boarding party was arriving. 

“Son, set the ship to self-destruct. Ten minutes countdown. Get your girl, then we will take an escape pod and leave. We will go back to the Senate. There is so much work to do.” Palpatine returned to his Chancellor’s role, speaking with his political tone. 

As Vader set up the self-destruct, an idea struck him. He quietly downloaded the data that contained the security recording of the observation deck. Then he ran to the detention center to rescue Padme. 

Soon after their escape pods were ejected, the Invisible Hand exploded. Grievous and whichever Jedi rescue party had landed on the ship must be dead. 

The three of them came all the way back to the Senate docking bay uneventfully. Padme nuzzled at Vader’s neck. She didn’t know a thing about what had happened during the past couple of hours. 

Hundreds of senators were looking into the nightly sky with planetary shields protecting them. The falling remains of the Invisible hand became a magnificent meteor shower. When they finally landed, the crowd cheered, and dozens of reporters rushed to set up their equipment. 

Palpatine spoke to reporters about how the two leaders of Separatists had fought each other, believing they were the rightful ruler of the Galaxy. It was another story of evil people infighting and defeating themselves. 

“The war has not ended yet. It is the time to deal with the Separatists remnant with our full strength. The Jedi Council will send the most skilled knights to hunt down other Separatists leaders,” Palpatine finished his speech. 

 Padme seemed extremely uncomfortable with his announcement. Her grip on Vader’s hand turned painful. 

“Anakin, I have to do something about this. Politically ,” she whispered to him. “I love you, you must have faith in me.”

He nodded halfheartedly, which seemed to surprise Padme. She must have expected a hot argument, but he was too tired and confused to say anything.

“Son, congratulations. The Children of Force Freedom Act will have a full-floor debate starting in an hour. It is just procedural. A vote had already been scheduled. No doubt it will pass. Then I will sign it tomorrow morning with the public witness.” His voice showed a hint of triumph. “It will be a special moment for the galaxy. You know what I mean.”  

Vader nodded. It meant it was the end of the Jedi Order, one way or another. 

“Now have some rest, you young couple. Son,” Palpatine snagged Anakin’s arm as they turned to go, “you come to my office at sunset tomorrow. I have a very important task for you. 

Chapter Text

***1***

Padme went out to rally her senator friends for their democracy cause, leaving Vader at home alone. He locked himself in his office, kneeling in a meditative position. He thought about the recent events, about his life. 

Dooku had been defeated. The Separatist movement was falling apart. The Jedi Order would be defeated soon. His Master had consolidated most of the power. The useless democracy would be replaced by an Empire of peace, freedom, justice, and security.  

Vader had been waiting for this day for so many years. However, at this moment, he felt nothing but despair. 

He would meet his master at sunset tomorrow. Sunset is a codeword for executing the Insurrection Act if the Jedi attempted a coup. He saw Mace Windu’s reaction to Palpatine's speech about the Jedi bill. It was almost certain that the Jedi Council would rebel against it. 

Vader would be the military leader to crush the insurrection. After the bill’s passage, declaring that he was a Sith in public would no longer be a crime. He could use his lightsaber and other Force powers, which would make his job much easier. 

The navy was completely under his control. Right after the abduction of the First Family, he ordered several fully-manned Star Destroyers back to Coruscant to enhance defense. Coruscant could be completely locked down in a few minutes. 

He had been concerned that the clones might choose to side with the Jedi. This concern was moot now. The clones had no side to choose if Sidious issued an order. They had no freedom of choice in this matter.

The Sith believed that extreme methods were justified if the cause was great and the stake was high, such as saving the galaxy from decaying. But could it justify instigating a war?

What he knew for sure was that his master and Dooku rekindled their relationship and worked together sometime in the middle of the war. But how far did that date back to?  

Maybe Dooku started the war, but found he could not win. Had he begged to come back then? It was possible, but Sidious did not tell Vader anything. 

A more radical idea was that the two of them had orchestrated the conflict from the beginning. It was plausible because the two of them managed to meddle with the Jedi’s cloning program. 

The treacheries that Vader suspected Dooku and Yoda had committed indeed happened, except the actors were different. 

A few days ago, he was so excited that he could finally take the Jedi Order down, and bring liberty and justice back to the galaxy. He tried to reignite his anger, the righteous anger, against the Jedi, but that feeling was no longer reachable. Now he felt lost. 

What was the purpose of his life, if he was not destined to end the Jedi supremacy? 

He felt his brain on fire, head-spinning, and breath laboring. He needed answers, but he could not figure out any of them by himself. He had nobody to consult except the Force. 

He heard voices whisper to him. A voice told him not to think. Thinking was too tiring and painful. 

The voice said that he should do what Sidious demanded. It was the allegiance that he made when he pledged himself to the way of the Sith, and reaffirmed when he was made the Sith Apprentice. It was an oath that only death could break. Either the Master or the Apprentice died. It worked either way. 

Vader had to defeat Dooku to reaffirm his status as the Apprentice. It was hurtful for him as a person, but it was the way of the Sith. 

Killing Sidious was unthinkable. It was how power was transitioned between different generations of Sith Lords, but, for Anakin, it was patricide. In the history of the Sith, it was not rare that Apprentice used killing their biological family to affirm their allegiance to their Master. But it was not what Vader signed up for. He sought the power of the Force to pursue justice in the galaxy, to fight against slavery, and defend the people he cared about. He had found Shmi using the learned power. He saved Padme from dying. 

“Sith knew no love” was the most outrageous lie the Jedi had made up. 

Another voice murmured to him, telling him how weak and useless he was. 

If he was not the Chancellor’s son, he would never be on the High Command. 

He failed his mother, letting her die. 

His obsession with Jedi had achieved nothing except to make them suspicious of him.  

He lied to Padme by hiding his real identity. Their marriage would be fake. No, their relationship was a lie from the beginning. Their friendship since Naboo was a lie as well. 

The most unacceptable thing was that he had doubts about Sidious' order. It was the worst failure of an Apprentice. 

“Why don’t you just die? Your life had no purpose anyway, ” Ventress taunted him as she had in the vision on Felucia. “Come to see your futures. Many futures. I checked. None was good”

He saw himself walking in the Jedi Temple, hunting down the ones who were hiding. He killed every Jedi, adult or child alike. He had to kill them all. Otherwise, these Jedi children would come back to execute revenge. They had become dangerous due to Jedi training at a very young age. If it was not the case, why did the Jedi forbid parents from taking them back?

He saw Padme refuse to marry him. She tore her wedding dress apart and called him a liar and monster. She left him without looking back. Later she led a group of senators and Jedi remnants to fight him and his master. The rebels were all crushed. He had to kill Padme himself, feeling her life faded away in his arms. 

In another future, Padme married him, but she resented what he was. They had children. All of them were trained in the art of Force and very powerful. Later, he was murdered by his children in his sleep. Everyone hated him. 

Another future showed him that the Jedi defeated the Sith, and their empire had fallen. He was killed. His children were taken away and brainwashed.

Every future was full of death, betrayal, and destruction. After seeing them, Vader felt he should have never been born to this galaxy. 

“But you do not dare to die.  Because of who you are, and what you have done,” Ventress spoke again and laughed hysterically. “The Jedi have told you. There is no death, there is the Force . You could never die, no matter how you wished it. You will live in your eternal anguish and torture.” 

“No! The Jedi are wrong!” Vader screamed at her. “ Through Victory my chains are Broken. The Force shall free me .”

“Then, go to pursue your victory!” she hissed in his ears before she disappeared. 

Vader snapped out of the vision, panting. His hair and shirt were soaked with sweat. He felt weak, cold, and dirty. The vision was gone, but his despair remained. 

Ventress was right. He did not dare to die. He still had his duty to perform. He stared outside the window with a lone tear on his cheek. 

***2***

After the long meditation in front of Shmi's grave, Palis spent time talking to the locals about Anakin’s mother, to gain more understanding of his early life. She was certain that the visions were connected to Anakin in some ways, despite the lack of direct evidence. She needed to do some research on it. A former friend of Shmi, who was the owner of a small diner now, offered her a quiet place to focus on her task. 

She needed to dig into her memories, as well as some classified information. As a special investigator of the Sith, she had access to both the Republic and Jedi’s database.

Anakin was an old friend. When they first met on Coruscant, he was a child who just went through a war. After they became closer, the boy told her more about his adoption. Shmi was abducted and left her son behind. On Tatooine, being a minor without a guardian was extremely dangerous. 

Like a miracle, within a week, the heart-broken child met Senator Palpatine, who was visiting Tatooine for a mining project. They clicked. Palpatine brought him to Naboo and promised to help him look for his mother. 

Anakin told Palis many stories that were deeply personal, but he left out the part about being a slave. After learning this omitted information, she saw Anakin in a different light. Many of his behaviors made more sense now.

Anakin was a reckless and almost unruly child, but he was obedient to his adopted father, to a level that was almost out of his character. There was reverence and worship in that relationship, more than gratitude to a man who gave him a new life of privilege. 

Palatine was his father, mentor, and most importantly, emancipator.

From child slave to the son of the Supreme Chancellor and a leader of the Republic military, and it all began when his mother went missing. People could say that Anakin had an enormous amount of luck. Truly, the Force worked in mysterious ways, but the chances were extremely low. It just felt unnatural . 

She felt compelled to figure out how Shmi ended up on the planet Carajam, which was almost half a galaxy away from Tatooine. It was not profitable for slave traders to take one slave and transport them to places that were super far away. Shmi’s abduction and re-sale were unusual as well. 

She knew it sounded like a conspiracy theory, but she still felt that Shmi may have been deliberately removed from Anakin’s life, so he could be taken away. 

Taken away by Palpatine. 

Anakin certainly had changed galactic history in many ways, but he showed no such sign a decade ago. Why did Palpatine pick the 9-year-old Anakin? An insignificant kid on Tatooine. 

"You know who he is. He is the Jedi's prophesied Chosen One," the Force told her in the vision. 

A decade ago, there was a surge of stories about the Jedi’s Chosen One was about to come and they will save the helpless galaxy. The Jedi Council dismissed these stories, but Obi-wan’s master Qui-Gon Jinn was fascinated by them. If Anakin truly was this so-called Chosen One, it made everything different. Many people would want him.  

Palis did not believe in any prophecy. However, for ardent believers of prophecies, they could become extreme if they believed a certain prophecy was true. Taking other people’s children for themselves was not unheard of. At that time, Palpatine did not have a child and he was bidding for the Supreme Chancellor position. Maybe he believed the so-called Chosen One could bring him luck.

She spent more hours on Shmi’s case. A few names kept on showing up. Besides the pirate gangs, criminal syndicates, a handful of Banking Clan operatives' names were here. 

The name Sate Pestage showed up in a report that related to the bank. It immediately caught her attention. He was an advisor to Palpatine, but more importantly, he was a Sith suspect.

The Jedi Council finally agreed to release their list of suspected Sith candidates to her. Pestage's name was at the top of the list. He was found to engage in various illegal activities.

She kept on researching. The database search found Pestage had ties to Carajam. When Shmi went missing, he was traveling in a nearby sector, another record showed.

These could not be mere coincidence. He must have had something to do with Shmi's abduction.

Her heart sank. If Pestage was a Sith, Anakin certainly was more than a secret Sith worshipper. Now she was more certain the Sith Apprentice in her vision was Anakin.

She pulled out her commlink, ready to call Obi-Wan, but stopped herself before she finished typing in the frequency.

What would be accomplished by telling Obi-wan that Anakin was a Sith Lord? It was still her theory without evidence. Her lack of the ability to see vision was well-known by the Jedi Council. She needed to do more research, and she needed to be fast. 

While she was doing research, too many drastic things had happened. The “Children of the Force Freedom Act” aka "Dismantle the Jedi Order Act" had gained sudden momentum. Palpatine's position on this issue took a 180-degree turn, the same way that he made sweeping changes to numerous policies lately. In the name of efficiency, he eliminated institutions and agencies that had been checks and balances on him and his allies. 

Now the damn bill passed the Senate, waiting for the Chancellor's signature to become law. The Jedi Order announced that they would protest at the signing ceremony, trying to stop it. 

If the bill passed, Jedi efforts to counter the Sith threat would come to an end. They could go after Dooku's trainees for sure because they were against the Republic. But going after individuals such as Pestage would become more complicated and controversial than it had already been.

Ironically, investigating the Sith threat would become illegal. Worshiping the Sith may become a fashion in the future, she thought bitterly. 

People already forgot what happened a thousand years ago. They forgot that the Republic was built upon ashes after hundred years of bloody battles against the Sith. They forgot that the Jedi Order sacrificed and maintained the fragile peace for a thousand years. 

They didn't know the Light side and Dark Side of the Force were out of balance now. The Dark was growing and the Light was diminishing after so many Jedi lost lives in the war. There would be fewer and fewer Jedi after the policy change.

The senators chose Palpatine's iron fist because the Jedi were not good enough for them. 

Yes, the Jedi were not perfect and were hated for it.

Sith didn't have to use brutal force to beat the Jedi. This time they used liberty and justice, a lofty cause as excuses, preying on people's righteous anger and frustration. 

The simple but sad reality was the Jedi was not perfect. It was a reality that nothing could change. However, people couldn't accept that, thus the Sith had won from the beginning.

She must take action. 

A new idea came to her. She should talk to Anakin directly, as the last resort. If he was indeed the Sith Apprentice, so be it. What could she lose? 

Suddenly the images of the Sith from the stories she published flashed in her mind. She felt the people who had been killed by the Sith throughout galactic history were all pleading her to pursue justice for them. They told her that it was her destiny to save the Jedi Order. She should fly back to Coruscant now, and kill Anakin. Anakin was young. If Obi-Wan could defeat Maul, she had a fair chance to defeat another Sith Apprentice. 

Yes, Anakin was young. There was still good in him. Another voice whispered to her. 

But every cell of her body screamed at her that he was a Sith, and must be seen as a Sith, her hereditary enemy. She was not a member of the Jedi Order, so the Order could not be framed as having a coup. She was the only person to save the Order from destruction. 

“I am Anakin Skywalker, I am a person,” a young voice spoke from her old memory. 

Yes, he was a person and must be seen as a person. She repeated this to herself several times. 

Anakin, a traumatized child slave, was radicalized into a religious fanatic. Yes, he was under the control of Sith's indoctrination and power of the Dark Side. But he was a person, meaning he had free will. He could choose a different path no matter how hard it was. 

She needed to talk to him. In the past few years, she never talked to him. She only scolded him for what he did. It was her chance to better herself, and she would make it happen. 

***3***

After a long wait, Anakin picked up Palis's call. He looked tired and disheveled, a state which she had never seen him in before. He was very troubled and afflicted by something. From the clothing that he was wearing, he was not ready to retire for the day yet. Seeing from the background, he was in his home office. 

“I am glad you picked up,” she greeted him with a plain tone. “You do not look well,” she added cautiously. 

“Neither do you,” he said just as matter-of-factly. 

She was surprised that he responded to her comments about appearance since Anakin was famous for not wanting to admit weaknesses. 

Long silence.

“You want to talk about the Freedom Act?” he spoke again.

“No,” she answered curtly. “I am on the planet Carajam. In front of your mother’s grave.” She turned the camera around to show her background. 

He looked alarmed, like a Lothcat facing a predator. “How do you know?” he said with narrowed eyes. “No,” he quickly corrected himself, “It does not matter. What are you trying to say?”

“After visiting this place, I start to see your perspectives. Your thirst for justice and freedom are not something that I could truly understand. I admire your perseverance, even though I cannot agree with your cause,” she tried to control her tone to neutral. 

“What do you want from me?” He was still defensive, but less cold.   

“I want to tell you something about Shmi’s abduction.” She quietly waited for his permission. Seeing him nod slightly, she continued, “Your life was turned upside down when Shmi went missing. I suspected her captor was Sate Pestage.”

“You know who you are accusing, right? Are you trying to create a division between my father and me?”

She anticipated he would call her a liar who made another baseless accusation. But division . An interesting word choice. It sounded like they were some business partners. 

“I know it sounded offensive,” she said softly. “I am sending you the evidence I collected.”

She patiently waited for him to finish reading. “Search your feelings, you know what I said was true.” 

“There were other possibilities.” The young man’s voice showed resignation, “Too many years had passed, many things cannot be undone.” 

“I understand.” Now it really sounded like Anakin and his father had some serious divisions. 

She started to try her luck. “During my journey, I learned about an oath. It goes like this: your soul is bonded to mine by the Covenant of the Sith, until death does us part. Have you ever heard about it?”

Anger flashed in his eyes. Imperius hissed in the background.

“You indeed know many things, Master Athia,” He said defiantly. “What else do you want to share with me?” This was an interesting answer. He did not fight her for suggesting he knew Sith tradition. 

“Just Red. I have not been a Jedi for a while.” She took out her necklace, showing him the crystal. “It was green.”

“Yes, I remember.” Anakin stared at it intently. “Is it white now?”

“Recently, I entered a vision about an unknown Sith Apprentice. He chose to learn about the Force because the galaxy was riven with injustice.” She deliberately quoted the words she heard from the vision.

Anakin looked thoughtful and stayed quiet, so she went on. “He shared life Force with someone who he had been in love with for a long time, to save her from dying. He didn't want to lose her the way he lost his mother. The anguish of the Sith Apprentice bled my crystal.” She pointed at her necklace. “I purified it. So, now it is white. I was surprised by that Apprentice’s journey. I no longer feel every Sith is purely evil.”

“It will never return to its original color. Many things cannot be undone. It is too late.” He smiled faintly at her.

“It is never too late,” She asserted. “I know even in death, his mother still had good wishes for him. She wanted him to choose wisely when the time comes, to choose freedom, not to be enslaved.”

Anakin’s body tensed, then he looked away. “I have to sleep now,” he changed the topic.  

“Then have a good night.” She turned off the commlink and laid on the ground. She did not care about whether Anakin was a Sith operative or Sith Apprentice anymore. It would make no difference in a few hours. Sate Pestage was a criminal, and should be arrested and persecuted as such, regardless of whether he was the Sith Master. She only wished the Force would fulfill her and Shmi’s wishes--let the young man be a free person. 

She called Obi-Wan next. “You go back to Coruscant. The Jedi Order will need you. That protest probably will not go well.” 

“Sure. I feel the same,” her friend immediately replied. “Anything else to tell me? Your new conspiracy theory?” Obi-Wan teased her.

“No more conspiracy theories. I did everything I could.” She shook her head. “Tell Master Yoda and Master Windu to arrest Sate Pestage immediately. I think he is Darth Sidious. See you on Coruscant soon. May the Force be with you.” 

“May the Force be with you as well, my friend.” 

***4***

“A long night. We are almost at dawn,” Bail Organa said to Padme as they walked out of the Senate building. “We did not stop the Children of the Force Bill, but we have a plan to challenge Palpatine. We are making progress. Today must be an extremely long and difficult day for you.” 

“Yeah. That abduction was like a lifetime ago. I am used to life-threatening situations now.”  Padme yawned. “The Jedi have become an obstacle to Palpatine’s dictator dream, so he wants to weaken it. That is all. After Palpatine steps down, everything else can be re-negotiated. We must stay focused.”

“You are absolutely right. I am tasked by the Jedi Council to lead the opposition. But I failed. Obi-wan would be disappointed. There was no channel for Jedi to give their input. Most senators voted blindly without knowing the real consequences.” Bail said with renewed conviction, “I will push for an amendment after the mess is solved.”

“Exactly. At this moment, nothing else is more important than stopping democracy from falling apart.” Padme felt so tired. She was no stranger to working overnight, but recently she had been more easily tired. “I need sleep before we confront Palpatine.”

When she arrived home, she found Anakin asleep in his office. If she was stronger, she would pick him up and carry him to the bedroom. She did not want to disturb his much-needed sleep. He at most had a couple more hours to rest, then he would go to his Freedom Act signing party with his activist friends. 

Padme would not attend. She wanted only two things: a good rest and Palpatine stepping down. 

She threw herself in bed, hoping to make up her lost sleep. She woke up a few hours later. Anakin was already gone. 

She felt nauseous and ran to the fresher to throw up. It was practically a morning ritual at this point. 

An idea struck her. Her period was late. Maybe she was pregnant? Anakin and she were using protection, but they were not exactly very careful. This was not the best timing, but if it was the case, it would be a blessing nonetheless. 

She called the medical droid to her bedroom. It drew some blood from her. 

A few minutes later, the droid announced with an excited tone, “Congratulations, Milady. You are pregnant.”

It was great news. She felt that she was blessed to know it today, not the day before, otherwise, the experience of being abducted would be much more traumatic. 

She was going to be a mother soon. Anakin and she would become parents. Anakin was committed to his work, but she knew deep down he cared about family a great deal. This thought alone lit up her mood.

Chapter Text

***1***

The Freedom Act signing ceremony was hosted on Republic Square outside the Senate building. It was still early morning, the parents who wanted their children back already gathered. When Rackeli and the Shas arrived, the small crowd cheered. The three of them all wore red, the festive color of their homeworld. Crusader greeted them and stood next to them, looking at the stage expectantly. 

It was a cloudy day. The weather report said there was a chance of rain. Rackeli still hoped the weather could get better when the sun rose further.

More and more supporters of the Freedom Act arrived. The anti-war activists, the adult Force-sensitives, and parents were talking to each other. It was like a festival. 

Led by Jedi Master Mace Windu, a large group of Jedi walked toward the signing station with grave expressions. A Jedi caretaker led more than a dozen younglings who would be returned to their parents after the bill became law. Parents began to wave excitedly as they spotted their children. Almost none of the children waved back. 

Ludi Sha was an exception. She ran to her parents, said hello, and hugged them, before returning to her Jedi friends. Rackeli was amazed by how empathic the little girl was. 

With a loud cheer, she saw Chancellor Palpatine arrive, with Anakin following him a few steps behind. Anakin was still intense and solemn, but who could blame him? He had been abducted but had managed to take the opportunity to destroy the Dooku and Grievous' ship and almost single-handedly take down the Separatists. Thanks to his heroic deeds, the political chaos in her homeworld subdued greatly. The Separatists’ supporters immediately stopped the secession movement. 

“Ladies and gentle beings, your attention, please. Today we are gathered to celebrate equity, justice, and liberty for all,” Palpatine announced with great passion. “The Senate reaffirmed the freedom of Force-sensitive individuals. It is one more step toward a more just Galaxy.” 

The audience applauded excitedly. He continued, “Personally, I am pleased with the Senate’s decision.” He gestured at his son. “I would want my son to enjoy the full rights of a Republic citizen, instead of being a member of a group that is monitored and discriminated against.”

The Jedi group shook their heads in disagreement. 

“Before I sign the Children of Force Freedom Act, I would invite anyone who has different opinions to speak. I am an open-minded person.” 

“Your Excellency, with due respect, the Jedi Council asks you to veto this bill," Windu demanded. "It is not only harmful to the Jedi Order, but also harmful for every Republic citizen. We can't train older kids, because they would easily fall to the dark side. Too much emotion, too much attachment."

Anakin snorted and rolled his eyes. 

Windu looked at him sharply. "Your son is Force-sensitive. If he had come to us at age 10, we would have certainly turned him down," Windu continued. "We would have to turn everyone down. It is too dangerous for them to be trained. Without training, all their talents would be wasted. Without the Jedi, who will keep the peace?" 

"I will do it," Anakin jumped in. 

The audience burst into applause. After his recent actions on the Invisible Hand , was it any surprise they believed in him more than the Jedi?

"You don't understand the real meaning of peace," Windu pressed on.

"Then peace is a lie," Anakin refuted passionately, which earned an endearing look from his father. "Your oppressive religion has to accept your place. Your Excellency, it is a great reform.  Please sign the bill into law. It is freedom for all." 

The audience cheered again. The Jedi side whispered among themselves. 

“Yes, it is,” Crusader shouted. “Finally, we are free!”

The rain started to fall.

"Peace is a lie? You sound like a speaker of the Dark Side, Admiral Skywalker," Master Windu said with an authoritative tone. 

Anakin burst into laughter as if he had heard something extremely ridiculous. It made Rackeli nervous. 

"I am a speaker of truth. You accused me of not understanding peace when I brought peace and order back to the Galaxy. The Jedi's lies had to come to an end today," He declared in a voice that conveyed some hysteria.

"No child should be separated from their mother. Parents, take your child home now , otherwise, it will be too late ! Jedi Knights, I ask you to throw your lightsaber away and leave now . Don't sink together with a rotten institution!" Anakin said almost with desperation. His expression looked like he was going to cry. Rain fell on his face. It was hard to tell if it was rain or his tears.

Palpatine moved next to his son and covered him with his umbrella. "Calm down. Yesterday's event took a lot of toll on you. Don't let it get the better of you."  

He turned to face the audience. "I announce that I will sign the bill. The Freedom Act marks a new era of liberty. This day will be long remembered."

"This day will be remembered as a dark day. May the light be preserved!" A Jedi Knight shouted. She turned on her lightsaber and held it straight towards the sky. All other Jedi followed. 

"What are you trying to do? Murder us?" A supporter of the bill shouted back.

"Please don't get it wrong. They are showing solidarity with each other. It is the Jedi way to show our pursuit of light at a Dark time." Master Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived and ran into the crowd. Many supporters walked a few steps back. 

"Now turn it off," Obi-Wan demanded. "Let us go back to the Temple. We still have much work to do. So many Knights are still fighting the Separatist remnants. They need our support from Coruscant." He joined Windu and led the group to leave.

Rackeli led the parents to the Jedi caretaker, who was giving each child a hug. 

"May the Force be with you, younglings," the caretaker said, her voice clogged with unshed tears. 

The Shas picked up Ludi. She was surprised by this movement and reluctantly accepted. Other children did much worse, crying and screaming. A few older children argued with their parents, called them strangers, and stated that they wanted nothing to do with them.

"May I see my Jedi family again?" Ludi asked. "I love them."

"You may," Rackeli whispered to her. 

Seeing her friends leaving, the girl started to cry. Rackeli’s own tears joined the rain on her cheeks. This was supposed to be the result that she had dreamed of, but she didn't like this ending.

If the Jedi had simply given Ludi back three years ago, none of this would have happened. Now the girl had an attachment to the Jedi Order, and leaving it hurt her as much as losing her had hurt her parents. Why did they have to be so stubborn?

Anakin and Crusader approached. Crusader was the only one who looked truly happy. Anakin had a haunted look. There was great turmoil within him. Maybe it was his illness. Maybe it was something else.

She felt they didn't win. This certainly was not the bright day she had hoped for. 

The rain got heavier. A flash of lightning struck the highest spire of the Jedi Temple.

***2***

“Your fiance didn’t look well at that signing ceremony,” Bail said to Padme through the commlink. “No offense. I think he was in a crisis.” 

Padme was at home preparing her speech in the meeting with Palpatine. Bail called in to help her. Now they were taking a break from the preparation.

“I know. Obi-Wan called me. I watched the video. I never saw Anakin at this level of hostility toward the Jedi. The war is winding down. All the divisiveness resurfaced with full force. " She sighed heavily. “He needs to take a leave. A long one. We will go back to Naboo to stay a while there.” 

She was really worried about Anakin. It seemed like his mood problem was taking over his mind. She was confused by Anakin’s quick deterioration of health. What led to it? He indeed had a lot of stress to handle. Both the clone accident and the abduction were stressful, but he had been through worse during the war. He did not want to talk about his problems, which concerned her the most. 

“If we can ask Palpatine to step down, all of us will take a break,” Bail tried to cheer her up. 

“Indeed.” She managed to return a smile. "But you can't. We need you to run for the Chancellor's post."

"Fair enough. Let us go back to your speech," he suggested.

"Wait. Did you see this? This article is claiming the Jedi threatened the Chancellor with violence in the signing ceremony.  Unbelievable. I watched the whole thing on holonet. They didn't," Padme said angrily. "The state-sponsored media already went crazy."

"I was here with them. No, they didn't. Lighting up lightsabers together is a Jedi tradition. For solidarity and remembrance." Bail frowned. "Someone wanted to engineer an accident. The whole signing ceremony was a trap."

"Yes, someone in the highest office. They want to destroy the Jedi's reputation." She deliberately avoided saying Palpatine's name.

Bail nodded at her knowingly. "We need to be really careful with talking to the Chancellor this afternoon. Otherwise, we may be spun as we are threatening him."

"No news reporters are allowed in this meeting, so no witness. Whatever he tells the media later will be considered the truth ,” she said thoughtfully. "I need to bring Anakin to our meeting as a witness. He would not be happy with it, but otherwise, he could be used as a wedge later."

She heard the door slide open. Her fiance was back. 

"Bail, see you in the afternoon." She quickly hung up.

"Your Save Democracy group meeting?" Anakin said with an irritated tone.

"Correct. I invite you to join us as well." Padme locked eyes with him. "I don't want you to hear rumors about how we had threatened your father's life from the media. They are up to no good nowadays." She pointed at the holo news about the Jedi.

He spoke after a long hesitation. "The Jedi didn't. It was peaceful." He grimaced and rubbed his forehead as though admitting it pained him. 

Padme was a little bit surprised. This probably was the first time he hadn't automatically thought the worst of the Jedi. He should have been the first one to scream Jedi violence.

"Will you join us?" she pressed on.

"I don't know!" he snapped. "I don't know." His voice went lower.

"Ani, it is okay." She wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his shoulder. "It is okay."

"No, it is not okay. I want to protect you." He almost cried, "I must protect you. But I don't know how."

"I am perfectly fine." She squeezed his hands. "More than fine." She smiled at him. "I have some good news to share with you."

***3***

"I am pregnant. You will be a father soon." Padme told Vader in the privacy of their bedroom. 

She smiled beautifully and looked at him expectantly. 

“I...I am surprised. This is great news.” He tried to force a smile but was not very successful. “I need to protect the little one as well.” 

“Ani, it is okay. We are okay.” She looked into his eyes, pleading. “You worry too much.” 

“No. Nothing was okay!” he shouted. Seeing Padme wince, he immediately regretted it. He put a hand on her cheek. “I am sorry,” he murmured. “I am so sorry.”

“Ani, tell me.” She held his right hand and kissed his knuckles.

He could no longer face her gaze. He looked down at their joined hands, seeing their engagement rings. What would he say? Tell her about Dooku and Palpatine’s deeds? Or the clone brain chips? Or maybe that his mother was abducted by Palpatine’s agent? No matter what he told her, it would lead to the revelation that he has been deceiving her for years. 

He did not want to lose her. Telling her the truth would mean losing her forever. It would be inevitable, but he would delay it as long as possible. 

" Parents, take your child home now, otherwise it will be too late! ” A voice whispered to him in the Force, repeating his own words from earlier in the day. Then it went on, “Follow your own words. Tell her now, before it is too late.”

Vader felt a flame burn inside of him, a new determination. A child. He was bringing another life, an innocent life to the world, he had to be responsible for their fate. He overcame the shame and met Padme’s eyes.

“I will tell you.” 

He took out the data card that contained the security holo of the Dooku ship’s observation deck and put it in the holoprojector. Padme clicked “play” ahead of him, probably guessing that he might change his mind. 

When he was alone, he watched the portion before he fought with Dooku. Palpatine and Dooku talked about how this fake abduction was so successful, and how stupid both Republic and Separatists leaders were. How their 10-years efforts paid off handsomely.

He could not bear to watch the recording again. He closed off his eyes and held Padme’s hand as his source of warmth. His source of strength. 

Her hand grew colder. In the Force, he could feel Padme’s confusion, shock, anger, and betrayal. 

He allowed the holo to go on, all the way to the part where he was ready to kill Dooku. With a move of his finger, he turned it off. 

The room fell into silence. Padme stared at the holoprojector with a pale face. Her body was stern. Her breath was uneven. 

“Too violent to watch.” He broke the silence. “I would not ask for your forgiveness. I do not deserve it.” 

“You did not know, right?” She covered her mouth with a hand, and fought back her tears. She did not take away the other hand from his hand. 

“Didn’t know what?” He was confused. She could not mean that he did not know Palpatine was a Sith. 

“That the two were plotting together. That the war was engineered,” she said with great pain. 

“I did not know. I thought Dooku was a traitor, and I was fighting to save the Republic,” he answered truthfully. 

“ Then we can talk about you .” Her brown eyes registered with determination. 

“You can be afraid of me, or hate me. I do not deserve you.” He laughed with a real sense of relief that he did not experience for years. He was going to lose Padme, but he didn't care about it anymore.

“Snap out of it. Anakin,” she demanded. “You call him Master?” 

“Yes, he was my Sith Master. I am his Apprentice,” he answered matter-of-factly. 

“He was a master of deception and an abusive father! A criminal, and a slaver!” She looked like she was going to breathe fire.

“He did not hold slaves. Padme, you are wrong.” Vader felt confused. 

“Anakin, wake up! The way he used you as a weapon. A tool. He permitted Dooku to kill you,” She screamed, then lowered her voice, and held his hand with both of her hands. “Are you free to walk away from him?”

“It is complicated.” He shook his head. He stood up and paced in the room. 

“So, the answer was no.” She slowed down and said thoughtfully, “I followed your Children of Force Movement. By your standard, Palpatine was the worst type of slaver. You need to wake up to the truth.” 

“Yes, the truth. Why are you not afraid of me? I am a Sith!” Vader abruptly paused the pacing and turned to face her. “I have been lying to you. You do not even know who I am!” 

“I know who you are. You are Anakin Skywalker. I've known you since you were 9.” She closed the distance between them, tears falling down her cheeks freely. “What I did not know about was your secret career and power.  How old were you when you started it?"

"I was almost 11."

"Too young!" She vehemently shook her head. "I believe you committed yourself to a cult without knowing the whole package. Just like you and your friends said about the Jedi children, but much worse.”

He was about to say that 11 was old enough to make an informed decision. However, if it was the case, he would not have the self-tormenting issue at this moment.

"Maybe you are right.” He gazed out of the window. 

 “Help me take him down!” she pleaded. “You know what he will do to the Galaxy. Just think about what he has done. This is not about democracy any more. It is about existence, life and death.” 

“But how ? I am just one person. He has a secret weapon. He has a way to control the minds of all the clones, using a biochip. Every one of them can become a murdering machine if he gives the word. Clones have no free will when the chip is triggered.” He strode to her and held her shoulders. “He could kill anyone who opposes him. I want you to be safe.”

“How about asking the Jedi to help?” she suggested cautiously. 

“They will kill me first. Then my Master will kill all of them by activating that killer chip.” He snorted, “And I do not trust them at all.”

“They do not trust you either.” She sounded defeated but bounced back immediately. “How about contacting Palis?”

“There is no time,” Vader said with resignation. “She will not be able to arrive before sunset. We should accept our fate. It is too late.” He could feel her hope fading in the Force.

“How about Obi-Wan? He is a friend.” Padme’s eyes filled with new sparks. "After Felucia, he promised that if you have any Force-related problems, you could come to him."

"Force-related problems..." He repeated sarcastically. "Being a Sith is not a problem. I am the Jedi's hereditary enemy."

"We can talk to him together. He will understand," Padme tried to reassure him. "Let us give it a try."

"Obi-Wan will be the one who hates me the most. I tricked him into believing that I have no training in the Force." He smiled bitterly. If he could be honest to himself, he would admit that he didn't want to see Obi-Wan's wounded look as well.

"Ani, please! Don't lose hope." She gave his hands a hard squeeze. "We are together in this. I am not going anywhere."

Vader felt something inside him break. He was always marveled by Padme's compassion and tenacity. However, he never fully appreciated her ability to see the best in people. He himself was such a terrible person, yet she still had so much faith in him.

"Okay, I will talk to Obi-Wan and work out a plan with him," Vader relented. "But you must go to your democracy meeting and meet my father."

"I must go with you," she demanded.

"It will be too late to cancel the meeting. It will cause suspicion." He pressed her head to his chest. "I will talk to Obi-Wan nicely, I promise you."

He and the Jedi would talk. A great deal of convincing and negotiation was waiting for him. 

 ***4***

Obi-Wan received an unusual security holo call from Padme. She told him to go to the works on Coruscant, and sent him an address. She insisted that Anakin had an extremely urgent issue to inform him. It was about the clone army. He was asked to arrive as soon as possible, and he must get rid of all the operatives who may be following and monitoring him before he went to the meeting place. 

To his surprise, there was really a person following him. He went to Dex’s diner, and then the lower level, after a few turns, he lost the follower. He borrowed a speeder and drove it to the works at full speed.

The works was in an abandoned industrial district. Soon he arrived at an old building, which should have been abandoned for years. Anakin was waiting for him at the entrance. He wore military-style black clothes.  

“Master Kenobi, welcome.” He bowed to him. He acted differently from the person in the morning who seemed like he was on the verge of madness. He still had the anxious energy, but it was mostly under control now. 

“Admiral Skywalker, your political agenda has been accomplished. I hope one day you could understand that it is the wrong cause.” He found his irritation leaking into his voice.

“I doubt it,” Anakin said over his shoulder as he led the way inside. “I have more important matters to discuss with you.”

Obi-wan was shocked to see the advanced medical facility housed in the decaying building. A wide holo display screen took up most of the wall. In the center of the room was an operating table and surgical suite. He had to admit that the equipment here probably was as advanced as or even more advanced than the Jedi Temple’s healing wing. 

“Who is the owner of this place?” He walked toward the display screen. 

“Me.” 

“Who is the doctor that performs surgery here?” he asked both out of curiosity and confusion.

“Me as well.” 

“What? I did not know you were a surgeon,” Obi-Wan said with disbelief. 

“You will soon find me full of surprise.” The young man laughed. 

"Hi Obi-Wan!" It was Palis' voice. He just realized that Anakin's commlink was placed on the desk. Palis was calling in.

"Hi Red. Good to see you here," he smiled at his friend.

"I am a couple of hours away from Coruscant. Anakin called me. He may have some really shocking revelation. No matter what it is, please let him finish it." She gave Anakin an encouraging look.

The display screen was turned on by itself. He did not see Anakin touch any button or made any motion at all. 

“I found biochips in the clones' brains. Every single one of them. I cracked the codes inside the chip. Now you read it yourself.” Anakin made a gesture of invitation and stood behind him. 

Obi-Wan started to read. The codes were not long. There were some parameters that he did not understand. When he was reading the section near the end of the codes, he froze.

Order 66. Kill ALL the Jedi, no exception. 

He inhaled sharply. This was an order of genocide. 

“Tup’s accident is not an accident. The Kaminoan senator told me when she was drunk. It was a chip malfunction,” Anakin explained with an impatient voice. “The killer mode could be activated only by one person’s voice.”

“Who was that person?” Obi-Wan asked with despair. 

“Darth Sidious,” Anakin spoke with a cold voice with fear. Or maybe reverence. 

“How do you know?” He was in full alarm mode now.

“Because I am his Apprentice.” 

“Anakin. You… This could not be true! I verified that you did not have training in the ways of the Force.” He turned around to face the young man. He saw a pair of yellow eyes.

Like an instinct, Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, and held it in a defensive stance. With a hissing sound, Anakin’s own red lightsaber burst into life. At the same time, a ball of lightning formed in the young man's left-hand palm.

None of Dooku’s trainees mastered the skill of creating lightning. It seemed like only a true Sith could master this powerful technique. Then what Anakin said must be true. Obi-Wan felt like a fool. It was harder to find a bigger fool in this galaxy than him. There were so many signs and irregularities. Palis had noticed and kept on reminding him. 

Shame, bitterness, anger, and hate all stirred up in his body at the same time.  

"Red, you are not surprised?" Obi-Wan called to Palis without looking at her.

"No, not really. We had a holo call last night. I hinted that I know. He didn't deny it. Obi-Wan, turn off your lightsaber. I don't think he wants to fight you."

"I doubt it." He locked eyes with the Sith Apprentice, speaking with defiance. "Go ahead to kill me. You presented this scheme to me, to show off that the Sith have the upper hand. You and your Master will destroy the Jedi. Your radical movement was simply a ruse to destroy our reputation, and justify your genocide. Before I die, tell me what your Sith name is, and who your Master is.” 

“Vader. I have no intention to kill you or fight you. I really don't. I will tell you Sidious's name after we have a deal,” Vader said with determination. 

Obi-wan sensed no deception, but Anakin had proved that he was a brilliant deceiver.  “A recruitment speech. I will never turn to the Dark Side, Darth,” Obi-wan proclaimed with disdain. 

“No, no. Master Kenobi. You are wrong. I have no such interests. I want to work with you. To take Sidious down.” 

“Then you can take the title of the Sith Master? To replace him.  I will never join your cause,” he spat.

“I do not want to replace him!” The Sith showed a flare of rage in the Force. “I want to be free from him. And I have many questions to ask him.” His voice became lower. 

Obi-wan felt a sense of despair. Why did the Sith feel despair? He was ready to crush the Jedi once and for all.  

“I want to protect Padme.” 

“Padme... What have you done to her, Darth?” He felt alarmed. Sith used people, they were not able to love anyone. They only had possessiveness. 

"You two, stop it!" Palis shouted from the commlink. "Turn off your weapons, both of you. Save your argument for another day, otherwise, after the sunset of today, Jedi Order may not exist anymore."

Obi-Wan obeyed. The Sith followed the suit.

"You do not want me to lead an army to slaughter the Jedi Temple, right?”

“I, of course, do not.” 

“Neither do I, so listen to me. You need to stop Sidious together with me. Padme said you will.” His voice showed despair, “There is no time to waste.”

They locked eyes with each other. This made no sense at all. Obi-Wan didn't know what to say.

“Obi-wan, I know this sounds crazy. But Anakin is the prophesized Chosen One. He may be our only hope!” His friend spoke with urgency. "I believe in him. Please work with him."

"Very well. A deal. Last time a Sith suggested a deal with me was on Geonosis. Palis and I were held in ray shield cells. May I have a seat this time?"

"You may," the Apprentice said with a blank face. "I am not Dooku. I killed him."

So, what Palpatine had told the media was a lie. He was more than aware of his son's secrets. 

"Now tell me. Who is your Master?" Obi-Wan demanded.

"The Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, Sheev Palpatine."

Chapter Text

*** 1 ***

“Now you have seen the whole truth. Palpatine and Dooku orchestrated this war from the beginning,” Vader said and shattered the data card he obtained from Dooku's ship with a touch of the Force.

“No! You should not destroy it. You need to show it to the Jedi Council!” Palis exclaimed. 

Obi-Wan had the same feeling, but he waited for Vader to explain.  

“This video incriminates Palpatine as a traitor, but it will throw the whole galaxy into total chaos. Both sides of the war would feel betrayed by their own leader. All will blame the other side, then there will be no peace ever. Truly, peace is a lie. I refuse to show it to another living soul,” Vader spoke with a tired voice, but he smiled. “Padme agreed with me on this.”

Obi-Wan winced at the phrase “Peace is a lie,” but he found himself agreeing with Vader’s judgment. There would never be peace anymore. Sidious needed to be brought down, but not with the whole galaxy together.

“You already made being a Sith legal. What is the Jedi supposed to arrest him for?” Obi-Wan asked sarcastically. 

“I will make sure he says self-incriminating things in his office when I meet him at sunset. Padme and I prepared a few questions to trap him. We need him to admit he was working with Dooku recently , so he can be arrested. But not boast about engineering a war." Vader spoke carefully, "He is meeting Padme and Bail Organa now, they will tell him that they support him staying in office until the Separatists’ remnants are all gone. My father would think he has already won. He will let his guard down.”

“You still call him your father?” Palis was surprised. 

“Yes. I never had a father in my life. I admired and loved him,” the young man said ruefully. “I do not want him to die. This is why I am asking the Jedi not to kill him. He needs to be arrested and stand trial. I know he will not surrender without a fight.”

“What if he tried to murder you or other people in the process?” Obi-wan raised an eyebrow.

“Then he already would have made his decision,” Vader said sadly. “If he wants to kill me, I am okay with that. I do not care about what will happen to me-”

“Anakin. Don’t say that!” Palis interrupted. “You are disillusioned and confused by what happened recently, but that is not the end of it! You still have a good life ahead of you. ”   

“Really?” Vader scoffed. “I hope you are right.” 

Obi-wan cleared his throat. “Admiral Skywalker, I have to make it clear. I still do not trust you. How could I believe that this is not another deceptive tactic to frame the Jedi for an attempt on the Chancellor’s life, and brand it as treason?”

“Likewise, I do not trust you either. How could I believe the Jedi will not try to murder both of us because we are too dangerous to keep alive?” Vader’s eyes were icy. “How about I propose a way to hold each other accountable?”

Obi-wan nodded curtly, waiting for him to continue. 

“There is a ritual. The two sides take an oath to each other. If one side breaks the oath, they will face a painful death. Each of us must swear on a person we care about deeply. That person will face the same fate as well. ” Vader commanded authority with a dark voice. “Of course, it is a Dark Side ritual. The oath will expire after the promise is fulfilled.”       

“The Jedi have no attachment. I doubt it will work for me.” 

“Obi-wan, I know you care about me a great deal. You cannot deny it,” Palis said with anxiety.

“I will swear on Padme’s life. She consented. We are expecting a baby. Thus, I swear on three lives including mine. Is that fair enough for you?” Anakin said with sorrow, but conviction as well.  

Expecting a baby. The young Sith was going to have offspring. As a Jedi, Obi-Wan could not really reconcile the idea of being a Sith and being a father. To use Sith lightning, the Force wielder must have a very high number of midichlorians, a level that was near Yoda. He found he did not know what to think of this child. It would be a dangerous child, but it didn't feel right to think of an infant as dangerous. Anyway, it was a thought for another time. If he did not survive this confrontation with Sidious, it would not be his concern. 

“Oh stars, congratulations! You have another reason to live!” Palis said excitedly. Obi-wan was marveled at her ability to see the positive aspect again. 

“Very well,” Obi-Wan agreed. 

Vader extended his left hand, and Obi-Wan took it. The hand was cold. 

“I, Darth Vader, the Lord of the Sith, pledge to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi that I did not and will not deceive or mislead him on issues related to Palpatine and the Sith. If Kenobi and I have to fight Chancellor Palpatine, Darth Sidious, we intend to arrest him and keep him alive.” Vader spoke with a ghostly voice. Dark energy surged, surrounded, and twisted around them. It turned to bright flames circling them making the ground around them look like lava. “I swear on the life of myself, my fiance Padme Amidala, and our unborn child.” 

“I, Obi-wan Kenobi, swear on my own life and my former Apprentice Palis Athia that I will keep the promise of keeping Sidious alive to stand trial.” He pronounced each word painfully and felt both freezing and burning sensations inside his skin. 

“The party that breaks the Oath will face a painful death.” Vader gestured to the flames and lava surrounding them. 

“It is the deal.” He seconded it. Then the illusions disappeared. To his surprise, he did not feel anything strange. 

Vader pulled the sleeve of his left arm back. A Jedi symbol was on a spot below his wrist. He looked at his own wrist, to his dismay, a Sith symbol was here.

“All will disappear after the promise is fulfilled.” Vader said urgently, “There is no time, I will leave this place first. Then you leave after I am gone. We absolutely cannot be seen showing up together.” 

He took a breath. “I let him talk first, to incriminate himself. Only when the fight starts, you come in. Windu and the others have to come later. Bringing in more Jedi at the same time would only lead to your disadvantage. He excels in fighting multiple opponents at the same time. You just need to assist me, like what we did when we were against Ventress.”

“Like the old times. It was like a lifetime ago.” Obi-Wan sighed. 

“Indeed.” The young Sith smiled bitterly. 

“Padme and I will do our part. I’d better get going. May the Force be with us all,” Palis said and disconnected the call. 

*** 2 ***

Vader’s thoughts wandered as he made his way back to the Senate District.

It was the first time he felt relieved since he joined the Sith. His religious philosophy was finally legal under the law of the Republic. He had told Padme the secrets, she did not reject him, at least not yet. But she would once things settled down, he was sure of it.

He did not know how he should feel about Sidious, his master, and his adopted father. He hated his lies, deception, and other horrible deeds, but Vader did not want to hate him . However, he could never forgive Sidious for the things he did either. 

Vader doubted he could ever forgive anybody or anything. Forgiveness was not the nature of the Sith. It meant he could not forgive himself for the wrong things he had done. 

He thought if Sidious was really behind Shmi’s abduction, Vader’s whole life was built on a lie. He indeed was in the hand of another slaveholder, who played his life for more than a decade. His freedom was an illusion. 

“The Force shall free me.” It was the promise from the ancient Sith Lords. Another empty promise.

Maybe death could free him. Maybe he should never have lived.

He looked around, and watched the familiar scenes and buildings, trying his best to carve them into his memories: the military compound, Starfighter hangar, the Jedi Temple (which he disliked), and the Senate building.

He recalled friendships that he had made in the secretive years. He did not have many friends to begin with. After knowing the truth, how many of them would still consider him a friend? Rackeli would think he had used her. The Naval officers and clone troopers would think he was part of Sidious' treason. Everyone would hate him. He hoped they could forget him, and move on. 

This probably was a one-way trip. He was confident that he could get the evidence that could incriminate Palpatine, but he did not think he would be able to defeat Sidious. He would give it a serious try. If he failed, the Jedi would finish what he had started. Obi-Wan would drain out Sidious’ energy, and Jedi’s swordmaster Mace Windu would arrive to finish the task. If Windu killed Sidious, it had nothing to do with the Oath.  

Another thought hit him. If he was dead, who would protect Padme and the child from harm? He certainly did not trust the Jedi could do any good to them. 

He forced himself to stop all these thoughts as he came into the Senate building. He found tears started to form. He managed to stop it, otherwise, people would see it.  

He did not take the turbolift but used the stairs instead. He called the Force to him, to help him concentrate. 

He could see the entrance of the Chancellor's office now. He took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. He knew Sidious would be the only person in the office.  

Behind him, the Coruscant sun was sinking.

*** 3 ***

“Master, I have arrived.” Vader bowed to Sidious, the same way he usually did. 

“You arrived early, my Apprentice.” Sidious looked at him with a triumphant smile from his massive office desk. 

“I want to ask you a few questions.” Using the Force, Vader checked that the recording device was working. “Too many things have happened recently.” 

“Yes, we still have time. Go ahead.” He could sense his Master trying to probe information from his mind. He wouldn’t get through. Vader’s mental shielding skills had become very strong after these years hiding in plain sight while working along with Jedi Council members. 

“You arranged the abduction, so you could meet with Dooku? You two were working together, and had a deal to rule the galaxy together? ”

“Yes. I arranged it. We had some agreement about how the Galaxy should be run.  Dooku was weak. His own failure decided his fate. You earned your place as my worthy Apprentice. You will rule the galaxy together with me, as my heir." Sidious screened Vader’s face with a newer level of intensity. 

“Yes, my Master. I am your heir. Do you know that Sate Prestige participated in my mother's abduction? Were you a part of this plot?" He spoke with disobedience and anger.

"Interesting. You know a lot, son. " A brief moment of menace flashed on the older man's face. "You knew that Plagueis wanted to kill you. He sent agents to kill you and your mother. I protected you. Yes, I separated you two, because you must fulfill your destiny.”

"What destiny requires my mother being left to rot in slavery?" Vader demanded with pain and anger.

“It is necessary. You do not know anything about your biological father. Because you had no father. You were not born as a human. You were a Sith creation.” His Master said passionately, “Plagueis the Wise was powerful enough to create life. You are the results of his experiment.”

This was astonishing news. Vader inhaled sharply with eyes widened.

“Find it hard to believe? Why is your midi-chlorian count off the chart? Why are you unnaturally talented in manipulating midichlorians? Why were you able to save Padme from certain death?” His master was smiling. “You are meant to be a Sith, ruling the Galaxy together with me. You must embrace your destiny.” 

“Yes, Master,” he answered automatically. If he was created by the Sith, what else could he do other than being a Sith?

“You saw the hostility and menace the Jedi showed toward us at the ceremony. They were ready to have a coup. Search your feelings, you know it is true.”

“Yes. It was true.” Ironically, Vader was a part of the coup. There was no turning back now. He had a binding Oath with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Also, he had pledged his life to Sith’s teaching. The only way out was his death. If his origin story was true, it literally meant his life belonged to the Sith Order. There was only one way to fulfill both pledges. 

“The Jedi had suspected us. They were ready to attack,” Sidious said with his Sith voice. “Lord Vader, I charge you with the task of crushing the Jedi planned coup.”

“How is it possible that I can take down all the Jedi by myself?” He got a little bit nervous. This was the last incriminating evidence that he was collecting. 

“The clone troopers will answer your command and take on the Jedi.” 

“The clones are loyal to their Jedi generals,” he said innocently. All his practice of fooling the Jedi Masters indeed had trained him to be an okay actor. 

“I will issue Order 66. All the clones were biologically engineered to obey my order. No Jedi will be left out." Sidious laughed aloud.  "I am doing it now. I had sensed that some Jedi had followed you into the building.” 

He took out his commlink and spoke. “Commander Cody. Execute Order 66.”

Vader’s heart was pounding. If Cody answered, the whole mission had failed. 

“Commander Cody, do you copy?” Sidious said impatiently. 

No response. 

“All the communication frequencies have been jammed, Master.” Vader tried to speak with confidence, but he did not do it very well. 

“What did you just say?” 

“The commlink was jammed, Master. Working together with Dooku was treason. I knew about the biochip in the clones’ heads. They will murder Jedi and your political dissenters without hesitation. You put Padme’s life in danger. I have to stop you.” Vader looked into Sidious’ eyes directly. 

“My treacherous Apprentice. Do you dare to say it again? Your judgment is clouded by your bitterness about your mother. I will give you one more chance. You will do my bidding .”

Voices in his head were telling him to say Yes. It was his last chance to do the right thing. 

He also saw Padme. Two small children hugged her legs, they looked terrified. She shook her head sadly. 

“No.” Vader broke out from Sidious’ influence. “No. I will not do it. Master, you surrender. I do not want to fight you.”

“Then you are already dead.” 

Sidious shot a bolt of lightning at him. 

Vader blocked the strike with his lightsaber. After Sidious figured out lightning would not work, he ignited his own blade. 

The Sith Lords exchanged a few aggressive blows. Fighting Sidious felt completely different from fighting Dooku. Dooku was arrogant and aggressive, which was befitting his Sith name. 

When facing Sidious, despair sneaked into his mind, whispering and distracting him. The Chancellor’s office was in a Force storm, with dead ancient Siths’ voices screaming to him, condemning him to death. 

Beyond the realm of the physical world, the two Sith fought in the Force. Sidious tried to hit him with Force energy. Vader shielded himself and deflected back to Sidious. 

“Impressive, my treacherous Apprentice. But don’t forget that we have a Master and Apprentice Bond between us,” the Sith Master hissed. He looked physically exhausted. Vader had the upper hand. “Drop your pathetic defense. Get ready to embrace your death.” 

Vader staggered as Sidious yanked his life Force like a hook through his stomach. He could no longer breathe. Gasping, he fell to his knees as Sidious stood that much straighter.  

“You refused to obey me, but your life Force will. Your youthfulness will rejuvenate me. You serve me one way or another.” Sidious laughed hysterically. “Power, unlimited power!” 

Vader became weaker with every second passing. The Force transfer was accelerating. He could barely open his eyes. His connection with the Force was cut off. He still could hear though.

“All Senators and staff. An armed criminal was found in the building. Take shelter immediately. Jedi are on their way. Repeat. An armed--” He heard Palis’ voice shouting in the building, moving closer to the Chancellor’s office.

“Sidious, Leave him,“ Obi-wan said, suddenly standing above Vader. The Jedi Master launched an attack on the older Sith. 

Sidious’ ritual was interrupted. It was the opportunity Vader needed. With Sidious and him being connected by their Bond, Vader ignited his Life Force, the explosive energy traveled all the way to Sidious. The Force exploded in both their bodies.

He heard a loud scream, then the darkness claimed him. 

*** 4 ***

“You think he will die?” Rackeli asked Crusader quietly through the commlink. 

“It is not what I think. All the Jedi healers said so. They said he lost his will to live,” he said frustratedly. “You still do not want to come to see him? Maybe it is your last chance.”

“I do not know.” She fought to keep her tears back.

“You must come. You two are good friends,” he pleaded. 

“Let me think about it.” She waved her hand to him and turned the device off. 

Good friends. She once believed that their friendship transcended species and social status. She once believed they shared the same passion for protecting Force-sensitives children, but Anakin was for something else. 

He never told her that he is a trained Force wielder, the most powerful type. A Sith Lord. Palis’ accusation was correct. She had indeed served a Sith agenda to tear the Jedi Order apart. 

She learned the truth about Anakin from the media among all the other political chaos. The past two weeks had been like a firestorm. The state-sponsored news outlet announced that Chancellor Palpatine had collaborated with Separatists, thus committing treason. He assaulted Admiral Skywalker, who had tried to talk him into surrendering, and resisted Jedi Council member Obi-wan Kenobi’s attempt to arrest him. In the fight to save Anakin’s life, the Jedi Master Mace Windu, who arrived later, had no other choice but to kill Palpatine. 

When she first heard the story, nothing made any sense. Palpatine seemed like a defenseless, elderly man. How could he manage to resist one of the most powerful Jedi? Things started to make sense when it was revealed that Palpatine was the Sith Master Darth Sidious. 

Rackeli always thought Sidious was a myth. It was Palis who was paranoid and believed in Dooku’s lies. She could not believe it until she saw the recording of what happened in the Chancellor’s office. It was quite a deadly battle between Sidious and his Apprentice Vader. 

The First Family drama was now everywhere on social media. The Jedi Order took control of the state-sponsored media. Immediately, Palpatine was no longer the beloved Chancellor who single-handedly stopped the Republic from falling apart. According to the same media, he was a murderous traitor with a genocidal plan to kill every single Jedi. 

The sudden change of tone in the news caused a big backlash among the public. People could not believe the existence of this Jedi genocide plan.   

Under immense pressure, a few days later the Jedi announced that Palpatine installed a biochip in clones' brains to do the murder and released the code's details.

Holonet social media went wild. A good number of people in the Republic did not believe a word of what Jedi and Palpatine’s opponents had claimed. These people used to be the most loyal fans of the state-sponsored news. Now they created their own news outlet and broadcasted their own version of the truth: the Jedi Insurrection. 

They widely circulated the video “Jedi Cult'' made by Crusader, and uploaded it to the Holonet by her. They two were praised as prophets who dared to take the lead to denounce the Jedi evil. 

In their stories, Palpatine was the courageous reformer who ended the one thousand years of Jedi-run shadow government. The Jedi were terrified by the sudden loss of power, thus they instigated a violent insurrection based on a web of lies. 

The Jedi coup had won. They killed the Chancellor, and not only framed him as a traitor, but also a Sith. They would not even leave his son alone, framing Anakin as a Sith as well, so that they could strip his military rank. The Palpatine supporters, especially the senators who still supported him, vowed to bring justice to the Jedi. An eye for an eye. To her despair, the Republic itself suddenly became deeply divided. Probably it had been divided for a long time. Now everything was exposed in light, and it looked disgusting. 

Rackeli had to admit that the Jedi Insurrection story sounded very compelling for people who question the authenticity of the Chancellor's office recording. She did not like the Jedi’s way of doing their business, but she knew the Jedi did not lie. The biochip was real as well. Crusader confessed to her that he was a clone. Another astounding revelation. The first biochip sample was from his head, taken out by Anakin. 

Her two colleagues and friends both lived a double life. Rackeli, the lawyer from Outer Rim, was the only fool. Now it explained why the two of them insisted that the Freedom Act should legalize all Force religions, and ban Jedi from recruiting members who were kids. She herself did not need the reform to go this far, but the Sith needed it. 

She felt used and betrayed and utterly disguised with herself. She needed some answers. 

And Anakin was dying. 

Despite all his deception and all the hurt she felt, she didn't want bad things to happen to him. Was he a good person? Most likely not. But she did not care about it anymore. 

She knew one thing for sure- she was not a good person, at least not as good as she thought. She was terribly flawed and blindly followed her passion and self-righteousness. The “Jedi Cult” disaster was a testament to it. 

“Rackeli, you must go to see him. He does not have much time left. I know it,” Crusader called her again.

“How do you know?” she questioned. 

“He had a connection with me. Long story. It is fading,” Crusader said desperately. He was fiercely loyal. It was surprising that he did not mind his boss being a dangerous Sith Lord at all. 

According to Crusader, Anakin had been on life support for two weeks now. Even if she came to visit him, he could not hear her, nor to answer her any question. But maybe it was the last time they could meet in the world of the living. 

She would hate to visit his grave in regret. She must do something now. 

“I will go to the Jedi Temple. Hope I can get into it this time,” she relented. 

She was never allowed into the Temple beyond the entrance lobby. She hoped it would be different today.  

Chapter Text

***1***

Coruscant was more vigilant than at any time during the war. Walking past the Senate building, Rackeli saw an increased number of clone troopers on patrol, all with their helmets off and surgical scars on their temples. The entrance to the Senate building was guarded by a handful of Jedi Knights. All of these scenes made her nervous. It made the Jedi shadow government theory look more true. 

The Jedi Order would maintain order until the next election was conducted, which would be in a month. Bail Organa would run for Chancellor. Her hope was that Padme, who led the delegate of 2000, would back Organa and throw her support behind him. However, since the death of Palpatine, the Naboo senator has remained silent. 

After a long walk, Rackeli reached the entrance to the Jedi Temple. There were more Jedi guards than her previous visits. Today, none of the guards wore helmets. A few of them looked at her suspiciously. 

She glanced around nervously. How should she approach the Temple guards? Tell them that she was the architect behind the anti-Jedi law? Announce that she was there to visit Sith Lord Darth Vader in the Temple hospital? 

"Hello Rackeli. I am glad you came,” Palis Athia greeted her. 

Awkwardly, she smiled back at the former Jedi. “I hope Anakin is okay.” 

"I hope so, too." Palis returned a sad smile then she spoke to the Temple guard. “Ms. Rackeli Loo is invited by Master Kenobi.”

A guard stepped aside to allow them into the building. In silence, they made their way to the Jedi Hospital. After passing many patient units, they finally reached a zone with a sign that read "No entry without special permission." 

Palis rang the doorbell. Obi-Wan opened the door for them. Crusader emerged from behind the door. 

"I bid my goodbyes," he said, his eyes red. He hugged her and said, "I'm leaving."

She patted his back stiffly. 

Obi-Wan spoke after the silence. "It's part of life." He appeared impassive. 

She wondered what his feelings would be at this moment. The Sith Master had already died. The Sith Apprentice was dying. Wasn't that the best outcome for the Jedi Order? If Anakin survived, how would the Jedi Order react to that?

"Can I see him?" she asked. She found despair in her voice. Crusader’s mood clearly rubbed on to her.

"You may." Obi-Wan pointed to a door.  “Padme is with him. Please don’t disturb her.”

She nodded and entered the room. 

The room was an observation room. Anakin laid still on the bed. His face was pale as a ghost. His lips were almost purple. He wore a cannula mask to help him breathe. It looked like he was in a lot of pain. An IV was hooked up on one hand. Another hand was held by Padme.

The heart monitor showed that his heartbeat was weak and irregular.

"His lungs keep on weakening," a Jedi healer announced, bustling in. “He will need an artificial respirator soon, but there are no signs of wounds or illnesses."

"Give him the respirator or whatever necessary." Padme straightened herself. Though her voice was tired, it still carried the authority of a stateswoman. " We are not yet ready to give up."

From behind the observation window, Rackeli waved to Padme. The sound could not go through the window, so she gestured to Padme to indicate that she would stay outside. 

"In the Chancellor's office, what really happened? The recording didn't show everything," Rackeli asked Palis. "How did Palpatine die?"

Palis said with great pain in her voice, "It was complicated. Anakin and Palpatine share a Force connection. Palpatine drew life out of Anakin and into himself. Anakin created a Force explosion using his own life energy. A suicide attack. The attack weakened Palpatine, but was not enough to neutralize him. Obi-Wan arrived to finish the arrest. He hit Obi-Wan with lightning, but Obi-Wan disarmed him literally." 

Rackeli frowned. "So, Palpatine wasn't armed when he was killed?"

"He was armed. He was still draining Anakin's life. It is what we call a deadly assault," Palis declared matter-of-factly. "Master Windu had to kill him, otherwise Anakin would already be dead."

Rackeli wanted to say that killing a Sith to save another Sith's life was quite an unimaginable scenario. However, it would be too mean. 

"Well justified. You won't be sued for violating the Freedom Act," she smiled.

Gritting her teeth, Palis pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "Not from you. The Jedi Order and I have already been sued by Palpatine supporters for Force-based persecution."

"You can hire me to be your lawyer," Rackeli offered. "I can provide service for free."

"Really?"

"Like old times," she extended her hand, "and congratulations on your citizenship."

"Thank you." Palis shook her hand. "Deal. I guess it is your way of saying sorry about the Jedi Cult stuff."

"You can think of it this way." Rackeli smiled. It was her first real one since the bill signing ceremony. 

Again, silence fell between them.

"Anakin was a slave before he was adopted, wasn't he?" she asked Palis, while gazing through the window at Padme. "In that recording, he said Palpatine left his mother to rot in slavery."

"Then you already knew the answer. Don’t feel bad. The first friend he made on Coruscant was me. He did not tell me, either.”

Yes, she knew the answer. Nevertheless, she was pained by the confirmation. It was a life filled with so many secrets, so much weight to bear. It was hard for her to hate him. 

"He said that he wanted to be free from Palpatine before leaving for the Chancellor's office," Palis said sobringly, "but I'm not sure he was yet free from Palpatine. Both Obi-Wan and I think that Palpatine left a curse on him, and it was why he seemed to have lost his will to live.”

"Couldn't you do something about it using your Force power?” Rackeli demanded.

"We did try. All failed.” Palis looked at her with tears in her eyes. “He was like a little brother to me. Very annoying and frustrating, but I care about him. I did everything I could.” 

Obi-Wan entered the room and sat next to Padme. He held a curved lightsaber in his hand. She had seen it somewhere before. In one of Crusader’s propaganda pieces, maybe. 

Then she remembered. 

The lightsaber had belonged to Ventress. 

***2***

”He is a hero, isn't he? The Hero with No Fear in its truest form," Padme said as Obi-Wan sat down.

"No disagreement from me." Obi-Wan smiled at her, but his tone was serious. "There is one more thing that I want to try, to save him."

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes wide. 

He gestured to Anakin, saying, "I noticed that you have his Force signature inside of you. I was puzzled. Palis had told me about her vision. Anakin had transferred his Life Force to you when you were injured on Geonosis."

She asked with a shiver in her voice, "So, he saved my life with his Force powers?" Now she remembered her dream after her injury. She dreamed of a world between life and death. She was ready to cross a river to the land of the afterlife. Anakin stopped her, saving her from dying. This was not a dream. It was real.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her breath became uneven as she struggled to speak through her tears, "I hope I can do something for him. I want to return these Life Forces to him if I can."

"Life Force loss is not the real problem. He has lost his will to live. It is very likely a Dark Side curse." Obi-Wan said hopefully, "Maybe you can do something."

"Me? I'll do whatever it takes to get him back. Tell me how," Padme said determinedly.

Obi-wan explained, "I tried to enter his mind, and Palis tried as well, but his mental shielding was too strong and the shielding identified us as a threat right away. If it's you, it might be different."

She sighed, "You know I'm not Force-sensitive." 

“Do you remember Ventress’ lightsaber?" Obi-Wan showed it to her. "You insisted the lightsaber should not be given back to Anakin after the disaster on Felucia. Since then, I've kept it."

She now saw the irony behind the lightsaber. His fiance owned a Sith lightsaber, created and powered by his own hatred. After his duel with Palpatine, the Jedi Order had seized it. Her wish was different this time, as she wished Anakin would survive and argue with the Jedi to get back his weapon. She just needed him to come back.

The love she had for Anakin she never realized, until now, was so deep. It didn't matter to her that he was a Sith. 

After the revelation, her colleagues viewed her with suspicion. She held her head high, insisting that being a Sith did not define him. He should be judged by his heroic act alone. 

He was flawed, problematic, and horrible in many ways, but all she wanted was for him to wake up. She wanted a future with him and for them to grow old together. 

“Yes, I remember that lightsaber. You purified it.” She wiped her tears away. “He wasn't playing tricks to fool you. He was in a real crisis."

“I know. It's hard to believe a Sith Lord could get himself into such a situation," Obi-Wan said with a frown.

"He is just a person . He had weaknesses and illnesses as well." Padme winced at the phrase Sith Lord. The Jedi would forever see Anakin as a Sith. What would they do to him if he survived? How would they treat the child Anakin fathered? What kind of life would Anakin have afterward? Jedi philosophy believed that the Dark Side was a path with no return. 

But Anakin exposing the clone biochip had saved the Jedi from elimination, which made some Jedi rethink their beliefs. Several Jedi have visited him in the past two weeks, wishing him a speedy recovery and offering support. They constituted a minority within the Jedi Order. More Jedi believed being a Sith defined a person permanently.

The indoctrination was rampant and deep! Her inner voice screamed

In a twist of irony, she had become the most staunch supporter of the Children of Force Freedom Act. As she saw it now, the law was so necessary. Some senators had already called for the repeal of the law. Their reasoning was rather ironic. They believed the Jedi were too dangerous and thus should be sanctioned. They called for the arrest of the entire Jedi Council. The Jedi and Sith, however different they may believe they were, were both considered equally dangerous sorcerers by many.

She pulled herself back from her thoughts. "How could we proceed? I assume you have some ritual to perform." 

Obi-Wan ignited the blade. It was a startlingly pure white. “Hold it, and concentrate on it. For a short time, I can direct the Force into you. I purified the crystal when Anakin was holding it. Maybe in his subconscious, he could recognize this crystal, and remembered that I had goodwill to him. I made a promise to him that when he had troubles, I could help him. The words stayed true regardless of who he was.”

Padme carefully took the hilt and held it upward. Immediately she felt something. It must be the Force. 

She sensed a feeling of despair that she never experienced in her own life. The thoughts in her mind told her that it was Anakin’s emotions that were absorbed by the crystal. 

Mist seemed to fill the room, and blurred her vision. In a few seconds, her surroundings were all covered in bright light. She closed her eyes to avoid her eyes being hurt, but she still could see these lights. Then everything in the physical world disappeared. She found herself back in the mystic place that was in her dream when she was in her near-death state. 

It was the place between life and death. The ignited lightsaber was still in her hand. She knew what to do. 

She must find Anakin and save him. This was her only chance, and she had to act fast. 

***3***

"You know that only I care about you, son. You belong to me. Belong to the Sith," Sidious said with a sweet voice. "Your life was bonded to mine. You can't break your oath to me. We are together forever." Vader could not see Sidious, only hear his voice. 

"Yes, my Master," he answered monotonically. 

Vader didn't know how long he had been here. It was like an eternity. Dark clouds were over his head. He was on a tiny island in the center of a lava river.  He was so close to the lava. It could burn him if the river had any disturbance. 

He wore a gorgeous crown, sitting on a golden throne, but with both his hands and legs chained to it. 

"I created an empire. You were the Crown Prince, but you ruined it. Now you and I are forever here in the space between life and death, lonely ghosts in the Force. Do you understand the consequences of your actions?" 

"Yes, Master," Vader answered without thinking. It was too tiring to think. He was too exhausted to open his eyes, to even breathe.

"You will stay with me. In death, you still serve me." 

"I will-"

"Anakin! Don't talk to that voice! It’s a trap!" Padme's voice shot at him. 

He opened his eyes with a start. 

Padme was on the bank of the lava river, waving at him with one hand, the other hand holding a white lightsaber like a torch. 

"Padme, stop there! You will be burned," he shouted at her with all his strength. 

However, she already stepped into the river. Surprisingly, lava didn't hurt her. 

"Burned? What are you talking about? This was just a shallow river!" In a few seconds, she crossed the river, standing next to him. 

"My poor Anakin. I will release you. Hold on." She aimed the blade at the chain that tied his right hand.

"My dear, don't act so fast. We two need to have a little chat." Sidious materialized between the two, forcing Padme to take a few steps back.

Vader almost couldn't recognize Sidious. He was disfigured. His face was full of wrinkles, making his glowing yellow eyes more salient. His both hands were gone. There was a burned hole on his chest. 

"Let Anakin go!" She pointed the lightsaber at Sidious.

"What did you just call my apprentice? He is Darth Vader. That name had no meaning for him. Am I right, My Apprentice?"

Vader felt confused. Who was Anakin? It sounded familiar. He was Darth Vader. Vader was his true and only name.

"Yes, my master," he murmured.

"Anakin! You forgot who you are because you can't face your true self. Anakin, you are a flawed human being, but it is okay. Everyone is. I am the same." Padme stepped ahead and pointed the lightsaber at Sidious. "Sidious, leave him! You are nothing but a ghost in his mind . You are dead.”

“Oh? Do you really think so? My Apprentice thinks differently. I am his Master in eternity.” The Sith Lord laughed aloud. “My dear, you do not really know him. You liked his face and body. You do not even know his true identity, and what he had done to gain his status as the Sith Apprentice. I can tell you about his deeds one by one.”

To Vader’s horror, he found his body decaying. The smooth skin on his hands became ancient and full of scars. He could imagine how ugly his face looked.  Padme was surprised, but she did not flinch. 

“What he did is in the past. He deserves a future, a future without you ! He and I have a future,” Padme said with conviction. “His appearance could not deter me.” 

“Good, good. Then you stay here with him. You two, and your child can all stay here,” Sidious changed to a soft and silky voice.

A moment of panic flashed on Padme’s face. Vader sensed uncertainty and fear. “Padme, leave me. I deserve nothing from you. It is too late for me.” He shook his head. 

“No. I will not leave you,” she said with tears in her eyes. “If you want to stay here, I will be together with you, until you change your mind. You deserve everything because I love you.”

“No!” Sidious screamed with fear. “He deserves punishment. He does not deserve your love.”

“It is not about whether he deserves it. It is my choice. I choose to love him. Now I see your weakness.” Padme slashed the lightsaber at Sidious. “You are afraid of me and my love.” 

Her blade missed the target. It ran through Sidious’ body, but did not hurt him at all. Shock and panic registered on her face. 

Vader winced and closed his eyes. Sidious didn't have a physical body, thus he could not be hurt in this realm. It was probably the end of it. Love had no power over his Master’s ownership. 

A few seconds later, he heard a sound of metal breaking. The chains on his right hand were cut.  

A lightsaber hilt was pressed into his right hand. Sidious tried to grab Padme's shoulder to stop her, but he had no physical form to do anything to her.

“He is an illusion for me, but your fear made him real for you . Only you can destroy him.” She smiled brightly, like the same confident stateswoman in the Senate chamber when she argued with her colleagues. “It is your choice to fight him, to break the chain and set yourself free. Remember, you are a person, your name is Anakin. It means hope .”

Anakin, he now remembered the name. The name given by his mother. The name he used when Padme and he were engaged. When their child was born, they would know their father as Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader had no place in their life. 

Anakin stood up, shattering the chains with the Force. Nothing could stop him. He struck the lightsaber through Sidious' chest, then Force pushed him into the lava. Sidious screamed and screamed, and vanished in the lava. 

“I am so proud of you, love.” Padme squeezed his hand, and used another hand to cup his face. 

The lava river and dark clouds disappeared. He held Padme to his chest. 

The Force around them was full of bright light. He felt refreshed. He allowed the light to claim him.  

***4***

Anakin woke up with a start. He opened his eyes, but the light was too bright for him to see anything. A few moments later, he started to regain his vision. 

He was wearing a breathing device in his nose and was hooked up to an IV. He wanted to remove the mask, but he had no strength. His attempts to sit up were also unsuccessful. 

“Ani! You finally woke up. It has been so long!” Padme ran into the room, shouting excitedly. She was in her pajamas. 

“I had a dream. You were there. We met in the afterlife. You saved me," he said confusedly. “What happened?”

“It is not a dream. You were trapped in your own mental hell. Obi-Wan helped me enter your mind to help you. You freed yourself from Sidious’ curse,” she said with a big smile on her face.

He blinked. It sounded familiar. He spent a few moments recollecting his memory. Yes, it was real. He looked at his hands. His skin was back to normal.

“You are right.” He smiled shyly. “And I love you.”

“It took you almost two days to wake up, but your heart and lung function improved, so I knew you would be okay.” 

“Thanks for having faith in me.” He tried to reach her face, but could not lift up his arm. “You looked so tired. Are you alright? Is the baby alright?” 

“We are good. You don’t push yourself too hard. You need a lot of rest.” She kissed his forehead. “I want to thank you. You almost lost your life to save me when I was injured by Geonosis. I am grateful.”

“You know?” He was surprised.

“I know.” She looked into his eyes and said softly, “The Jedi healer said you lost a lot of Life Force. It may take you a year or so to have a full recovery. But they believe you will recover well.”

“Jedi healer?” This sounded alarm for him. “Where are we now?”

“Jedi Temple, Hall of Healing.” Obi-Wan walked into the room. “Good morning, my friend. Welcome back to the world of the living.” 

“Jedi Temple. Do you plan to imprison me for the rest of my life?” Anakin said with a sharp voice. 

“Ani, don’t be dramatic. You know it is illegal.” Padme helped him to sit up on the bed, which he appreciated deeply. He needed every bit of dignity in front of the Jedi. 

“If we do anything like that, the legion 501 will storm the Temple to liberate you. The clones now call you the Emancipator,” Obi-Wan said dramatically. “The Jedi Order is traumatized by Order 66. We do not want any clones in the building. We will release you when you can walk on your own feet.” 

“Wise decision.” Anakin said thoughtfully, “Speaking of the clones. I was created by the Sith to be a weapon. We are the same. Our destinies are intertwined.”  

“Maybe it is the Will of the Force,” Obi-Wan mused, stroking his beard. 

“I think it is because his obsession is used for a good cause this time.” Palis came into the room. “And I do not believe he was created by the Sith.” 

“Red, thank you for your trust,” Anakin said awkwardly. “I worked against you in every possible way. I am sorry. I want to make it up to you.”

“It is easy. When you recover, we have a hand-to-hand combat, which you promised me a few years ago when we were debating about Jedi free will. No sorcerer power could be used, as you asked.” She added sheepishly, “And I want to play with Imperius. Can I visit her?”

“Yes to both. And how about having a big meal?”

"Anakin, you could not eat any solid food for a while, the healers said so,” Obi-Wan commented casually.

“It is the worst disaster in my life.” He rolled his eyes. “How is my cat?"   

“Well fed and well petted. She is spoiled rotten by my handmaidens as usual.” Padme stroked his hair longingly. “And she was a lot happier after you broke the curse. She was very miserable when you were unconscious.” 

"Let us give them some privacy." Palis dragged Obi-Wan out of the room.

“Any bad news?” he asked cautiously. 

“The Republic is in chaos. The power vacuum after Palpatine’s death is disastrous. His legacy lives on. I want to help Bail with his bid for chancellor, but I am one of the most controversial people in the Senate now. I may retire from politics. I guess this is good news,” she said ruefully. 

“Sorry. It's all my fault.”

“Not at all. That dictator is gone. I have delivered my promise. I will let other people fight the future battles.” She pretended that she did not care, but Anakin could feel her sadness. "I have other battles to fight elsewhere." 

“Any bad news about me ?” he looked away. 

“How about the good news first?” She tried to cheer him up. “You're still an Admiral. The Jedi oversees the High Command. Despite your religious difference, they decide that they will not intervene with the Navy’s power structure. The Freedom Act definitely is working”. 

Anakin felt relieved. He had worked so hard in the military, and he had earned his position by merits. However, even if he lost his rank, he would not be too upset because he had so many other things to worry about.

”Bad news?"

“Some Senators called for a hearing to ask you questions. The Jedi Council had questions for you as well,” she said quietly. 

“Ask questions... It is where the inquisition starts.” He said angrily, “Messing up with me is not wise. I will prevail.”

"Welcome back, Anakin.” Padme kissed his forehead again. 

Chapter Text

***1***

In the situation room next to the council chamber, a few Jedi Council members and Jedi healer Vokara Che gathered around a conference table. All their eyes were on Anakin. 

It was the first time Anakin was meeting with members of the Jedi Council aside from Obi-Wan since coming out as a Sith. Padme, Obi-wan, and Palis sat next to him in a show of support. Rackeli called in using the Holonet to be his legal representative. He and Rackeli were still not on speaking terms yet, but she offered to watch over potential civil rights violations against him. 

To appear more in control, he wore his Navy uniform. To his dismay, the Jedi still had power over him, because they had the control of the military. He is still part of High Command but could be removed at any moment. It was just a matter of time until it happened.  Padme, however, thought his thinking was too pessimistic. She believed that, since he was the person who found out the biochips and prevented Order 66, he was extremely popular among the clones. He has already been backed by the clone commanders.

Padme's words made sense to him, but his feelings suggested otherwise. Being a Sith was the only reason the Jedi needed to remove him. 

Palpatine's allies hated Anakin fiercely. Yet some people felt he was a confused child who had been mind-controlled by the Jedi, so they attempted to rescue him from his jail (hospital). 

“Sidious is dead. You are the Sith Master now, Vader." Windu looked at Anakin with wariness. "What is your plan for the Order of Sith?"

“I’d much prefer you call me Anakin or Skywalker.” He inserted some authority into his voice. “I have no intention of taking an Apprentice or continuing the legacy of Sidious. I ended the Sith Order."

He paused here. Jedi Masters conversed quietly among themselves. 

"I still have the right to use the Force however I want," he said. 

Obi-Wan touched his forehead with a hand. Other Jedi all shook their heads.  

“More Dark Side of the Force? But not calling it Sith, correct?” Yoda frowned. 

“Dark Side, Light Side. How do they differ? It is a Jedi's classification. To understand the Force, one must diligently investigate all aspects," Anakin said firmly.

Several Jedi Masters widened their eyes and wore a look of grave disapproval. What he said was common sense, but the Jedi completely disagreed. 

"Dark Side and Light Side are polar opposites. Light enlightens. The Dark is for greed,” Windu explained, a hint of irritation in his voice. 

“Greed? Why not call it passion? A strong emotion that the Jedi dislike," Anakin said in frustration. 

“Anakin, I think Master Windu and Yoda simply want to know whether you will do something dangerous with the Force. Balance has now been restored to the Force,” Obi-wan stepped into the conversation. "We don't want it to turn Dark again."

Anakin wanted to argue that, because he was a Sith, everything he did was by definition dangerous. But he learned not to allow his passion to create new conflicts. 

“He is the Chosen One. Believe me. He balanced the Force,” Palis chimed in. 

Anakin managed to hold back his urge to squint. Several Jedi had gossiped that he was the Jedi's Chosen One who would destroy the Sith and balance the Force. But how could he be their Chosen One if he wanted nothing to do with the Order? His personal belief was polarly different from theirs. 

“My priority is to regain my health. My practice of Force caused too many health problems. I am not going to do anything drastic to disturb the balance. No experiment, no Force ritual, except in emergency situations. I am going to see doctors, take medicine, and have a better work-life balance. Is this good enough for you?” He said dramatically with a devious smile. 

“Ani, please don’t work yourself up.” Padme squeezed his hand and whispered to him, “They are friendly, believe me.”

“Good health, we wish you have,” Yoda said thoughtfully. “Chief Healer Master Che, can young Skywalker be discharged from the Hall of Healing?”

“I believe so. Though his Life Force is still low, it will take time to recover. For now, my duty is fulfilled,” Che said with a warm smile. “Take care, Admiral Skywalker. I wish the Light would find you.”

“Thank you, Master Che,” He responded respectfully. He’d been in the Jedi hospital in the two weeks since he’d woken up. He was still tormented by both his low Life Force problem, and mood issue. Illnesses had become a part of his life which he had to be patient with. 

“Thanks to the stars. I will talk to ‘Admiral Skywalker Defense Squad’ and ask them to go home. They believed the Jedi imprisoned Palpatine’s son. They have been protesting outside the Temple for more than a month.” Obi-wan stood up, speaking with relief. 

All the Jedi Masters stood up, and walked out of the conference one by one, leaving Anakin, Padme, and Palis alone.

“No legal issues have come up. The Jedi ars observing the Freedom Act. Don’t forget to ask for your lightsaber back if you wish. I am hanging up.” Rackeli ended the Holocall. 

Anakin wanted to apologize to Rackeli, but he didn't have the chance. She was avoiding him, and he did not have the courage to seek her out either. 

“I said the Jedi would not give you a hard time. Some of them truly believe you are the Chosen One who balanced the Force. They just did not want to admit it openly,” Palis spoke enthusiastically. 

“He maybe is." Padme yawned. "Change topic. We need to prepare for Palpatine's trial. It will be in a week. I am really tired. Anakin, time to go.” 

“It is a political circus to try a Chancellor who is dead.” Anakin dropped himself down to a chair. “They wanted to give me a real hard time and make sure that I will not rise to power.”

“I am not letting anyone hurt you, love.” Padme grabbed his arm. “Let us go home. I know you miss the Princess Cat.”

***2***

As a member of the Jedi High Council, Obi-Wan needed to think about the Jedi Order’s future. He was deeply disturbed by what he witnessed in the past month. 

The Republic citizens no longer knew what to believe. Many people were horrified by the fact that the highest office of the Galactic Republic was occupied by a traitor, a Sith Lord. What was more unsettling was that the Jedi allowed themselves to follow the Sith’s lead. 

Many people whispered among themselves about their guesses and theories. There were so many different conspiracy theories, all painted the Jedi in a negative light. 

He volunteered to be the Order’s spokesperson. He was tracking down all the rumors and searching for the right opportunities to reiterate the truth. He was outraged and confused and spent much of his time meditating. 

Shouldn’t the story be about how the Jedi Order, despite their shortcomings, once again triumphed over evil and the Dark Side? Instead, the Jedi were either collaborators of the Sith, or the enemy of the greatest Chancellor, or even the new dictator in these stories.

Yoda was not on board with the idea of having a public relation campaign. According to him, there was no need to explain anything for reputation’s sake. It was an attachment.

Deep down Obi-Wan knew that the public’s trust had been shattered. The Jedi Order had been worshipped and regarded as the embodiment of enlightenment and justice. Yet, the Order failed them, or at least the public believed so. 

The reputation of the Jedi Order was stained by the failures of the last three years of the  Clone Wars, not to mention Palpatine’s propaganda. The Jedi were seen as incapable, arrogant, and power-thirsty. Besides, the misguided activists of the “Children of the Force'' relentlessly accused the Jedi Order of an institution of oppression. It shattered many people’s sincere belief that Jedi were about compassion. 

Obi-Wan was trained to fight the Dark Side. He slew a Sith apprentice. He was educated about the epic battles between Light and Dark throughout history. Yet, despite being praised as the “Negotiator,” Obi-Wan found himself snared in the battle of words against this petty malice.  

He invited Padme to the Jedi Temple’s Dining Hall to seek her counsel. When Anakin was injured, Padme found herself loving Jedi’s food. 

“You must ignore them.” Padme sat at the other side of the table. She invited him to her apartment for dinner.  “You know I get these attacks all the time. Some were ridiculous, but believed by many, even on Naboo. You have to accept that not all people are willing to know the truth. Instead, you need to focus on rebuilding the Jedi Order.” 

“It is challenging. Palpatine made sure even if his plan failed, the Jedi would not find an easy way to get back to normal. The new Chancellor is not elected yet. The Jedi Order is moderating the whole Senate’s daily activities. It does make us look like we are holding all the strings. The conspiracy theorists have won,” he said with a frown. “Palpatine left an ugly wound in the system that may never heal. Many knights became disillusioned by our role in the war, and left.” 

“The Children of Force Freedom Act did not make your life easier,” Padme said sympathetically, "but you know I like it now."

He wanted to tell her that the law got a new name in the Jedi Order, “ Vader’s Revenge, ” but it would ruin the conversation. 

“It did not. Some Jedi Master even suggested that we ignore the law completely, since it was promoted by the Sith. But Jedi’s allegiance is to the Republic, we shall obey laws passed by the democratic body,” he said ruefully. 

“This law has its merits. Now I see it,” Padme said confidently. “Some sections are unfair for the Jedi, but it can be amended.” 

“Bail said when the Senate goes back to normal, he would push an amendment to encourage parents to contact the Jedi Order when they saw the blood test results.Do you see the difference? Jedi cannot contact the parents when the kids are young, but the parents can contact us.” He gave a thin smile. “If they want to give the children to us, we can take them in. Even with this change, our recruitment still will plummet. We are looking for alternatives.” 

Padme looked at him curiously, so he continued. “The no attachment rule has to be relaxed. We are more like a regular school now. Parents can visit their children any time they want. ”

“How about the marriage ban?” 

“We don’t know yet,” he said honestly. 

“Don’t give up on the power of love,” she said with a laugh. “I know the Duchess of Mandalore.” 

 He cleared his throat. This topic must be changed. “What do you plan for your next step? How about your child? Sorry. Children. Palis told me. Congratulations on having two at a time.”

“Thank you.” Her expression was thoughtful. “Anakin said he would not teach them about the Force, which sounds like a wise decision for now. Palis offered to help if they show signs of Force-sensitivity.”

“Your children’s midi-chlorian count will be really high. I will talk to them when they are old enough, and encourage them to join the Jedi Order,” he chuckled.

“Anakin will not allow that to happen,” she said teasingly. 

“Who knows? Maybe he will change his mind about the Jedi,” he said half-jokingly, and half-seriously. 

The Jedi Council still had much distrust about Anakin and his offsprings. The Dark Side was tempting, maddening, and corrupting. Some Jedi were terrified by the idea that a Sith, or a reformed Sith, was at large. Obi-Wan did not want to speak about it to Padme. He was indeed worried that the young man may later use his power to do something more radical. 

It seemed like Padme read his mind. “I know what you are worrying about. I am here with him. He will have a hard time adjusting, but I am with him.”

“Padme, I know you are a strong woman.” He looked straight into Padme’s eyes. “I want to know how you really feel. Are you afraid of him?”

Padme looked away for a moment and turned back to him. “I am. And he knows. But he is more than that. It is an aspect of life that he wants to walk away from.”

"We discovered the recording of his duel with Dooku from the Invisible Hand's debris. Vader, sorry, Anakin is really powerful in the Dark-, in the way of Force. He held back when he was fighting Sidious." Obi-Wan saw Padme wince. "Many Jedi can't see him as anything but a Sith."

"Palis said his Force sensitivity is higher than Master Yoda." Padme shifted in her seat. "They certainly will be afraid if they want to see Anakin as a Sith."

"We can't help." Obi-Wan shook his head and shifted the topic. "Are you angry at him?"

Padme sighed. "I should be. But I’m not." Then sparks showed in her eyes. "I am furious at Palpatine. I am glad that he is dead. Anakin didn't want him to die, I can tell. Somehow he still thinks that monster is his father. I am angry at this. Anyway, life will go on. He and Palis agreed that he would learn some Light Side skills from Palis.”

“Sounds like Palis is opening a school of her own.” Obi-Wan nodded with approval. "She is a good teacher." 

“If she can teach the Skywalkers, she can almost teach anyone,” she laughed. 

Obi-Wan raised his water glass for a toast. Padme followed suit.

“For a bright future for the Children of the Force. Cheers!” 

***3***

Today was the day of the Senate hearing on Papatine’s treason. Anakin was called to explain his role in his father’s scheme as well as being a Sith. The Jedi were also asked to explain why they allowed all the conspiracy to happen, and what they wanted to do in the future. 

In front of people, Rackeli had forced herself to act like nothing had happened. But she knew she was not herself. She stopped updating her personal blog. She was no longer the confident and determined lawyer from the Outer Rim. 

Rackeli came here to defend the rights of Force-sensitives, all of them. Deep down she knew she came here to defend Anakin alone. Jedi were not regarded as high as before. They were no longer impeccable, but few people considered the Jedi dangerous. Anakin was a very difficult story. Some senators, including his old allies, hated him. 

Today, her goal was to testify that the Freedom Act could be applied to the Sith as well. She believed it was true as a lawyer, but as a person, she found she was not very sure. There had been great times between Anakin and her as friends, but they still had not spoken a word since he woke up. When he was in a coma, she was more concerned than angry at him.  But now he was recovering, she found her anger was striking back. 

The hearing began. She listened absent-mindedly. She started to focus when Obi-Wan, who represented the Jedi Order, talked about working with the members who were leaving the Order. He presented the Jedi’s plan on helping them transition to civilian life and keep in touch with the Order. She already heard about some of the details from Palis. A few Padawans were leaving together. Anakin had fought together with one of them in the battle of Felucia, and he liked her very much. It concerned the Jedi Council. 

As she anticipated, Obi-Wan was asked to talk about the possibility of former members falling to the Dark Side. 

The phrase “Dark Side” shot lightning through her. She completely found her focus now. One of the panelists was Senator Ferrics. Recently, he had a 180-degree turn on his position on the right of Force-sensitives. He hated Anakin, believing the young man marred his political career. 

Ferrics asked how to ensure that Force users would not become a threat to the Republic after they left the Order. Especially when a Sith was still around. 

People shifted in their seats. Rackeli stared at the Senator with a laser focus. 

"How about I ask Darth Vader to speak about the matter of the Dark Side of the Force as an insider? I know he prefers not to use that name, but it doesn't change what he is.”

Anakin walked toward the witness seat. He was wearing a black military uniform. He smoothed his cloth, crossed his hands on the table, and looked straight back at Senator Ferrics. 

"I am a person. My name is Anakin Skywalker,” `he declared assertively. “Being a Sith does not define me. I am done with it.” 

She heard that a few people cheered and applauded. The hearing chairperson quickly called for order. 

He continued, “I don't think using the Dark Side is a danger or makes the Force user a threat to the Republic." 

Some members of the audience booed. It was not a wise statement to make. Refusing to admit the danger of the Dark Side was against popular opinion, thus making him look bad. She had emphasized to Padme a few things that he should not say. He didn't listen. 

"Also, a Force user does not simply "fall” to the dark side, one has to choose this path and study it with a great effort." 

Rackeli shut her eyes. He sounded like he was making a recruitment speech. But it was really in character for him. He did not change at all. 

"It is a painful path. I advise that no Jedi pursue this path. I will decline to teach anyone the way of Sith.” He paused for a few seconds. “What makes Force users dangerous is their goal and the method to achieve that goal. Not the side of the Force." 

The Jedi in the audience whispered to each other. 

Senate Organa asked a question. "Why do you want to stop being a Sith? Assuming you can stop." 

“I joined the Sith become I wanted to end slavery. But I found it was simply another form of slavery. I found out the Sith were involved in creating an army of child soldiers and slaves with control chips. I felt conflicted. I took Senator Amidala’s advice. She believed the ends cannot justify means.” He eyed Padme, then he turned to Rackeli’s direction. Their eyes briefly met. His look was sad, and even a little remorseful.  

“It was a good decision and it is timely, Anakin. Thank you for your response.” The senator sounded pleased.

“Senator Amidala, what is your opinion on whether the Sith is a threat to the Republic?” Another panelist questioned, “You are engaged to a Sith.” Rackeli was surprised by this move. It was personal for Padme, insulting and disrespectful.  

Padme was in her green velvet senatorial gown. She put on her regal look, and spoke with her royal tone. “Your honor, Palpatine was a grave danger to the very foundation of democracy. I don't need to recount his crimes. But I have to emphasize again that his crimes were stopped because Anakin acted heroically. He exposed Palpatine’s secrets, at the expense of himself. He is the opposite of a threat. I urge you to judge individuals based on their actions, not view them based on their affiliations. Anakin is a good person, and a patriotic Republic citizen.”

“You are blinded, clearly, Senator Amidala,” Ferrics interrupted. “Did you forget the war against the Separatists, the Senate Sith Hunt scandal, and propaganda against the Jedi? Just to list a few. He participated in all of these plots. He lived a double life. This fact itself was threatening. He even kept you in the dark. Why aren’t you upset by these behaviors? The Sith is seductive, indeed.”

Padme rose up. “Senator. I find your comment very unprofessional. And you were wrong. Anakin was in these plots, so were we. All of us, including you. We endorsed all these efforts. Your accusations against him are baseless. Hiding his identity is about self-preservation. He was young. Palpatine was his guardian. He kept it a secret from me, it is a private matter.” 

“Probably not everyone agreed with you that hiding one’s true identity was a private matter. It has public consequences. People can be misled into endorsing actions that they would not endorse otherwise. I found myself being a victim of such ruse.” He turned to Rackeli abruptly, “I invite Ms. Racheli Loo to testify on whether Vader withholding his true identity had an impact on her advocacy, which led to the passage of the Children of Force Freedom Act.” 

Rackeli inhaled sharply. Suddenly all the eyes were on her. She stood up, moved herself to the witness seat slowly. Padme squeezed her arm when their path crossed. She looked into Padme’s eyes, and whispered, “I can do it.”

She slowly descended on the bench. Her prepared notes turned out to be useless. This hearing was drastically different from the ones in which she testified before. She felt unprepared. 

She cleared her throat. 

“I believe in our cause today as much as I believed in it when I started the movement. The Act already has a positive impact on all Force-sensitives, it will have more. It protects all, regardless what faith tradition they follow or how they used Force. The Jedi who want to try a different way of living, to have a family, benefit from it. The parents of the Force-sensitive younglings no longer face the pressure to give their children up, or be burdened with shame if they refuse to do so. It is a rightful cause. I reject the notion that we were used as tools.”  

Obi-Wan’s look of disapproval flashed in her mind. 

Halle Burtoni, the Kaminoan Senator, rose to speak. Rackeli was very surprised that she was not indicted for the crimes the cloners committed. The powerful people could get away with almost anything. 

 “Would you campaign for it again if you knew the Sith was aiding you?”

For a moment, Rackeli did not know what to say. This question had haunted her ever since Anakin revealed himself as a Sith. She had refused to think about it.

She felt trapped. 

“Ms. Loo, would you campaign for it again?” The senator repeated with a more demanding voice. 

She met the Kaminoan piercing gaze. It was intimately familiar. It was neither about the danger of the Sith, nor her campaign being right or wrong. It is about avenging Palpatine for the betrayals. 

She breathed out slowly. “I would report the Sith to authorities if I had information that they had a plan to threaten the Republic. And I would campaign for the reform, again. The bill language and specifications probably would be different, that is all. The Freedom Act is my cause. I own it.” All her strength left her body, but she felt her burden was gone. 

Finally, she did it. She was trapped in the dilemma of either being a victim of manipulation or a conscious collaborator of evil. She could be neither of it. 

It was the time to think about her future. She was done with doing advocacy in the Senate and other politics for now. She was the only person who provided legal service for Force-sensitives, maybe there should be more. 

***4***

The hearing was long. The majority of it was about whether the Force-sensitives, especially the “rogues” outside the Jedi Order should be monitored or jailed. Specifically, the center of the debate was whether the Freedom Act protected Darth Vader. “Free from surveillance except having been proved to be a danger to the Republic” was the operative clause in the discussion.

Has he been proved to be a danger?  Anakin found this question interesting. As a student of the Sith, he killed many people. Some of them were innocent, as innocent as his future children. Whenever he thought about this, he felt panic. Many would go after them because of who their father was. They inherited a curse from him. 

In these moments of panic, he could hear Sidious speak to him through the Force. He demanded his Apprentice take control of the Senate, finishing what the Sith Masters had started. If he had all the power to himself, who dared to harm his children? Sidious said Padme could be the Empress, and the twins will be heirs to the throne. These thoughts were intrusive. They haunted him when he was watching holovideo, in conference calls, and even when he was making love with Padme. In some moments, he regretted that he betrayed Palpatine. He should have listened to him and done what he was ordered to.

A harsh reality hit him. Sidious was still his Master even in his death. He felt trapped. A prisoner of his own mind. 

He forced himself to focus on the hearing. The Senate would decide what to do with him. Was he afraid of being imprisoned for being Palpatine’s close ally? He was uncertain about it. 

He knew how the system worked. The debate in the Senate about his imprisonment was political theatre. Everyone took this opportunity to pick a side. After knowing who was still an ally in this new era of politics, they would leave Anakin alone. Jedi indeed seriously considered the Sith a threat, but the politicians did not care. 

What really mattered, in the end, was the Jedi Order’s judgment. The real tribunal for Force-sensitives had always been the Jedi Order. If they decide to go after him, no law could stop them. He felt that he was such a failure of being a Sith Lord. He was too weak. 

“You are thinking about the negative things again, right?” Padme touched his arm. He forced a smile on his face. Padme was pleased with his efforts to fight his mood problem. 

He admitted defeat in this battle with the Jedi, a battle the Sith fought. If he could gracefully accept this defeat, it meant Sidious’ grip was loosening. 

His thoughts came back to the witnesses’ testimony.  He was moved by Padme’s unwavering faith in him. He saw a vision that they had a good life together, they would face many challenges, but they would survive and thrive eventually. He saw his children. A boy had his eyes and hair, and a girl looked like a smaller version of Padme. Both of them love their father. Was this a Force version?  Or maybe he dared to envision a good life forward?  

Rackeli was called to testify again. This time she spoke as a legal expert to interpret the Freedom Act. She asserted that Anakin was exactly the individual that deserved the freedom granted by the law. 

“It was about blindness. Every Force-sensitive is equal under the law. If the committee disagrees, I will see you in court.” She closed her remarks with strong conviction, but Anakin sensed hurt radiated from her in the Force. 

Reckeli had always been an eloquent speaker. He was impressed by her talent the first day he saw her writings on Holonet. Was that what motivated him to approach her in the first place? Now this friendship was gone. He hoped that it was not gone forever. No one should be blind to what had been done to them. He wanted to make it up for her, and earn that friendship back. 

Finally, the Jedi Council was called to the witness stand. His hands were sweaty.  Obi-Wan promised that the Jedi Council would support him, but he could not believe it.

Padme touched his hand. He immediately took a firm hold of it. She squeezed his hand back. It was a promise, they would go through this all together. Again.

Mace Windu made the announcement.  He said the Jedi Council believed Anakin Skywalker was not a threat to the Republic, thus persecution against him is illegal. Many members of the audience stood up and applauded.

Padme breathed out in relief. “Ani, you go to thank them.” 

The Chair announced the hearing ended. The panelists, witnesses, and audience started to vacate the room. Padme stood at the door and shook hands with her colleagues, both Palpatine supporters, and critics. Anakin saw Rackeli walk toward the exit. 

He approached Rackeli. He tried to say something. His mouth was dry. 

“Thank you. I own you a lot. I wish you a successful career.” He extended his right hand. “I hope I can see  you again.”

Surprise was written on her face. After a long wait, she took his hand and shook it. “I wish one day I can see you as Anakin Skywalker again.” Then she left.

Rex and his team had been waiting for them. They had visited him several times since he woke up and brought him many good wish cards written by the clones. 

“Sir., we will be your guard until you have the strength to protect yourself,” Rex announced on behalf of the team. 

“Thank you. They will be stuck with me for a long while.” Ankin gave them a curt nod. 

“It will be our great honor.” 

He had been thinking about what he would do after he felt better. After so many years of fighting, he wanted to build something, rather than destroying.  

“I have a question for you. I plan to leave the Navy’s strategic leadership and move on to the corps of engineers. Infrastructure needs to be rebuilt in thousands of worlds. Do you want to join me?” 

The clones looked at each other. A few moments later, big smiles blossomed on their faces. 

“We are more than happy to do that. It means we will have a lot of exciting adventures.”

Yes, a lot of adventures because a lot of work needed to be done. He would fight for the clones’ full rights as sentient beings. It would be another adventure waiting for him. 

Anakin and Padme walked out of the building, holding hands. A future was waiting for all of them. 

Author note:

The story finished! It was written between August 2020 to Jan 2021 by a Chinese immigrant living in the U.S. I am a social policy researcher and civil rights advocate, most importantly a faithful Christian. Rackeli is very much me, but I have Anakin's inner world. The original motivation to write this story is to save Anakin, the tormented at-risk youth.

I believe in common humanity despite all the differences people have. In the story, I tried to show different characters' diverse perspectives, which developed out of their unique lived experience. Except for Palpatine, everybody is was a reasonable person, including radicals like Anakin and Slick. 

If you feel this story is very realistic, and meaningful, then my goal is accomplished. 

English is a foreign language for me, so the writing is a bit dry. I may revamp it after I figure out a way to diversify sentence structure. 

I may write a few one-shots to explore the post-Palpatine GFFA. Nothing returned to normal, but everybody strived to have a better future. 

Again, tremendous thanks to my beta reviewer Redrikki

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https://anakinbun.tumblr.com/

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Hi, my loyal readers. I am back! I am writing a sequel.  Enjoy!

Memories of the old days

Summary:
“Peace is a lie, there is only passion.” Luke frowned. “Really?”

Anakin froze. His son had a very mild temperament, of course, this did not make any sense for him. If Leia read this, he would be much more concerned.

Now he must get his dairy book back, otherwise, his son would keep on reading the Sith Code, and there would be more questions. Questions he either did not want to answer or even knew how to answer.

Link: https://archiveofourown.to/works/33395335/chapters/82949926

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