The Moons of Iego: The Padmé Amidala & Anakin Skywalker Website

FAN FICTION : ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

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Under Fire

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Summary: Anakin does not turn to the Dark Side, Palpatine does not become Emperor, but he has amassed enough power during his extended Chancellorship to leave the Republic in shambles. Can the Jedi and the coalition of 2000 rebuild it?

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. If I did, my children's college funds would be set, they would have their own Star Wars playroom, we would have a summer home in Alaska, and Obi-Wan Kenobi and I would not share the same opinion of ROTS: "I cannot bear to watch."

Characters and some dialogue belong to Lucas, some dialogue belongs to Matthew Stover and Karen Miller, the rest is mine.

Prelude

It is a dark time for the Republic. The war with the Separatists has continued for three years now, and no end is in sight. Two Jedi Knights, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, have successfully rescued Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from the clutches of General Grievous, and Skywalker killed the Sith apprentice Count Dooku, but General Grievous escaped yet again. The Jedi are dwindling in numbers, and many are battle-scarred and discouraged, barely remembering their former role as peacekeepers of the Republic. Kenobi and Skywalker have returned to Coruscant, where Skywalker is reunited with Senator Amidala, to whom he is secretly married. Senator Amidala shares with Skywalker that she is pregnant with their child. Meanwhile, the Senator has joined a coalition of 2000 others who are speaking out against the refusal to open peace talks with the Separatists and the further accumulation of power by the Supreme Chancellor, who is using war as an excuse to continuously bend the Constitution to his will.

Chapter 1

"And I need just a little more silence
And I need just a little more time
But you send your thieves to me
silently stalking me
Dragging me into your war..." Sarah McLachlan

Senator Padmé Amidala was screaming in pain. All blood had drained from her face, her brow was covered in sweat, her teeth clenched in agony. Another wave of pain hit and she cried out again. "Anakin! Anakin, help me! I love you! ANAKIN!" In the background came the sound of a baby's lusty cry, even as his mother lost consciousness and screamed no more...

Anakin Skywalker woke up with a start, drenched in sweat, his breath caught in his throat. He glanced quickly beside him where his wife Padmé slept peacefully, her dark curly hair fanned behind her, one hand resting on her pregnant belly. Tears of relief came to Anakin's eyes. She was all right. She was healthy. Anakin buried his face in his hands and sobbed quietly. The dream had been so real, so vivid. Just like the one he had had three years ago. One that turned out to be prophetic.

Anakin wiped his eyes, got out of bed and walked down the hall, down the stairs and through the living area to Padmé's private balcony, where he leaned on the edge of the railing, gazing at the Coruscant skyline, at the speeders flying by in the city-planet that never slept. The once-pristine skyscape was dotted with smoke and rubble from destroyed buildings.

Anakin sighed, gripping the railing more tightly. The war that most of the Republic thought would end quickly had now dragged on for three years. Hundreds of Jedi had been lost, Jedi who never set out to be soldiers. They were trained to be protectors and peacekeepers, not fight wars. But they had been forced into this by the attempted assassination of Padmé by the Separatists and the subsequent capture of Obi-Wan. After Geonosis, there was no choice but to go to war. At the time Anakin had not minded. He had thought that a quick and brutal defeat of the Separatists would be easier and more efficient than what Padmé called a "diplomatic solution." Three years later he no longer believed it. The battles were brutal, but they were not quick and the Separatists were not defeated. Anakin had finally rid the galaxy of Count Dooku, however, General Grievous, the leader of the droid army, evaded the Jedi over and over again-and so far the Jedi were lucky if Grievous merely escaped. The less fortunate ones were killed, and their lightsabers added to Grievous' ever-growing collection.

Years of evading Separatists, ever growing numbers of battle droids and clones, and General Grievous were all more than Anakin had bargained for. He was tired. Tired of getting injured over and over again. Tired of watching the Jedi he had come to know and love, including his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, fall in battle.

The thought of his beautiful and feisty Padawan made Anakin's eyes well up again. She had fought bravely and fiercely to the end, when she could only whisper a weak, "I'm sorry, Master," before succumbing to the Force. No, Anakin said, I'm sorry, Snips. I failed you. Several tears splashed on the balcony railing.

Padmé thought she heard her husband weeping. Poor Anakin. On the field he was the wise and feared General Skywalker. On the rare occasions that he was home, in the darkest hours of the night, his guard was down and the tears came. Especially since his Padawan died. Padmé knew Anakin blamed himself. If we have no other reason for opening up peace talks with the Separatists, she thought, we need to do it so that these Jedi who have lost so much can come home and heal. So that the Republic can heal. So that people can be reunited with their loved ones, so that they stop living in fear all the time.

She and Anakin had spent maybe 90 days together during their three year marriage. The longer the war lasted, the prospect of their having anything resembling a normal marriage looked bleak. She had gotten pregnant the last time Anakin was home for one night, five months ago. If the war did not end soon, she would probably give birth alone.

She opened her eyes and saw the empty space next to her in bed. Her heart skipped a beat. "Anakin?"

She got out of bed and went downstairs. Anakin was on the balcony, his back to her, his hands gripping the railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white. She put a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?" she asked.

He turned to her, and despite the fresh tears on his cheeks, gave her a small smile. He touched the japor snippet that she wore around her neck. "I remember when I gave this to you," he said.

She smiled and touched his hand, the one that held the snippet. "As do I," she said. "Anakin, what happened? I heard you."

He shook his head, the smile faded. "Bad dream," he said.

She put a hand on his arm. "About the war? Ahsoka?"

"No," he said, shaking his head again as if to rid himself of the images. "About you."

"What about me?"

"You die in childbirth."

Padmé gripped his arm. "And the baby?"

Anakin sighed. "I don't know." He held her. "But it was only a dream."

Padmé shook her head. "Jedi don't have nightmares. You said so yourself." She waited, letting him hold her for a minute, then asked, "What about last time, Anakin? Have you thought about what might have happened if you had gone to Tatooine earlier? How long had you been dreaming about your mother?"

Anakin let go of her and gripped the balcony railing again. "A month," he said. "The first dream would have been at about the time the Sandpeople took her. Yes, I should have gone then. Have I thought about what might have happened if I had left then? You'd do better to ask if a day goes by when I don't think about it." He sighed. "It's Obi-Wan's fault. He blew me off, said that dreams pass in time. He could not have been more wrong."

"Does he know what happened on Tatooine?"

"No. I didn't have a chance to tell him. All our conversations lately are about war and war strategy. He knows that Mom died, but that's all he knows."

"Don't you think you should tell him? Don't you think that he should know that you have premonitions and that your dreams aren't ordinary?"

Anakin sighed. "For all the good it will do..."

Padmé took his hand. "Anakin, he's your friend. Your mentor. He's like your father. Why not tell him? Even if it does no good, even if he dismisses you again, you are no worse off than you are now. And you don't know, he might be able to help..."

"Fine, fine, I'll tell him tomorrow," Anakin snapped, moving away from her and focusing on a point in the skyline that Padmé could not see. "I think it will be a useless conversation, Obi-Wan isn't going to understand, but for you, I'll tell him."

Padmé smiled, cupped his chin in her hand and turned his face towards her. "Good," she said, and kissed him. "Now come to bed? You need your rest."

Anakin returned the kiss, then shook his head again. "I'm not going to be able to sleep. You go back to bed. I'm going to stay out here for awhile."

Her brown eyes were full of concern. "You'll be alright?"

He nodded and hugged her. "I'll be fine. I promise." He kissed her again. "Now go back to bed. Please. You have more than yourself to think about here." He rested his hand on her belly. "Good night, little one."

Padmé kissed him one last time and returned to her bed, leaving her husband on the balcony, continuing to gaze at the skyline.

Anakin rushed down the hall of the Temple to the Jedi Briefing Room, where Obi-Wan Kenobi was alone, shutting down several holograms and gathering datapads. "You missed the reports on the Outer Rim sieges," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin caught his breath. "Sorry," he said. "I was held up." He had gone to bed, at dawn. He had awakened a couple of hours later, with only moments to spare before the morning meeting.

Obi-Wan smiled. "In short, they are going very well," he said. "Saleucami has fallen, and Master Vos has moved his troops to Boz Pity." He paused. "Anakin, you look horrible. Have you not slept?"

He shook his head. "Bad dreams," he muttered.

"Still? You're exhausted, Anakin, and after Ahsoka...I'm sorry, Padawan, I know none of this is easy. But as I told you before, dreams pa.."

"Pass in time. Yeah, right, whatever, Master. Just like that dream about my mother just passed in time." Although he was expecting a repeat of Obi-Wan's dismissal, it still left him shaking with anger. He wanted to stomp out of the room, but he had promised Padmé that he would tell Obi-Wan about the dream. Although he felt that, as usual, he was probably right about him. This was going to do absolutely no good.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Anakin, I am trying to be understanding, I just think you're giving this too much credence. Your mother didn't die because you had a dream. Death is a natural part of life. There is nothing you could have done."

This time Anakin snapped. "That just shows how little you know, Obi-Wan!" He yelled. "When I found her, she was exactly as I saw her in my dream! And if you had listened to me and let me leave earlier, I most certainly could have done something." Anakin collapsed into the nearest chair, his head in his hands, long fingers tearing at his hair.

For a few minutes there was no sound in the room. Finally Obi-Wan said softly, "Anakin, you never told me what happened on Tatooine."

Anakin did not answer right away. Obi-Wan put hand on his shoulder and said, "Should we go to my quarters instead?" Anakin nodded, stood, and walked with his master out of the briefing room and down the hall. They arrived at Obi-Wan's quarters two floors up a few minutes later. Anakin sank into the couch in the living area, rubbing his eyes. Obi-Wan sat beside him. "Now," he said, "will you tell me what happened?"

Anakin took a deep breath and began. "I found Watto pretty quickly, he was still in the same shop. He told me that he had sold my mother to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who freed her and married her, and that they were living on the other side of Mos Eisley. He gave me the directions and we went out there. Her husband said that she had been gone for a month, kidnapped by Sandpeople, and that the Sandpeople had killed almost all of the farmers who had tried to rescue her. They had cut off his leg; he was planning to try to find her again after he healed. I went out right away, searched for the camp and found it that night." Anakin was crying. "She had been beaten, her eyes were swollen shut, her face bruised, she had several broken bones..." He took a couple of deep breaths. "She was tied to a rack of some sort. I took her down, she touched my face, told me she was proud of me and said she was complete now, and then she..." Anakin was overtaken by sobs.

For several minutes Obi-Wan said nothing. Then he asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Anakin looked up, his face blotched with tears. "What? And get yelled at again for going to Tatooine in the first place? I did the right thing, Obi-Wan. She looked just like she did in my dream, when she was calling me. My mistake was not listening to her sooner. I should have left as soon as I had the first dream, then she would still be alive." Anakin clenched his jaw. "It won't happen again. My dreams don't pass in time, Obi-Wan. They come true. It's up to me to stop it from happening."

"What kind of dream did you have this time?"

Anakin looked at his master. "It was about Padmé."

Obi-Wan resisted giving the boy a lecture on his attachment to the Senator, knowing that it would be received even worse than usual-and such a lecture usually went over with Anakin about as well as a ton of duracrete pillars.

"I know very little about premonitions through dreams, Anakin," he said. "I don't think it's a common gift with the Jedi. Would you be interested in asking Master Yoda? He might have more information for you."

Anakin nodded. "I need all the help I can get."

Yoda answered the door quickly. "Young Skywalker," he said. "Come in, you must."

"Master Yoda, I need your counsel."

"Of course," he said, leading the way to two meditation cushions. "Sit you must. How may I be of help, young one?"

Anakin took a deep breath. "I'm having dreams," he said, "that are not ordinary dreams."

"Premonitions?"

Anakin was relieved that he did not have to explain further. "Yes," he said. "They are premonitions. One has come true already."

"Premonitions...premonitions... hmmm... these visions you have..."

"They are of pain, suffering, death..."

"Yourself you speak of, or someone you know?" Yoda asked.

"Someone..."

"...close to you?" Yoda finished.

"Yes."

"Careful you must be when sensing the future, Anakin. Fear of loss is the path to the Dark Side."

"I won't let these visions come true, Master."

Yoda frowned. He knew that pain, suffering and death haunted Anakin constantly. The young Jedi was still able to sense the Force, but his ability to control it was obstructed, and his future was clouded. Yoda remembered a vision in which young Skywalker was in such terrible pain, Qui-Gon Jinn had returned from the realms of the Force, calling Anakin's name, through Yoda's meditations...

"Explain further, I must," Yoda said. "Death is a natural part of life. Only using methods most unnatural and most evil, can one stop a loved one from passing into the Force. When twilight is upon a luminous being, night must fall. Such is the way of things, the way of the Force." Yoda paused and gazed at Anakin. "Tried to stop death, only a few have. Successful they were not, and a terrible price they paid."

Anakin looked at the wizened Master questioningly. "What kind of price, Master?"

Yoda's eyes bored into Anakin's. "Consumed by the Dark Side, they were, Anakin. Twisted and evil, they become. Gone, disappeared, their former selves were." He paused. "This person, who is close to you-quite certain I am, that destroy her, it would, if that price, you paid, to save her."

Anakin's heart skipped a beat. He wondered how much the Jedi Master knew, if he suspected Anakin's marriage.

But he also sensed that Yoda was right. He could ensure that Padmé was well-protected, and gave birth on a planet with adequate medical facilities (unlike the desolate place in his dream) but beyond that he could do nothing. Other than hope that, just this once, his vision was wrong.

Chapter 2

Anakin stood in Palpatine's office. He and the Chancellor were gazing out the window at the landscape of Coruscant.

"The war has left much suffering here," Palpatine said.

Anakin nodded. "Too much," he replied.

"I was sorry to hear about your Padawan," Palpatine said. "I understand that she fought bravely."

Anakin nodded again. "She always did," he said. "Grievous was too much for her, as he was for many knights twice her age. If only I had been with her instead of freeing the hostages on another level. She should not felt that she had to take him alone." Anakin swallowed hard.

Palpatine put a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder. "You taught her well. Her courage may have been foolishly placed in that battle, but it was an admirable trait overall, and she learned it from you."

Anakin swallowed again and blinked furiously. "Thank you, Your Excellency, but I would say that her courage was her own." He returned his gaze to the window. "She is at peace now, one with the Force."

Palpatine nodded. "That she is," he said, then changed the subject quickly. "Anakin, I'm sure you are wondering why I called you here."

"Yes," Anakin said.

"This afternoon, the Senate is going to call on me to take direct control of the Jedi Council."

Anakin, startled, gazed at the Chancellor. "Why?" he asked. "Do you mean that the Jedi will no longer report to the Senate?"

"They will report to me...personally. The Senate is too unfocused to conduct a war. This will bring a quick end to things."

"The Jedi Council may not see it that way."

"There are times when we must all endure adjustments to the constitution in the name of security."

"With all due respect, sir, the Council is in no mood for more constitutional amendments." Nor am I, Anakin added silently, looking out the window again. Is this what the Chancellor's "emergency powers" have done? They certainly haven't helped the war end any faster. We've granted him as many powers as he's wanted, let him stay in office long past the end of his term, and still the war continues... He suddenly felt he was channeling Padmé, and took pride in that fact.

"I have no choice," Palpatine replied. "The war must be won."

"Again, sir, with all due respect, I don't see how your taking over the Jedi Council is going to help that come to pass. The Jedi are not losing the war. We are doing the best we can to win it."

"It's not that simple." Palpatine sighed. "Anakin, I've known you since you were a small boy. I have advised you over the years when I could, and I am very proud of your accomplishments. You have won many battles that the Jedi Council thought were lost... and you saved my life. I hope you trust me."

Anakin looked at the Chancellor again, wondering where the man could possibly be going with this. Anakin recognized the false flattery, and did not like it at all. He thirsted for praise, sincere praise, and often missed it from Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council. However, Palpatine's disingenuousness felt even more insulting than the Jedi's complete lack of acknowledgment. At least the latter, if often hurtful, was reliable and honest. Anakin had no tolerance for game-playing.

"I need your help, son."

"What do you mean?"

"I fear the Jedi. The Council keeps pushing for more control. They're shrouded in secrecy and obsessed with maintaining their autonomy... ideals. I find that simply incomprehensible in a democracy."

Anakin gritted his teeth. The hypocrisy was appalling. We'll discuss democracy and the Council's so-called push for more control when you stop amending the Constitution to give yourself more powers, Your Excellency. It took almost all of Anakin's self-control to keep from saying this aloud.

"I can assure you that the Jedi are dedicated to the values of the Republic, sir," he said.

"Nevertheless, their actions speak more loudly than their words. I am depending on you."

"For what?"

"To be the eyes, ears and voice of the Republic."

"I don't understand."

"Anakin... I am appointing you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council."

He shook his head. "The Council elects its own members, sir. They will never accept this...nor could I ask them to do so." Anakin longed for Mastery, for a position on the Council. But he wanted to earn it through Jedi recognition of his talents, for their acknowledgment of his accomplishments, especially in the war. He did not want an appointment as the Chancellor's pet.

A flicker of a scowl appeared on Palpatine's face but it disappeared quickly, replaced by a patronizing smile. "They will accept it. They need you, more than you know. I think you will reconsider my request as well. The Republic is crumbling, and you will need to decide where your loyalties lie. Remember who befriended you from the time you came to the Temple, who always expressed confidence in your abilities, who always trusted you. The Jedi...they did not want you trained, Anakin. They did not trust you. They feared you."

"They trusted me enough to put me in charge of multiple squadrons of clones and assign me to lead missions. They even trusted me enough to give me a Padawan to train." Anakin turned and walked quickly to the door. "Good day, sir," he said.

"Do you think any of that would have happened if it weren't for the war, Anakin? Search your feelings, son, you know it to be true... They did not trust you, they needed you, there is a difference." Palpatine called after Anakin's retreating back. The young Jedi pretended not to hear him.

"Good day, Master Anakin," C3PO said, admitting the Jedi into his wife's apartments.

"Hello, 3PO," he said. "Do you know where I can find Padmé?"

"In the living area, sir, or maybe the hall, she is doing a lot of walking. She seems rather anxious," 3PO said. "I don't quite know what to do."

R2D2 let out a series of beeps. "I know that, R2," 3PO said, "but humans don't usually do that much walking unless they are going somewhere. Miss Padmé is just walking across the carpet over and over again."

"I'll handle it," Anakin replied, entering the living area where Padmé was pacing, her fists clenched. He hugged and kissed her, then took her hands in his. "Hey," he said, "What's going on?"

"It's Palpatine," she spat, letting go of Anakin's hands and pacing again. "I don't know what he's trying to pull here but this is not the same man who was my Senator when I was Queen. I put him in office, I trusted him, and look how he repays me. By turning himself into a dictator." Her fists clenched and unclenched rapidly.

Anakin put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the sofa, then put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Stop," he said. "Now sit down, and start from the beginning. What exactly has the Chancellor done?"

She sighed, and obeyed, sitting on the couch with Anakin beside her, his arm still wrapped around her. "Palpatine has posted a decree not only taking charge of the Jedi Council, but also appointing Governors to oversee each star system of the Republic. Not systems loyal to the Separatists, all systems," she said.

Anakin's heart sank. "I knew he was taking control of the Council. He told me that himself. But Governors? I don't understand."

"They will report directly to him. The appointments are supposedly for security reasons." She spat the word security. "He should just dissolve the Senate. We are no longer allowed to serve our people as we were elected to do. We do his bidding or we get accused of aiding and abetting the Separatists." Padmé sighed again. "All the constitutional amendments, several executive directives a day, and if anyone questions why, the response, from Palpatine himself and from the Senators loyal to him, are that it is necessary because of the war. Anakin, what has this war done to us? I thought we were fighting to preserve democracy and keep the Republic intact."

"We are," he said. "The Chancellor... I don't know anymore. If concentrating more power into the Chancellor's office would end the war, the war would have ended years ago."

"The Separatists have already won. They have succeeded in what they set out to do. They have destroyed the Republic as we knew it." Tears shone in Padmé's eyes.

He kissed her. "There is still time," he said. "The Republic is fragile but it still exists. It can be preserved, restored." He stood. "I'm on my way to meet with the Jedi Council. The Chancellor has asked for something rather unorthodox, I want to see if they've gotten word of it."

"More unorthodox than taking complete charge of the Jedi and turning you into his personal lackeys?"

Anakin frowned and nodded. "I'm afraid that's only the beginning." He met her eyes. "He asked me to spy on them, to be his personal representative on the Council. He thinks the Council is pushing for more control. The irony could not be more absurd."

Padmé's eyes widened. "Did you... accept it?"

He shook his head. "I told him that the Council appoints its own members and I would not ask them to make an exception for me. It's insulting really. Does he really think that the only way I'll ever achieve Mastery is if he personally vouches for me and makes them seat me on the Council? I've led numerous squadrons into winning battles, I killed Count Dooku..."

Padmé held up her hand to stop her husband from going into a long angry tirade. "Anakin, of course I agree with you. It seems that the Chancellor has decided that the Jedi are his political enemies and wants to destroy their reputation, starting from within. But why?"

Anakin sighed, his shoulders slumped. "I don't know," he said. "But I intend to find out." He leaned over and kissed her. "I'm due in the Council chambers in five minutes," he said.

"Anakin," Padmé grabbed his hand. "I'm not supposed to tell you this. We are not supposed to include the Jedi... yet. Six of us met this morning... myself, Bail Organa, Fang Zar, Mon Mothma, Bana Breemu and Giddean Danu. We are going to take some action. We signed a petition asking the Chancellor to return executive powers back to the Senate, to make no further amendments to the Constitution, and to pursue a diplomatic solution to the war. We are scheduled to meet with the Chancellor in four days' time."

Anakin squeezed her hand. "Let's hope he listens. It should be interesting to see how he reacts."

"Anakin Skywalker." Mace Windu's voice echoed through the Council chamber. "The Council has decided to comply with Chancellor Palpatine's directive, and with the instructions of the Senate that give him the unprecedented authority to command the Jedi."

Anakin looked down. The Senate had done exactly as Palpatine asked. No questions, no deliberation. Anakin remembered a time when he would have called this process efficient, and considered it an improvement. Now he saw a Chancellor who seemed to have extraordinary talent for getting exactly what he wanted, using the war as an excuse.

"You are hereby granted a seat at the High Council of the Jedi."

Anakin raised his head quickly. "Sir?" He replied.

"We will also grant the Chancellor's request to allow you to represent him personally on this Council. Please take a seat, Master Skywalker."

"Master Windu, please understand... I was not expecting this, nor did I request it. I explained to the Chancellor that the Council appoints its own members."

"Disturbing is this move by Chancellor Palpatine," Yoda agreed.

Mace nodded. "However, Anakin, we do still appoint our own members. We are appointing you. Your name had already come up for Mastery. And the fact that the Chancellor trusts you is an asset."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, gesturing to an empty seat beside him. "Please."

Anakin, still reeling from shock, obeyed. "Thank you," he said.

Ki-Adi Mundi, appearing via hologram, changed the subject. "We have surveyed all systems in the Republic, and found no signs of General Grievous."

"Hiding in the Outer Rim, Grievous is," Yoda said. "The outlying systems, you must sweep."

"It may take some time," Obi-Wan added. "We do not have ships to spare."

"We cannot take ships from the front line," Mace said.

"And yet," Obi-Wan replied, "It would be fatal for us to allow the droid armies to regroup."

"Master Kenobi, our spies contact, you must, and wait."

"What about the droid attack on the Wookiees?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

"It is critical that we send an attack group there immediately," Mace said.

"He is right," Obi-Wan replied. "That is a system we cannot afford to lose. It's the main navigation route for the southwestern quadrant."

"I know that system well," Anakin said. "It would take us little time to drive the droids off the planet."

"Kenobi will find General Grievous," Mace said. "Skywalker, you are needed here for a more specialized assignment."

What type of assignment? Anakin thought but did not get a chance to ask.

"Go, I will," Yoda said. "Good relations with the Wookiees, I have."

"It is settled then," Mace said. "Yoda will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. May the Force be with us all."

Anakin and Obi-Wan left the session together. "Well congratulations, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "To be seated on the Council at your age is a great honor. It has never happened before."

"Thank you, Master. I must say that I am extremely surprised. And I did not want to be appointed by the Chancellor. Such recognition needs to come from the Jedi."

Obi-Wan smiled and put a hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "Anakin, as Mace said... we appointed you. The fact that the Chancellor requested your appointment... we'll just call that a very convenient coincidence."

"I don't understand. Why did the Council grant the Chancellor's request that I be his personal representative? Were they forced to do so?"

Obi-Wan's face suddenly became much more serious. "No," he said. "They were not forced to do so, and Yoda is right. Requesting his own personal Jedi Master on the Council, to report on our doings... this is a disturbing move on Palpatine's part. That has nothing to do with you, but by allowing it, we thought you could help us."

"Help you how?"

Obi-Wan's voice lowered. "This is the specialized assignment that Mace mentioned. It is not to be on record. We need you to go along with the Chancellor's request. Report to him all the activities of the Council, except for this assignment. Meanwhile, we need you to keep an eye on him, find out what he's up to. That's what Mace meant when he said that his trust in you is an asset."

Anakin sighed and walked over to the window. "Master, I understand the suspicion about the amount of power the Chancellor has accumulated. But what you are asking... it could put the Jedi out of favor with the Senate and with many citizens of the Republic. We could be accused of treason."

"I know, Anakin, but we are at war. Our allegiance is to the Senate, not to its leader, a leader who has managed to accumulate an unprecedented amount of power into the executive branch, using very suspicious means."

"Palpatine was of extraordinary help to Padmé when she was Queen. He seemed to have the best interests of the Republic at heart when he got elected. I can't believe what he's done lately." Anakin sighed. "How did we get here? I am a double agent, and I am working for people who are supposed to be on the same side."

Obi-Wan met Anakin's eyes. "I know, Anakin. We will soon discover the truth behind all this. One more thing: make sure you shield yourself well. Under these circumstances it would be appropriate to use the Force to do so."

Chapter 3

Anakin entered the Chancellor's box at the Galaxies Opera House. Palpatine sat solemnly with his aides, Mas Amedda and Sly-Moore, gazing solemnly at the Mon Calamari ballet "Squid Lake."

Anakin loathed ballet, and secretly wondered if Palpatine had requested to meet him here in order to annoy him.

"You wished to see me, sir?" he asked.

Palpatine turned and smiled. "Yes, Anakin! I have good news. The Clone Intelligence Units have discovered the location of General Grievous. He is hiding in the Utapau system."

Discovered the location of General Grievous. For the 900000th time. How many times has that overgrown pile of scrap metal been "discovered" and then escaped? But Anakin played along. "That is good news. At last we'll be able to capture that monster and end this war."

"I would worry about the collective wisdom of the Jedi Council if they did not select you for this assignment. You are the best choice by far, and I am certain that you would appreciate the opportunity to avenge your Padawan. But, the Council cannot always be trusted to do the right thing."

"They try," Anakin said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. However, he had to acknowledge that the Chancellor was right about one thing. He would mightily appreciate a chance at Grievous, the chance to retrieve Ahsoka's lightsaber from the droid leader's dead hands.

"Have a seat, Anakin," Palpatine said, then to his aides, "Leave us.

"Anakin, you know I'm not able to rely on the Jedi Council. If they have not yet included you in their plot, they will."

Plot to do what? You took them under your control, and you are afraid they are plotting...what exactly?

"I'm not sure I understand," Anakin said.

"You must sense what I have come to suspect... the Jedi Council want control of the Republic... they are planning to betray me."

Control... of the Republic? "I don't think..." Anakin began.

"Anakin, search your feelings. You know, don't you?"

Anakin said nothing.

"They do not trust me... or the Senate... or the Republic... or democracy for that matter," Palpatine continued.

Anakin looked down. His heart pounded. Certainly, sir. The problem is entirely with the Jedi. You love democracy. You love the Republic. As long as you are running it.

"The Jedi use their power for good," Anakin said, meeting the Chancellor's eyes again.

"Good is a point of view, Anakin. And the Jedi point of view is not the only valid one. The Dark Lords of the Sith believe in security and justice also, yet they are considered by the Jedi to be..."

"Evil," Anakin finished.

"...from a Jedi's point of view. The Sith and Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest for greater power. The difference between the two is that the Sith are not afraid of the Dark Side of the Force. That is why they are more powerful."

Anakin could not believe what he was hearing. Praise for the Dark Side of the Force? An implication that refusal to use it is a sign of fear?

"The Jedi are selfless," he said. "They only care about others."

"Or so you've been trained to believe," Palpatine said. "The fear of losing power is a weakness of both the Jedi and the Sith, Anakin."

Anakin looked down again. His ears were ringing.

"Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?" Palpatine asked.

"No," Anakin replied.

"I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence midichlorians to create life... He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying."

Anakin gulped. The Chancellor's words bounced around in his head like the ball that Anakin used to bounce against his mother's hovel when he was a child. Sith legend... create life... keep ones he cared about from dying... Sith legend... Darth Plagueis... create life... keep ones he cared about from dying... Sith legend... And Yoda's words... Only using methods most unnatural and most evil, can one stop a loved one from passing into the Force... tried to stop death, only a few have... successful they were not... a terrible price they paid...

"It's really too bad you never had access to the information that Darth Plagueis had, Anakin," he said. "You might have been able to save your mother. The knowledge could be useful, if you ever have such premonitions again..."

Anakin felt the bile rise to his throat, and he knew that the janitorial droids would be busy in Chancellor's box if he stayed another minute. "Excuse me, sir, I'm not feeling well," he mumbled, then stood and ran out of the Galaxies Opera House as fast as he could, then jumped into his speeder and drove quickly.

"Miss Padmé, Master Anakin is home," C3PO said.

"Good. Let him know that I'm on the balcony, 3PO," Padmé replied.

"Miss Padmé... you might want to come in here and meet him... oh dear..." 3PO said.

Padmé, who had taken her hair down for bed and was brushing it, dropped the brush and hurried into the living area, then the entrance hall. "Ani!" she said. He just stared at her, looking stunned, terrified; he was pale and sweaty. He looked as though he had just witnessed an unspeakable horror.

"Anakin, what is it?" she said, taking his hand in hers and looking into his eyes. They were glassy. "Anakin, talk to me!"

"Padmé, I..." he swallowed hard.

"Come in here," she said, leading him into the living area, then onto the balcony. She faced him, gripping his arms. "Anakin, please..." She said. "You're frightening me. What happened?"

"Padmé," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just hold me right now. Please."

She nodded. "Okay," she said, wrapping her arms around him. He returned the embrace, holding her tightly. She felt his body shake but there were no tears, and for what seemed an eternity, no words.

3PO appeared after several minutes, saying, "Excuse me, but is there anything I can do to help?"

Padmé was about to dismiss him when Anakin said, "Yes. I need you to contact Obi-Wan and ask him to come here. Tell him that this is a conversation we need to have in person, that I cannot risk being overheard."

"Of course, sir," he said, and left the room.

Padmé looked at her husband. "Are you going to tell me?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes," he said. "But Obi-Wan needs to hear this and I really can't repeat it twice."

"Anakin," Padmé pleaded. "Let me help you. Please."

He stopped pacing, looked at her, and sighed. "It's about the Chancellor, Padmé," he said.

Her eyes widened. "Bad?" she asked.

"Yes," Anakin said.

"Master Anakin, Miss Padmé," 3PO said, "Master Obi-Wan has arrived."

Obi-Wan rushed into the living area. "Anakin," he said. "A partial message was intercepted in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of Utapau. General Grievous is there. I am leaving in the morning to go to Utapau to capture him." He stopped at the look on his apprentice's face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The words tumbled quickly from Anakin's lips. "Master, the Chancellor told me a Sith legend. About a Dark Lord who has the power to create life and stop death."

Obi-Wan blanched. "How would he know such a legend?"

"That's what I wanted to know," Anakin said. "Is this information in the Republic Archives?"

Padmé shook her head. She had gone completely white.

Obi-Wan spoke. "No," he said. "That is not information that either the average citizen of the Republic or its politicians would need. The Freedom of Information Act demands that citizens have free access to all available information, however, archive space is limited and selecting such information is at the discretion of the archivists. Few if any archivists would select information on such a legend of darkness. The ability to create or end life rests solely with the Force; any attempt to manipulate life is a blatant act of evil. It involves seeking power greater than the Force itself. Only a Sith Master would attempt to achieve that power, and as far as I am aware, none have been successful." He paused. "The information is in the Temple Archives, in the section about the Sith Wars from a millennium ago, but the Chancellor does not have access to the Temple Archives."

Anakin could not speak. He swallowed hard, willing bile not to rise in his throat.

"Anakin, where did you have this conversation with the Chancellor?"

He swallowed again. "At the Galaxies Opera House, in his box."

Obi-Wan frowned. "I am assuming it was not recorded?"

"No," Anakin said. Anakin now wondered if that was the Chancellor's intention, and why he chose the opera house.

"We could detain and question him, but without a recording, we have no basis," Obi-Wan said. "It does seem that he is under the influence of a Sith Lord, however, and we need to get to the bottom of this. Continue to watch the Chancellor and report on his doings."

Anakin nodded. "A delegation from the Senate is meeting with the Chancellor in the morning. They plan to ask him to return emergency powers to the Senate, stop amending the Constitution and let diplomacy resume." He looked at his wife. Color was slowly returning to her face, but she remained speechless. "Padmé will be there, along with Senator Organa. I will be there as well, as the Chancellor's so-called personal representative."

"If Grievous is defeated, he will have no excuse to refuse the delegation's requests," Obi-Wan said. He stood. "So I will do what I can on that front."

"I should be going with you, Master," he said. "Why is the Council only sending one Jedi on this mission?"

"We are stretched thin, as you know, Anakin," he said. "But do not worry. I am taking enough clones with me to conquer three systems the size of Utapau." He put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Besides, you are needed here. I can fight Grievous. I do not, however, have the trust of the Chancellor. I cannot do the mission the Council has requested of you. Only you can do that."

Anakin sighed and nodded. "May the Force be with you, Master," he said.

Obi-Wan smiled. "And with you, Anakin," he said, then nodded at Padmé. "Senator," he said. He looked from her pregnant belly, to Anakin, started to say something, then thought better of it. He left the apartment without another word.

Anakin saw Obi-Wan to the platform the next morning. "I still feel that I should be going with you, Master," he said.

Obi-Wan laughed. "As much as I would be able to use your help, this may turn out to be just a wild bantha chase. Besides," he said. "I believe you have a meeting with the Chancellor?"

Anakin nodded. "Well, he's meeting with a delegation of the Senate, and I'll be there."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Be mindful, Anakin," he said.

"Yes, Master."

"I would venture to say that your mission is even more important than capturing General Grievous."

Anakin sighed. "I only hope that both of us find success, and quickly."

"Yes, Anakin, I hope so as well."

"May the Force be with you, Master."

"Goodbye, old friend. May the Force be with you as well."

Anakin watched as Obi-Wan's cruiser lifted off, followed by an assault ship containing a legion of clonetroopers. Then he boarded his speeder and flew to the Senate building. Chancellor Palpatine met him on the landing platform, surrounded by four Republic guards.

"Well, Anakin," he said as they walked into the building and boarded the elevator. "Did you see your friend off?"

Anakin nodded. "He will soon have Grievous' head," he replied.

"We can only hope the Council did not make a mistake," Palpatine answered.

Anakin was already starting to get annoyed. "The Council was very sure in its decision," he replied. They exited the elevator and saw the delegation of the Senate waiting for them outside Palpatine's office. Anakin gave Padmé a half-smile which he hoped was reassuring. She looked nervous. Palpatine motioned for the delegation to follow him inside, then stood behind his desk, motioning for Anakin to stand next to him. He wants to look as intimidating as possible, Anakin thought, and he wants me to help him do so.

"Senators," Palpatine said. "How may I assist you today?"

Padmé stood. "Chancellor Palpatine," she began, and her nervousness must have dissipated. Her voice was perfectly clear. "We have concerns regarding the amount of power that has been concentrated into the executive branch of government. We are also concerned that the war is continuing in spite of the continuation of executive emergency powers, which were supposed to be used to protect the people and bring peace. We are here to ask you to order a ceasefire and ask the Separatists to enter into peace talks. We also request that you repeal the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act and return emergency powers back to the Senate."

Palpatine barely hid his scowl. "Senator Amidala, if war could be ended with an executive order, I would have certainly done so already. My emergency powers are in place to protect the citizens of the Republic and to ensure victory over the Separatists, and we are accomplishing those goals, although obviously not at the speed that you desire." He paused. "You could certainly call for a no-confidence vote in the Senate but transfer of the Chancellorship during a war could be disastrous."

He is mocking her, Anakin thought angrily. Mocking her based on a motion that he asked her to make when she was Queen. He manipulated her, and now he has the nerve to mock her for it.

"We are not attempting to delegitimize your government," Padmé said quickly, ignoring the Chancellor's blatant attempts to provoke her. "That is why we are here. If we were trying to organize an opposition, we would hardly bring our requests before you in this fashion. We only ask that you instruct your governors not to interfere with the legitimate business of the Senate, and that you open peace talks with the Separatists. We only seek to end the war, and bring peace and stability back to our homeworlds. Surely you can understand this."

"I understand a great many things," Palpatine said.

"This system of governors you have created is very troubling-it seems you are imposing military controls even on loyalist systems."

"Your reservations are noted, Senator Amidala. I assure you that the Republic governors are intended only to make your systems safer-by coordinating planetary defense forces, and ensuring that neighborhood systems mesh into cooperative units, and bringing production facilities up to speed in service to the war effort. That is all. They will in no way compete with the duties and prerogatives-and power-of the Senate."

"May I take it, then," she said, "that there will be no further amendments to the Constitution?"

"I want this terrible conflict to end as much as you do, milady, and when it does, I guarantee an immediate return to democracy."

"You are pursuing a diplomatic solution to the war, then."

"You must trust me to do the right thing, Senator. That is why I am here."

"But surely..." Fang Zar begins, but is interrupted by Palpatine, whose bite of impatience is more obvious this time.

"I have said that I will do what is right," he said. "That should be enough for your...committee."

The Senators, recognizing a hopeless end to the discussion, rose to leave. "On behalf of the delegation of 2000, I thank you, Chancellor," Padmé said. Her eyes met Anakin's. She looked frustrated, and sad. He wished he could hug her, but could only send her a couple of words-I know-and will her to read his thoughts. She gave him a quick nod, which he returned, then she and the delegation exited.

Palpatine turned to Anakin. "Their sincerity is to be admired, though I sense there is more to their request than they are telling us."

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.

"They are not to be trusted. These are unstable times for the Republic, Anakin. Some see instability as an opportunity. Senator Amidala is hiding something. I can see it in her eyes."

Anakin barely managed to hide his smile. Yes, she's hiding something, but that something has much more to do with me than with you.

"I do not sense any sort of desire for power in Senator Amidala. Quite the opposite in fact; she is a strong believer in peace, diplomacy and a representative government."

"So she says. She is a politician, Anakin, and a very good one at that. Telling people what they want to hear... that's how she has won votes... and hearts." He gave Anakin a meaningful look.

Anakin was thankful to have an excuse to leave quickly. He did not think he could take any more of Palpatine without snapping. "If you will excuse me, sir, I am scheduled for a briefing in the Jedi War Room in a few minutes."

"Of course, Anakin. You must be on your way, do not be late." He waved his hand dismissively.

Chapter 4

Anakin arrived in the war room as Clone Commander Cody, Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura, and Yoda appeared by hologram. Mace Windu waved Anakin over as Cody began his report.

"We are beginning our supporting attack as ordered," he said. "And-if I may say so, sirs-from my experience working with General Kenobi, I have a suspicion that Grievous does not have long to live."

Anakin's heart began to pound. Please be careful, Obi-Wan, he thought, knowing that if anything happened to his Master, he would never forgive himself for staying behind, for not even making an argument to the Council to accompany him. I have lost my Padawan to Grievous. I cannot lose my Master as well.

"Thank you, Commander," Mace said. Anakin thought he detected a flicker of fear in the Korun Jedi Master's eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "Keep us apprised of your progress. May the Force be with you, and with Master Kenobi."

"Thank you, sir. Cody out."

The hologram disappeared. Mace turned to Anakin. "Anakin, we will need you to take this report to the Chancellor." Anakin nodded, thinking, Ugh, looks like I get to be subjected to his insane ramblings for awhile longer.

Mace, as if reading Anakin's thoughts, said, "I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi. The Dark Side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor. That is why we will need you to take note of the Chancellor's reaction to this news, Anakin. Every reaction-facial expressions, words, any comlink transmissions he makes."

Anakin nodded, sighed, and swallowed. He knew then that he had to tell the other three Jedi what he feared, what the Chancellor had said to him at the ballet. He had hoped to have Obi-Wan with him and tell Yoda in a private session but that wouldn't be possible. It had to be done now.

"Masters?" he said, swallowing again.

"Is something wrong?" Mace asked.

He took a deep breath and began. "The Dark Side of the Force does surround the Chancellor. He knows Sith legends. He claims to have the power to stop death."

Mace's eyes widened. The holograms of the other two Jedi shifted in their seats. "How do you know this, Anakin?" Mace asked.

"He told me himself," Anakin said. "I believe he is trying to turn me against you. I also sense a plot to destroy the Jedi, and I believe he, or someone controlling him, wants to do it from within."

"Dangerous and disturbing, this is," Yoda said. "Very dangerous and disturbing."

Mace paced the floor for a minute and then said, "This is disturbing news, Anakin. We still need you to deliver the information from Commander Cody and note the Chancellor's reaction. If he believes he has earned your trust, especially if he believes you can be turned to the Dark Side, he may reveal more. Any move he makes, no matter how subtle, is important at this point."

Anakin nodded. "Yes, Master."

"Why would he have told you of the power to stop death?"

"Because of my mother," Anakin said. "Because I have premonitions about people dying."

Mace put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "The loss of Padawan Tano was a horrible one, and I know you are still grieving. But Master Kenobi is a powerful Jedi. He will be fine," he said. "You should go to the Chancellor now. May the Force be with you, Master Skywalker."

"And with you, Master Windu."

Anakin left, boarding his speeder to return to the Chancellor's office.

"Come in, Anakin," the Chancellor said. "I trust the Jedi briefing went well?"

Anakin nodded. "Your Excellency, we have just received a report from Master Kenobi. He has engaged General Grievous."

"We can only hope that Master Kenobi is up to the challenge."

Fear gripped Anakin's heart again, and he once again sent his Master an admonition to be careful. "I should be there with him," he said aloud.

"It is upsetting to me that the Council doesn't seem to fully appreciate your talents."

"This has nothing to do with me, sir. The Jedi are stretched thin."

Palpatine laughed. "Anakin, use your senses. You know that isn't true." He paused. "You know they don't trust you, Anakin. They see your future. They know your power will be too strong to control. Anakin, you must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you know the subtleties of the Force."

Anakin's heart pounded so rapidly that he could barely hear the Chancellor speak. "You... you know the ways of the Force?" he asked.

"My mentor taught me everything about the Force," Palpatine replied. "Even the nature of the Dark Side."

"You know the Dark Side?" Anakin said, horrified. The Chancellor was directly admitting everything he and the Jedi suspected. Anakin suddenly felt weak and dizzy.

"Anakin, if one is to understand the greater mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin. In time they will destroy you. Let me train you. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to use the Dark Side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death."

Blood pounded in Anakin's ears. "What did you say?" he asked.

"Did you think I didn't know? Anakin, Padmé was my Queen. Naboo is my home. Do you think I have no friends among the Naboo clergy? I have known for months; I have feigned ignorance because I assumed that was your preference, but I have always wished you both happiness. Neither you nor I want anything to happen to Padmé. Use my knowledge, I beg you."

Anakin no longer felt weak and dizzy. He was shaking with anger. "You are the Sith Lord!" he snapped, igniting his lightsaber.

"Listen to me," Palpatine pleaded. "Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi. A life of significance, of conscience. I can offer that to you."

"Is war and destruction considered a life of 'significance and conscience' now?" Anakin asked, holding the blade closer to the Chancellor's throat.

"Are you going to kill me?" Palpatine asked.

"I would certainly like to," Anakin said.

"I know you would," Palpatine said, laughing. "I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger."

Anakin thought quickly. I could and should kill him right here. It's what he deserves. But he has probably turned off the security cameras for this conversation, it will be my word against his, and I will be tried for treason. Such a trial is probably part of his plot to bring down the Jedi. And I don't want another execution in the heat of the moment, deserved or not. I should not have done that to Dooku. No surprise that he encouraged such an act.

He turned off his lightsaber. "I am going to turn you over to the Jedi Council," he said, looking away from his one-time friend in disgust.

"Of course you should," Palpatine said. "But what if I am right and they are plotting to take over the Republic?"

Anakin gave a sarcastic laugh. "Then their plotting abilities are obviously inferior to yours, as you have already taken over the Republic. I will return with a coalition of senior Jedi Masters. We will detain you, and expose you to the Senate and the Republic for the traitorous kung that you are. Good day, sir."

Anakin left the office quickly. He heard Palpatine make one final statement, which he thought went into the Chancellor's comlink. "The time has come. Execute Order 66."

Anakin found Mace Windu preparing to board a Jedi security ship at a Temple landing platform several minutes later. "Master Windu," he said, breathless. "I must talk to you."

"What is it, Anakin? We have just received word that Obi-Wan has destroyed General Grievous. We are on our way to make sure that the Chancellor returns emergency powers to the Senate." Mace stopped at the look on Anakin's face. "You look terrible. Is something wrong?"

"He won't give up his power," Anakin said. "I've just learned a terrible truth. Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord. "

Mace's eyes widened. "The Sith Lord?"

"Yes," Anakin said. "The one we've been looking for."

"Are you sure?" Mace said.

"He told me himself," Anakin said.

"Then our worst fears have been realized," Mace said. "We must move quickly if the Jedi Order is going to survive." He boarded the ship and waved at Anakin to follow him. "Come on," he said. "We will need your help."

A couple of minutes later, the five Jedi entered the lobby of the Chancellor's office and used the Force to send the Chancellor's guards flying against the wall. Anakin palmed open the door of the Chancellor's office and they entered.

Palpatine stood. "Master Windu. I take it General Grievous has been destroyed. You are here sooner than expected."

"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor," Mace said. All five Jedi ignited their lightsabers.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine snarled.

"The Senate will decide your fate," Mace replied.

"I am the Senate!" Palpatine growled, jumping over his desk and spinning toward the Jedi, a red lightsaber appearing from his cloak sleeve.

"Not yet!" Mace said.

"Although you certainly used them to mastermind this entire war which cost the lives of thousands of Jedi, you dopa meekie dopa masky sleemo," Anakin said.

"I am not finished killing Jedi yet, young Skywalker," Palpatine spat. "And this is treason."

The fight began. Palpatine was, unfortunately, a master swordsman. A few leaps, spins, and parries, as Anakin never expected from a seemingly frail old man, and Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto and Saesee Tinn were dead.

Palpatine Force-slammed Mace against the wall, but the Korun Jedi Master recovered immediately. He and Anakin lunged at Palpatine, who deflected both of them, their clashing lightsabers breaking the window behind the Chancellor's desk. Mace and Anakin were forced onto a precipice 20 stories high. Anakin felt the strong wind at his back, threatening to knock him over, but focused on the Chancellor-on defeating the man who had spent 13 years lying to him, lying to his wife while pretending to be her trusted advisor, orchestrating a war underneath their watch. Slash, parry, push forward, and the Chancellor was on the floor of his office, his red lightsaber knocked out of his hand.

"You," Mace spat, holding his purple lightsaber to the Chancellor's throat, "are under arrest, my Lord."

"Anakin!" Palpatine screamed. "It's as I told you! The Jedi want unlimited power! They will even murder to get it!"

Anakin stood at the Chancellor's waist, his own saber ignited, ready to offer Mace backup. He laughed. "Afraid we might use our power to restore peace instead of continue a war, you paranoid old fool?"

"The oppression of the Sith will never return," Mace said, his voice like a growl. "Your plot to control the Republic is lost."

"No! No!" Palpatine sneered. "You will die. This is your last chance, Skywalker. Join me or be destroyed." As he spoke, blue bolts of Force-enhanced lightning shot from both hands, hitting both Anakin and Mace. Anakin was knocked down, but quickly maneuvered his lightsaber to block the lightning, as Mace did, deflecting it back onto the Chancellor. Palpatine was pushed back against the windowsill.

"Anakin!" Palpatine cried, as his features contorted, melted, against the Force of the lightning. "Your wife will die! I have foreseen it! Only my powers can save her!"

"She would sooner die than be saved by the likes of you, you traitorous scum," Anakin muttered. Whether Palpatine ever heard him is not known, because at that moment, Mace Windu, Jedi Master, raised his purple lightsaber and plunged it into the chest of the Darth Sidious, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and Sith Master.

It was over. Mace and Anakin both sit for a minute to catch their breaths. Then Mace stood, extended his hand to Anakin, and said, "Well done, Master Skywalker."

Anakin took the proffered hand and rose. "Thank you, Master Windu. You as well."

Mace spoke into his comlink. "Windu here. We need a team to remove four bodies, three Master Jedi, one Sith scum." He turned off the comlink, walked toward the door of the Chancellor's office, and motioned for Anakin to follow. "Now we need to go to the Council chambers and make contact with the remaining members of the Council. Master Kenobi and Master Yoda are probably preparing to return to Coruscant. Unfortunately our problems have only begun."

"What do you mean, sir?" They walked quickly down the corridor, heading towards the hangar where the security ship awaited.

"We no longer have a Supreme Chancellor, and to many delegations in the Senate, the Jedi will be seen as the enemy. They will believe that we assassinated a rightful leader."

Anakin sighed. "And it's your word and mine against theirs. The other three witnesses are dead." He swallowed hard. There was no time to grieve right now.

Mace nodded. "Anakin, what is this about a wife?"

Anakin hesitated for a moment, feeling his cheeks turn red, then chose to tell the truth. I'm sorry, Padmé, that I couldn't let you know ahead of time that I'm doing this.

"I am married, Master Windu."

Mace fixed Anakin with a piercing stare. "For how long and how did the Chancellor know?"

"He knew because my wife is from Naboo, we were married on Naboo, and he has contacts with the clergy there."

Mace's eyes widened. "Anakin... surely not... Senator Amidala?"

Anakin nodded slowly.

"For how long?" Mace said angrily.

"We married shortly after the Battle of Geonosis, sir."

"Three years. You knew you were flagrantly violating the Jedi Code and you kept this from us for three years."

"I'm sorry, Master. I did not think that resignation from the Order during war time was appropriate."

"So you chose disobedience and deception."

"I love her, Master. And she loves me. We decided we would rather keep a secret and risk the inevitable censure than to be apart." He hesitated. "There is more, which will probably make you angrier, but I need to tell you this for her safety, as she was among the coalition of 2000."

"What now?" Mace snapped.

"She is carrying our child."

Mace sighed. "How long until the birth?"

"About three months, sir."

Another sigh. "We will ensure her safety. As a member of the coalition, she is a threat to any allies of Palpatine. The child must be trained as a Jedi. But we must reinstate stability here first." He gave Anakin another piercing stare. "Now is not the time to deal with your indiscretion. We have more important matters to attend to. But it will be dealt with."

"Yes, sir." They boarded the security ship, but before they could start it, they froze in their seats, staring out the windows.

The Jedi Temple was on fire.

Chapter 5

Mace's hand went to his comlink. "Master Kenobi, do you copy? This is Mace Windu."

Obi-Wan's response was immediate. "I copy, Master Windu. My clones turned on me and I barely escaped Utapau with my life. Senator Organa has rescued Master Yoda from Kashyyyk, where his clones turned on him. Organa saw the fire at the Temple and went searching for any Jedi he could find. What is happening?"

"The Republic is in chaos. Chancellor Palpatine was the Sith Lord we have been searching for. Anakin and I killed him several minutes ago. The Temple is on fire, and we do not know who set it, but if the clones are turning on the Jedi... seems the Chancellor may have set further wheels in motion to destroy us before his death."

"Master," Anakin interrupted. "I heard the Chancellor say something into his comlink as I left his office to find you. ‘Execute Order 66.'"

Mace looked at him. "We must determine what that is, and dismantle it." He spoke into his comlink again. "Kenobi, do not return to the Temple. You are in danger there. Clones are probably lying in wait to attack any returning Jedi. You, Master Yoda and Senator Organa should meet me in the Senate building. Send a transmission warning any other surviving Jedi that they should stay where they are and not return to the Temple. We will get to the bottom of this."

"We will be there as soon as possible. Kenobi out."

"If the Clones have attacked the Temple, will they come here next?" Anakin asked. He felt dizzy again.

"I don't know," Mace said. "But you should return to Senator Amidala's apartment. As a member of the coalition of 2000, she may be in danger. We will determine the nature of this Order 66 and try to stand it down, then we will meet you at the Senator's apartment, where we will make decisions as to how to proceed. I will have Organa contact the other members of the coalition, particularly those who met with the Chancellor, and order them to stay put until we can ensure their protection."

Anakin nodded. "Yes, sir," he said, standing to exit the gunship.

"Anakin, may the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, Master Windu."

"Master Anakin! Thank the Maker you're safe!" C3PO said as Anakin opened the door.

"Thank you, 3PO. It's been quite a day. Is Padmé...?"

"On the balcony, sir," he said.

Anakin hurried into the living area. His wife was on the balcony, as the protocol droid had said. Her back was to him, her head bowed, and he could tell by the violent shaking of her shoulders that she was crying.

He crossed the room quickly and laid a hand gently on her shoulder. Startled, she turned, and immediately threw her arms around his waist. "Anakin!" She buried her head in his chest and sobbed.

"Shhh..." he said softly, holding her and stroking her back. "It's okay. I'm here."

Her words came between gasps for breath. "I saw... Temple burning... I thought..."

Anakin didn't say anything, just held her for a few minutes until she calmed down.

"Are you alright?" He asked, kissing the top of her head.

She pulled away from him, wiped her eyes and nodded. "Ani, what has happened?" she asked, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

"A lot," Anakin said. He put his arm around her shoulders and led her inside to the sofa. "You need to sit down." She did, and Anakin sat beside her, resting his hand on her swollen belly. Padmé gave him a watery smile. "He's kicking," she said.

Anakin returned the smile. "She's kicking," he said.

Padmé laughed. "A few more months and we'll see who is right," she said. The laughter stopped as soon as it started. "Anakin, who set fire to the Temple? Were you there?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't there, and I don't know who set it, although I have my suspicions. I was in the Chancellor's office with several other Jedi, giving him the news that Obi-Wan defeated General Grievous."

"I did get that news, but that was the last I heard. What happened with the Chancellor? Did he return emergency powers to the Senate?"

Anakin took a deep breath. "No, not willingly anyway." He paused. "The Chancellor is dead, Padmé. And there's more. This isn't going to be easy for you to hear." He took another deep breath, and took Padmé's hands in his. "Padmé, the reason Palpatine did his best to accumulate power is because he was a Sith Master. The Sith Master."

All the color drained from her face. "No," she said, letting go of Anakin's hands and clutching her belly protectively.

"I'm afraid so," Anakin said, then looked at his wife's hands. "Padmé... the baby?"

"Fine," she said. "How did you find out?"

"He told me himself. He wanted me to join him. I think that's why he took such an interest in me in the first place, years ago, knowing that I was different and the Jedi did not originally want me trained. He has orchestrated this entire war, and used it to convince the Senate to give him more power. It was easy for him, he just ordered Count Dooku and Grievous to lead the Separatists into prolonging the war, and the longer it continued, the more power he was able to accumulate for himself. He was a mastermind, Padmé, and we were all played for fools, at least until recently when the Jedi Council caught onto him. And it was almost too late."

Padmé's face went as white as the makeup she had worn as Queen. Her mouth opened and closed but no words came out. Then without warning, she bolted from the couch and ran to the ‘fresher. Anakin heard her vomiting.

He headed to the kitchen to get water but 3PO emerged, a full glass in hand. "Master Anakin, should I call a Healer?"

R2-D2, standing beside him, gave a series of beeps, to which 3PO replied, "No, R2, I don't think she's doing well at all." R2 replied with another series of beeps. 3PO bonked him on the head. "Don't you call me a worrywart, you over stimulated trash compactor! I am programmed to understand humans, and I know when one is ill!"

Anakin took the glass from the droid. "Go ahead and make the call, 3PO. It could not hurt to have her checked," he said.

"I don't need a healer, Anakin." Padmé stood in the doorframe, her hands gripping it for support. Anakin went to her, handed her the water, and she took several sips.

"As I said, it won't hurt to have your med droid check on you and the baby." He put his arm around Padmé's shoulders, and led her back to the sofa.

"How did Palpatine die?" she asked, sipping the water again.

"Master Windu killed him," he replied. "After Palpatine told me that he was a Sith and asked me to join him, telling me that the Jedi were planning to take over the Republic, I went to Master Windu. He was on his way to Palpatine's office to ask him to relinquish his emergency powers. With my information, five of us went to arrest him. He fought us with a lightsaber he had in his cloak. He was an amazing swordsman. Like everything else we thought we knew about him, the frail-old-man guise was just an act. He killed Masters Fisto, Tinn and Kolar within a few seconds. Then Master Windu and I fought him. He attacked us with lightning. Fortunately Obi-Wan taught me after Geonosis how to block it with my saber, a trick Master Windu knew as well. We deflected it back on him, weakening him; then Master Windu killed him."

Padmé gulped. She was still very pale and sweaty.

"Why don't you lie down," Anakin suggested.

She shook her head. "I'm fine," she said, taking another sip of water. "What about the Temple?"

"I don't know," Anakin said. "When I left Palpatine's office after he told me he was a Sith, I heard him give an Order 66. I have no idea what that is, but within an hour, Obi-Wan and Yoda's clones turned on them and the Temple was on fire. My guess is that Order 66 was an order to destroy the Jedi."

"The clones turned on the Jedi?" Padmé said, horrified.

Anakin nodded. "They are genetically modified to obey any order. They have no loyalties. Obi-Wan and Yoda barely escaped."

"Where are Obi-Wan and Yoda now?"

"With Senator Organa, probably in Palpatine's old office to determine what Order 66 was exactly and try to stand it down. They will be here soon; Master Windu sent me to see to your safety. We may have to leave Coruscant soon, Padmé. Palpatine has too many allies in the Senate. You and the other coalition of 2000 members are in danger. And with the baby..."

Padmé nodded. "I have an idea on a place we can relocate. Several ideas actually."

"The Jedi may have to take control of the Republic temporarily until we can appoint an acting Chancellor."

She nodded again. Anakin took her hands. "There's one other thing, Padmé."

She looked at him. "What is it?"

"Our marriage is no longer a secret. Someone in the Naboo clergy told Palpatine months ago. Palpatine told Master Windu."

"What does this mean?"

"Probably nothing right now. The Jedi, what is left of us, have more important things to do right now than worry about my breaking an attachment code." He smiled. "I'm relieved actually. I was tired of hiding."

She returned the smile. "I know," she said. "But this could mean scandal..."

"I think there is already a scandal much bigger than us," Anakin replied.

Several minutes later, C3PO showed three Jedi and Bail Organa into the living area. Anakin's relief was palpable at the sight of his old Master and he impulsively gave the man a hug. The surprised Obi-Wan returned it. "Anakin," he said. "Good to know that you are safe."

"Master," Anakin said. "You as well. The clones..."

"I transmitted an order from the Chancellor's old office to stand down Order 66," Organa said. "With Palpatine dead, the Clone Army no longer has a commander in chief, but I hope that as a senior member of the Galactic Senate, they will heed my orders."

"What was this Order 66 exactly?" Padmé asked.

"An order to destroy all the Jedi, it was," Yoda replied. "Ingrained, it was, within the clones when they were created. Timed its execution precisely, the Chancellor did. When Skywalker refused to join him, chose to fight alone, the Chancellor did."

Anakin put his head in his hands, his fingers wound in his curly blond hair.

"How many Jedi have been killed due to the Order?" Padmé asked.

"We don't know yet," Mace said. "And may not for awhile. All the Jedi in the Temple were killed. We don't know how many stationed on outposts survived."

"Only with the help of the Wookiees and Senator Organa, escape I did," Yoda added.

"Everyone in the Temple?" Padmé was pale again.

The Jedi nodded somberly. "Including..." Mace began, and Obi-Wan finished the sentence for him, so quietly that he was barely audible. "...the padawans. The younglings."

The hitch of Anakin's breath and the tremble of his shoulders indicated that he was sobbing. Padmé put a hand on one shoulder; Obi-Wan moved to the sofa and rested a hand on his apprentice's other shoulder.

"They didn't know how to fight back," Padmé said, swallowing hard against the tears in her own eyes.

"Oh, they did," Mace said. "There were just too many of them. Thousands of clones invaded the Temple in a surprise attack. Killed everyone inside, then ignited it."

Anakin stood, sniffed and scrubbed a sleeve across his face, and began pacing. "What now?" he asked. "What do we do now?"

"A special session of Congress, we must call," Yoda said.

"We are in charge of the Republic, at least temporarily," Mace said.

"Martial law, we must have, until a new Supreme Chancellor, we can appoint. Otherwise, chaos there will be," Yoda said.

Martial law? The words were still ringing in Padmé's ears when C3PO came in the living area. "Excuse me, Miss Padmé, a medical droid is here to see you."

Padmé scowled. "Anakin, I told you this wasn't necessary."

"Are you alright, Senator?" Mace asked.

"I'm fine," Padmé said. "Anakin and 3PO worry entirely too much."

The droid entered the room. "If you will lie down, Senator, I will check the baby's heartbeat," it said, holding an instrument.

"Do we need to leave the room?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No, this monitor is sensitive even through her clothing. Please lie down, Senator."

Padmé sighed, and obeyed, lying on the couch. The droid placed the instrument on her belly and moved it around for a minute. The room was silent, waiting. Finally the droid spoke.

"Senator?" it said. "There are two heartbeats."

"T-two?" Padmé stammered. "And this means..."

"You are carrying twins," the droid replied.

Anakin, who had been sitting in a nearby chair, moved quickly to the sofa and laid his hand on Padmé's belly. "Twins?" he asked. The color had drained from his face, but he was smiling.

"Yes, sir," the droid replied. "Do you want to know the genders?"

Anakin said "Yes" and Padmé said "No" at the same time, and both of them laughed. Anakin nodded to Padmé. "It's fine, let it be a surprise."

Obi-Wan Kenobi was contemplating his Padawan with raised eyebrows. "Anakin, is there something you need to tell me?"

Anakin looked at Mace. "You mean you didn't..."

"Your insubordination is your own to confess, Skywalker," he replied, somewhat sharply.

Anakin sighed. "Okay, that's understandable." He looked at his Master and took a deep breath. "Obi-Wan, Padmé and I married three years ago, after Geonosis."

Obi-Wan was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I thought you might be the child's... children's... father. But felt that you would tell me when you were ready. I certainly had no idea you had been keeping a marriage a secret for this long."

Obi-Wan did not raise his voice, in fact he did not sound angry at all. He sounded hurt. His tone shamed Anakin, who hung his head. "I'm sorry, Master."

"A secret forever, this you could not have kept, young one," Yoda said. "Your feelings for the Senator, many of us knew."

"I know," Anakin said. "When we found out Padmé was pregnant, we knew time was probably running out on the secrecy. Even before the Chancellor..." His voice trailed off.

"Masters?" Padmé pushed herself up. "This is as much my fault as Anakin's. I agreed to keep the marriage a secret not only so that Anakin could remain a Jedi, but so that I could continue to serve in the Senate. Once the baby... babies... come, the Queen will probably force me to step down."

"I would not be so sure about that, Senator," Mace said. "Not now."

"Changed rapidly, the situation has," Yoda said. "Old rules, change they must also."

"We will need you in the Senate, Padmé," Bail said. "The Republic is in chaos. We need experienced leadership, and much of it. I cannot imagine the Queen thinking any differently."

Padmé nodded. "Thank you, Bail."

"And Skywalker, remain you will as well, right now," Yoda said.

"Safety and the rebuilding of the Republic is our priority. We have lost far too many Jedi today," Mace said.

For a moment no one spoke. Anakin's hand did not move from his wife's rounded abdomen.

The medical droid broke the silence. "If you no longer have need of my services, I will take my leave. Summon me if you need assistance, Senator, particularly if you have any unusual cramping. Otherwise I will see you in a month."

Padmé nodded, murmured "Thank you," and the droid left.

Padmé looked at the Jedi and Organa. "So as Anakin asked earlier, what do we do now? You're going to declare martial law...for how long? What about the Separatists?"

"Visit them, I will," Yoda said. "Offer to open peace talks, I will."

"Let's hope they accept it," Anakin said.

"As far as martial law, it will only last until the Senate can elect a new Supreme Chancellor. We hope the martial law will be very temporary," Mace said.

"Will we need to leave Coruscant for our safety?" Padmé asked.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That remains to be seen. If Order 66 cannot be stood down, we will definitely have to leave. Coruscant will be in a state of anarchy. We cannot declare martial law, even temporarily, without the assistance of the clones."

"Senator Amidala," Mace said. "Regardless, both you and Senator Organa will need to be under extra protection for now."

Padmé nodded. "I will have Captain Typho send for more security droids, and I would request that Anakin be allowed to remain with me."

Mace nodded. "That is a suitable arrangement, and certainly highly convenient for both of you. Master Kenobi can protect Senator Organa; we will need to assign protection to other members of the coalition as well. Once we have determined that the Jedi are no longer in danger here, we will need to call all those remaining on outposts back to the capital."

Obi-Wan stood. "I will visit the Temple, what's left of it," he said. "I need to see to the Clones. We will soon learn if they have heeded Senator Organa's orders." He nodded at the Senator, who stood to accompany him.

"Master," Anakin protested.

Obi-Wan smiled at him. "Anakin, I think I've proven that I can take on a few clones," he said. "Hopefully that won't be necessary, but I can handle it. I will contact you when I am finished." The smile disappeared and he looked at Padmé. "You should have your ship ready. Just in case."

"May the Force be with you, Master," Anakin said, sinking back into the couch.

Anakin answered his comlink before it had even finished buzzing. "Skywalker."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "Order 66 has been stood down. The clones heeded Senator Organa's orders and are on our side again. Yoda is leaving for Mustafar. According to information that Senator Organa intercepted from Palpatine's office, the Separatists are hiding there. The special session of Congress is at 1800 hours; Mace will preside long enough to elect a new Supreme Chancellor. Meet me in Senator Organa's office at 1700; bring Padmé with you, she is needed as well. And bring R2."

Anakin was confused about the request for the astromech droid but held his questions for later. "Yes, Master."

"Kenobi out."

Anakin shut off his comlink. Padmé was pacing again. "What is it?" Anakin asked.

"Just wondering how many Senators were-are-allied with Palpatine."

"Nobody really knows," Anakin muttered bitterly. "He played both sides, and did it well. "

"I only hope that whoever we elect as the new Supreme Chancellor, will be able to restore peace, and quickly," Padmé said.

Anakin nodded. "It is time," he said. "Certainly people can agree on that." He sighed. "The Jedi will do the right thing. We will see to the election of a new Supreme Chancellor right away, a Chancellor who, we hope, will relinquish the powers that Palpatine accumulated and give power back to the people."

"The martial law, Ani... that's not going to go over well."

He sighed, and kissed her forehead. "I know," he said. "We will end it as soon as we can; tonight if possible. We're concerned about riots once the news of the Chancellor's assassination is known. And the Temple fire... people have panicked today." He looked out the window at the bustling city, which was even more chaotic than usual. The charred Jedi Temple still smoked on the horizon; screams could be heard from people who were seeing it for the first time. "A curfew of 2100 hours has been issued for tonight; I hope it is lifted as early as tomorrow. No transports are being allowed in or out of Coruscant; I also hope that will change within a few days."

Padmé didn't answer, just stood silently with him, gazing at the battle-scarred city, the roaring of speeders, the blaster fire, the panicked screaming. When she finally spoke, she was so quiet that her husband almost didn't hear her. "Anakin?"

He put his hand on her shoulder, turning her to look at him.

"Hold me," she said.

He did, and she leaned against his chest and closed her eyes, hoping to shut out the sights and sounds of the Republic that had been attacked from within.

Chapter 6

The coalition of Jedi and Senators in Bail Organa's office was solemn, waiting for Mace Windu to speak. The latter stood behind the desk with the Senator and gazed at the group, waiting for them to settle. When he spoke, his words were slow and deliberate.

"The news," he said, "is worse than we thought."

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked quickly.

The Korun Jedi Master held up a datapad containing a petition. "We the undersigned, members of the Loyalist Committee and our allies, request a reward of million Republic credits for the capture and arrest of the murderer of our beloved Chancellor." At the top of the signatures was that of Orn Free Taa of Ryloth.

"Beloved?" Anakin spat.

"The Loyalist Committee? How many signatures are on that petition?" Padmé asked.

"About a hundred," Bail said soberly. "And it seems that Delegation of 2000 members were excluded from this committee after presenting our petition to Palpatine asking him to relinquish his power. The Loyalist Committee now defines loyalty in reference to Palpatine himself, not the Republic." Bail's words were tinged with bitterness. "These Senators want the Jedi investigated for their role in Palpatine's assassination. They believe the Jedi were-are-attempting to take control of the Republic."

"I knew it," Anakin muttered.

"Knew what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He told me that the Jedi were trying to take control of the Republic," he replied. "The fact that his Senate allies believe the same, is unfortunately not surprising."

"This may be less a special session of Congress and more a trial if we aren't careful," Mace said. "We will need to ensure that our first order of business is to establish the election of a new Supreme Chancellor. The Republic cannot accuse us of trying to accumulate power if we are actively trying to relinquish it."

"The media is not necessarily on our side," Bail said. "Reporters friendly to Palpatine fed stories to the Holonet demonizing supporters of the Military Creation Act, until, of course, Palpatine himself decided the Clone Army was valuable. These reporters also demonized opponents of the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act and the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill, accusing us of indifference to the security of average Republic citizens and attempting to prolong the war." Bail looked at Padmé, who nodded. Both of them scowled.

"The Republic would almost do better to get its information from CIS Shadowfeed," Mon Mothma said, referring to the Separatists' communication channel.

Fang Zar nodded. "Palpatine took control of the Holonet a year ago," he said.

"The new Supreme Chancellor will need to inform journalists that they can speak freely again. The people must be given the free access to information that Palpatine has denied them," Bail said, holding a data chip in his palm. "The information contained within this chip should help the Senate understand the truth. This chip contains a recording intercepted from Palpatine's holorecorder, executing Order 66. Clone Commander Cody will testify as to exactly what Order 66 was."

"Another piece of information that will work in our favor," Mace said. "Stored in the clones' memory was another order, an Order 65, which gave them the authority to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor if he was determined to be a threat to the Republic. Order 66 was a similar order to assassinate the Jedi." He turned to Anakin. "Skywalker, we will need you to testify as to your conversations with the Chancellor, including the fact that he told you he was a Sith," Mace said.

Anakin nodded. "Of course," he said. "Although if some of the Senators are determined to be loyal to Palpatine, my word will mean little to them."

"Your story needs to be told anyway," Obi-Wan said. "And I believe they will have difficulty attacking your credibility after R2 plays the recording of the Chancellor executing an order to assassinate the Jedi. Additionally, Padmé and I can testify to what you told us after your conversations with him."

Padmé nodded. At that moment a member of Organa's security appeared. "Sir?" he said. "It is time."

"This special session of Congress is now called to order," Mace Windu said from the Supreme Chancellor's pod. "We assume that everyone has heard the news of the Chancellor's death, and we know that all of you want answers."

"The Chancellor's murder!" Ask Aak from Malastare yelled from his pod. "Murder at the hands of the Jedi!" Many other senators joined the shouting.

"We will have order here," Mace barked. "Your charges will be answered, Senator. However, the first order of business will be to accept nominations for a new Supreme Chancellor. We Jedi are not soldiers, and we are not politicians. We have no wish to run the government, and we are going to prove that to you in this session."

"You do wish to run the government!" Orn Free Taa shouted. "Why else would we be under martial law?"

"You are under martial law so that your homes will not be destroyed as ours was," Mace said. "Martial law will be lifted as soon as possible. The ban on ships entering and leaving Coruscant will be lifted in two days' time. Now, Senator Free Taa, do you have a nomination for the Chancellorship? Would you like to nominate yourself?"

The Senator, whose pod had descended, looked at Mace and suddenly found himself speechless.

"Please enter your nominations into the databank," Mace said. "They will be tabulated automatically, and we will have another special session of Congress tomorrow for a vote. Now, the honorable Senators from Ryloth and Malastare will receive a response to their charges that the Jedi murdered the Chancellor. I am certain that this Congress has received the news of the deaths of three Jedi Masters, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tin, who died at the same time as the Chancellor." He paused, as silence fell on the session. "These Jedi were killed by the Chancellor. With his lightsaber."

Several cries of "Liar!" filled the chamber. Mace waited for the shouting to die down, then continued. "Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker and myself were present when these three Jedi died at the Chancellor's hand. He also brought us the news of the Chancellor's true identity as a Sith Lord. With this information, the Jedi moved to arrest the Chancellor on violation of the anti-Sith bill and war crimes. Master Skywalker, if you would testify to this delegation of what you knew of the Chancellor's dealings."

Padmé's pod lowered, and Anakin was given the floor. "This information is not easy for me to deliver," he began. "Chancellor Palpatine befriended me from the time I came to the Temple. I trusted him, considered him a mentor. I had faith in his ability to lead the Republic, and when the war began, I assumed that he would do everything in his power to end it quickly and restore peace. I, along with several others, first became suspicious when he instituted multiple amendments to the Constitution under the guise of restoring peace more quickly, amendments which seemed to prolong the war. I believe in efficient government, Senators, and I can assure you that I could have supported the Chancellor's constitutional amendments if they were really intended to bring about peace."

"Palpatine did not have a chance!" Orn Free Taa shouted. "The Jedi were in his way! And you persecuted him due to his religious beliefs!"

Anakin shook his head. "The Jedi never wanted this war, Senator. We were not trained as soldiers. We have fought for the Chancellor, not against him, and hundreds of Jedi lost their lives doing so. Hundreds of Jedi who were too young to die and who fought heroically before being defeated by the Separatists. My 17-year-old Padawan was among them." Anakin paused. "The Chancellor declared that the Jedi were against him for one reason and one reason only: He was the very Sith Lord that the Jedi have been searching for since the Battle of Theed 12 years ago, and he wanted to turn the tide of public opinion against us before ordering our mass execution."

A collective gasp rose from the Senate floor, followed by a stunned silence. Anakin turned to Mace. "Master Windu, I believe it is time to play the recording stored in R2-D2." Mace nodded, and Anakin turned to R2, who played the recording of Palpatine's voice, magnified around the chamber. "The time has come. Execute Order 66."

The chamber was silent for a few seconds, then Ask Aak's pod lowered. "What does this mean? What does Order 66 have to do with the Jedi, or us?"

Mace nodded. "For the answer to that question, I will ask Clone Commander Cody to take the floor."

Bail Organa's pod, which contained Obi-Wan and Commander Cody along with Bail himself, lowered.

"Commander Cody, can you recite for us the exact wording of Order 66?" Mace asked.

Cody nodded. "Order 66: In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander, commanders of the Grand Army of the Republic will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander until a new command structure is established."

"When did you receive this order?" Mace asked.

"Two days ago, sir. The Supreme Chancellor stated that Master Skywalker betrayed him and planned to have him arrested by the Jedi Council. He considered that an act of treason, and declared the Jedi enemies of the Republic."

"What did you do when you received the Order?" Mace asked.

"I ordered an AT-TE gunner to fire on Master Kenobi on Utapau. It saddened me to do so, as Master Kenobi is a friend, but I had my orders. The gunner missed Master Kenobi; he and his varactyl escaped."

"Do you know what happened to the Temple?"

"Members of the 501st stormed it, sir. They killed everyone inside and then burned it in compliance with the Order."

"Thank you, Commander." Mace turned to the Senators, who were silent, shocked. "Does anyone have any questions for either myself or the Commander?"

Senator Orn Free Taa's pod lowered. "I have a question for Master Skywalker," he said, and turned to Anakin. "You say that the Chancellor was a Sith. How do you know this?"

"He told me himself," Anakin said. "As I said, I considered him a friend. I have premonitions, I have been able to predict the deaths of loved ones. The Chancellor offered me the power to prevent these premonitions from coming to pass; he offered me the power to stop death. That power rests in a Sith legend, which he shared with me."

Orn Free Taa said nothing for a minute, then he nodded. "Maybe," he said. "Or maybe you are a murderer, and you are trying to justify your own evil deeds! You need a mind healer, and locked room with a ysalamari!" He shouted.

Mace held a hand up to stop him. "That will be enough!" he said. "You have made your point, Senator. If you have further concerns, you may file them with the courts, after we elect a new Supreme Chancellor. The nominations have been tabulated. Senators Bail Organa of Alderaan and Ask Aak of Malastare received the most nominations; third place was a tie. Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila and Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo."

Padmé's pod lowered again. "I need to excuse myself from the vote, Master," she said, then turned to the rest of the Senators. "I am expecting twins; I will not be able to serve in full capacity much longer."

"And who is the father?" shouted Orn Free Taa, followed by a Ryloth swear word that Anakin recognized as "lady of ill repute."

"You are out of order, Senator," Mace said.

Anakin's face burned with anger, and his hand went to his lightsaber. "E chu ta," he muttered. "Schutta, sleemo."

Padmé grabbed his arm. "Ani, keep your temper."

He sighed. "I know, I just can't believe that Ryloth exhaust-for-brains is trying to..." He looked at her. "I am sorry, Padmé."

"Anakin, I've been called worse in the Holonet, believe me. And I will not allow you to destroy the Jedi's honor in defense of mine," she said.

"This session is adjourned," Mace said. "We will reconvene tomorrow to cast votes for a new Supreme Chancellor."

"If Aak is elected, there may be more trouble for us," Mace Windu said, addressing the Jedi and Senators gathered in Padmé's office the next afternoon.

"He will file a petition with the courts to have the Jedi tried for treason and the assassination of Chancellor Palpatine," Bail said. "If he is elected, that will prove that he has the support of the majority of other Senators to do so."

"Is he likely to support a repeal of the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Possibly," Mon Mothma said. "But only if the Separatists have agreed to a ceasefire, and then, only if he feels he has no excuse not to do so. Unfortunately many who accumulate power are reluctant to relinquish it. That is how Palpatine got so many Senators on his side in the first place. He offered them a share in the power."

"That could work to our advantage," Padmé said. "How many of these Senators feel loyal to Palpatine now that he is defeated?"

"Aak obviously does," Anakin muttered.

"Aak is an entity in and of himself," Bail replied. "He blamed the Jedi for not preventing the assassination of Ask Moe. He has been known to send bounty hunters after his political enemies." He paused. "Which is why we will need to be wary if he is elected, but loyalty to Palpatine does not necessarily equate with loyalty to Aak."

"We are going to need a plan in place before the election," Anakin said. "And prepare for the worst. What if he reinstates Order 66?"

"That is a possibility," Obi-Wan said. "And that is the worst case scenario, that both the Jedi and the members of the Delegation of 2000 will be declared outlaws. We need a secret location, a hideout, already determined just in case."

"Aak might cause trouble even if he loses," Mon Mothma said. "Nothing is stopping him from petitioning the courts to try the Jedi for assassination and this coalition for treason. I think we would win the trial; the evidence, much of which Master Windu presented last night, is in our favor. But it could tie up the courts and result in a waste of resources for us."

"We might need to go off planet for awhile anyway. Assuming there is to be a trial or trials, we might need to go into hiding until their scheduled dates," Bail said.

"I do not want to leave Coruscant," Padmé said, her lips stretched in a thin line.

"Padmé..." Anakin began, but she held her hand up. "No, Anakin," she said. "We have a Republic to rebuild. Do you want to leave it in the hands of those loyal to Palpatine?" She looked at the rest of the coalition. "You should not either."

"Senator, please understand, we may all have to leave for our safety," Mace said. "We may not be safe in any Republic system for awhile if Aak is elected. We may need to go to the Outer Rim."

Obi-Wan nodded. "If the next Supreme Chancellor is loyal to Palpatine and has the same amount of power concentrated in the executive branch, we will not be able to rebuild the Republic. Not from here, and not in a traditional manner."

"No matter who wins this election, the Republic has permanently changed. Much of our old way of doing business will not work anymore," Bail said.

"It obviously was not working before," Mon Mothma added.

"The Jedi ability to use the Force has been diminished," Mace said. "We grew complacent and comfortable. We lost touch with the Living Force, placing too much focus on the Unifying Force. Qui-Gon Jinn knew this." He looked at Obi-Wan. "The Jedi Order will change as well. The Council will need to meet when Master Yoda returns." He glanced at Anakin, who stood facing the window, his back to them, his hands clasped behind him.

"Have you heard from Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He has made contact with the Separatist leaders," Mace said. "It took some persuasion, but he did make them understand and accept that Chancellor Palpatine and Lord Sidious were one and the same, and that they were pawns. It helped that he left his lightsaber on the ship and went to them unarmed. They are interested in a peace settlement and in participating in tonight's elections. They are on the way back to Coruscant now."

Obi-Wan nodded and stood. "That is good news," he said.

"Yes," Bail said. Bail and Mon Mothma both stood. "We must prepare our speeches. Acceptance and... concession. And a speech welcoming the Separatists back into the Republic." Bail said.

Padmé nodded. "That will be a speech welcome to everyone's ears I'm sure. Have a good afternoon, Bail."

"You as well, Padmé," he replied. He and Mon Mothma left.

Obi-Wan felt waves of distress coming from Anakin. He went to the window and stood next to his former apprentice, only then noticing that Anakin was fighting back tears. "What is it?" he asked.

Anakin shook his head. "The Outer Rim, Master," he said. "That's not an option. Padmé cannot give birth there."

Padmé looked up from her desk, then crossed the room to stand next to her husband, putting an arm around his waist. "Anakin..."

He returned her embrace, then lay his flesh hand on her protruding belly. "It can't happen," he said, looking at Obi-Wan. "Do you know how my stepfather's first wife died? Childbirth. She needed a doctor and there were none nearby. Most Outer Rim worlds are just as isolated and desolate as Tatooine. I don't even want to discuss taking Padmé there, not after my dream..."

"If we absolutely have to leave, we can go to Naboo," Padmé said.

"I don't know how safe that will be," Obi-Wan said. "You are a prominent member of the Delegation, Naboo was Palpatine's home planet, it's been the subject of attack already..."

"It's isolated enough," Padmé snapped. "In the right location. Do you really think we would be safer on some Outer Rim world that very well might still have Separatist outposts? Separatists who might not be as friendly to Master Yoda's negotiations as their leaders were? Naboo is my home, I know it well enough to know where we can hide. We can enlist the assistance of the Gungans if necessary. And I can contact midwives that I already know to assist with the birth, and be assured of their discretion." She kissed Anakin's cheek. "I'm going to be alright," she said. "I promise you."

Anakin said nothing, just hugged her tightly.

"This special session of Congress is now called to order," Mace said. "And we will get right to the point tonight. Before you are your ballots. Please cast your votes for the new Supreme Chancellor."

Orn Free Taa's pod lowered. "And who will be counting the votes?" he asked.

"They are automatically tabulated," Mace answered. "You are welcome to join me in the Chancellor's box to watch the process if you wish."

"That should shut him up," Anakin muttered. He, Padmé and Bail Organa were in Padmé's pod.

"Don't be so sure," Obi-Wan replied. "There are basically two possible outcomes for tonight: unpleasant and extremely unpleasant. Our best hope is to elect a Chancellor who believes in the Jedi." He looked meaningfully at Organa. "But even if that happens, our troubles are not over."

"I expect many challenges," Bail said. "Mon Mothma does as well. We are prepared to deal with what lies ahead."

? Padmé was silent, entering her vote into her datapad. Then she sighed, rested her hands on her abdomen, and sat down.

"Are you alright?" Anakin asked.

She nodded. "Just tired," she replied. No one in her pod thought that she was referring to physical fatigue. "There is another issue that everyone needs to consider, even if Bail or Mon Mothma wins."

"What would that be?" Obi-Wan asked.

"When Valorum was Chancellor, factions of the Senate who opposed him, appointed Mas Amedda as Vice Chair for the sole purpose of obstructing Senate business. Valorum was rarely able to get any bills passed unless Mas Amedda approved as well, which he almost never did." She sighed again. "I only wish I had understood at the time."

"Palpatine was brilliant enough to work the bureaucracy to his advantage. That isn't your fault," Bail said. "Many others of us would have called for a no-confidence vote in a seemingly-ineffective Chancellor if we thought we needed to do so to save our worlds."

"If you win, are you prepared for a Vice Chair Free Taa? Or worse?" She asked.

"There's worse?" Anakin muttered.

Bail smiled. "Yes, I am absolutely prepared," he said. He smiled. "The question might be, would Chancellor Aak be prepared for a Vice Chair Amidala?"

Padmé smiled back, but the smile disappeared quickly. "Even if I were in a position to take such an offer, I can't imagine willingly accepting a role of obstructing procedure."

"We need a constitutional amendment to allow the Chancellor to appoint his own Vice Chair," Anakin said.

"I'm inclined to agree, Anakin, but one issue at a time," Obi-Wan said.

"Such an amendment could cause other problems," Padmé said. "Look what happened when Palpatine had a Vice Chair who sided with him."

"If I may have your attention," Mace called from the Chancellor's box, where Orn Free Taa stood beside him. "We have the final vote count."

Silence quickly descended upon the chambers. "The new Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic is Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. I am sending the final vote count to your datapads at this moment. Congratulations, Chancellor Organa."

Bail nodded, then exited Padmé's pod, heading for the Chancellor's box. Applause erupted around the chambers, however, in one section, a loud chorus of shouts and boos echoed.

"Well, Padmé," Anakin said. "You wanted to know how many Senators were allied with Palpatine. I think your ears will tell you."

Padmé had stood again and was staring at her datapad. "Oh, this isn't good," she said.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The vote," Padmé said.

"What's the problem? Bail won," Anakin said.

"By only 89 votes, Anakin," Padmé said, looking up. "There are 2000 Senators. Bail got 813 votes. Aak got 724, Mon Mothma got 463."

"But why does that matter?"

"It might not," Obi-Wan said. "But it is a pretty good indicator of how strong our opposition is."

Bail, in the Chancellor's box next to Mace, raised his hands to silence the cheers--and the angry shouts. "Thank you," he said. "Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a very dark time for the Republic. The Clone War has split us in two. Political treachery has divided us even further."

"And it continues!" Ask Aak shouted.

"Isn't he the sore loser?" Anakin muttered.

Mace glared in Aak's direction. "Senator, you will be given the opportunity to give your concession speech in a few minutes. If you continue to be disruptive, you will be escorted from these chambers by clone guards." He did not raise his voice but his tone left no room for argument. He returned his gaze to Organa. "Continue, Your Excellency."

"Thank you, Master Jedi. For three years this Clone War has raged, the role of the Senate has been diminished, and the voices of the people have not been heard. You have been put under military rule with the promise that such rule would bring peace, and when that promise was not fulfilled, you were put under greater military rule. Tonight I will make my only use of the so-called emergency powers bestowed upon the executive branch by the last administration-I will end martial law, and all military governors stationed on your worlds are relieved of their duties as of midnight Coruscant time."

A tumultuous round of applause filled the chambers, and several Senators stood.

"What of the clones?" asked Senator Darsana of Glee Anselm, his pod lowering.

"The clones are human, Senator," Bail said. "We will treat them as such. The existing clones will be given homes on worlds of their choosing, as agreed upon by the residents of those worlds, and we can put forth a vote to ask the Kaminoans to cease clone production."

Darsana nodded, and his pod returned.

"I would like to recognize Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation." The chamber was silent as Gunray's pod lowered. "Viceroy Gunray, we understand that you and the Separatists were as much of a victim of the Sith deception as we were. I hope that we can put war and tragedy behind us and work together to bring peace to a new, reunited Republic."

Cheers once again filled the chamber as Gunray nodded.

"Once again, this is your Congress," Bail said, addressing the entire chamber. "For too long it has not been so. I am merely the leader, the facilitator; all decisions are yours, based on the voices of your people."

"How sad is it that he actually has to say this?" Anakin said.

"It's very sad, but he is right," Padmé replied. "We have not been a democracy in so long that people have to be reminded of its very definition."

"The Emergency Powers Act grants me unlimited terms, however, even if you choose not to repeal this act, I will put myself on the ballot for re-election in four years' time, and you may choose to send me packing to Alderaan if you are not satisfied with my performance. And in eight years' time, I will step down. These were the old term limits, ladies and gentlemen, which I will follow even if on paper they no longer exist."

Another round of applause, not as tumultuous this time.

"I would now like to recognize the esteemed Senator from Malastare."

Aak's pod lowered, but the Senator did not speak right away. Finally he said, "I concede the election and congratulate our new Supreme Chancellor, Bail Organa. I do not wish to give a speech at this time." His pod reascended as quickly as it had lowered.

Bail looked surprised, but he nodded. "In that case, this session is adjourned, and we will reconvene in a week's time."

Chapter 7 A week later the four remaining members of the Jedi Council met in Padmé's office. With the Temple destroyed, various members of the Delegation allowed the Council to take turns meeting in their offices.

"Do we have new casualty lists?" Anakin asked.

Mace nodded soberly. "The expected," he said. "We are confirmed to be the only surviving members of the Council."

"We are estimating that about 100 Jedi are confirmed to be still alive," Obi-Wan said. "One hundred, out of 10,000."

"Rebuild the Order, we must," Yoda said. "On this it all depends. We must unlearn what we have learned. The old ways, pass on they must."

"We will need to establish a site," Obi-Wan said. "Will we rebuild the Temple?"

"Not right away," Mace said. "We've had a long war and the people in the Republic are suffering. Now is not the time to build a new physical structure. We must use what we have."

"Will we even be able to train on Coruscant anymore?"

"We can for the time being," Mace said. "There are so few of us and we are needed here. It may be months before we can make any sort of decision about working from an existing location on Coruscant or moving off-planet."

"We have no one to train," Obi-Wan said. "Parents are not likely to want their children to be tested as Force-sensitives now."

Yoda nodded. "However," he said, looking significantly at Anakin. "The Skywalker children-hope they represent."

"They must be trained," Mace said.

Anakin scowled. "Do I have a say in this?" he asked.

The other three Masters stared at him. "You don't want them trained?" Obi-Wan asked.

"That isn't what I said," Anakin said, standing up and pacing. "For one thing, they only have half of my genetics. They may not be Force-sensitive at all."

Obi-Wan laughed. "I don't know. There have been occasions when I thought that Padmé could be a Jedi."

"Neither Padmé nor I are opposed to having them trained. All I am asking is that you not pin all hope for the future of the Order on my children before they are even born. ‘The Chosen One' was not exactly a fun label to carry around."

Obi-Wan sighed. "We're sorry, Anakin. We weren't considerate. We just assumed you would be on board."

Anakin sank back into his chair. "We can test them for Force sensitivity just as we would any other child of the Republic and then make a decision from there. But..."

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin took a deep breath. "Masters, this old practice of taking children from their parents and raising them in the Creche... I think it should be changed. I understand the intent-but love, even attachment to others, is part of being human. Is it so much worse for children to maintain a relationship with their parents, than to form an attachment to a Jedi Master who fills the role of a parent? Ahsoka was attached to me, and I to her. Why was that acceptable but an attachment to my mother or Padmé was not?" He looked at Obi-Wan. "Can you honestly tell me you were not attached to Qui-Gon? Or me?"

Obi-Wan sighed again. "There is a difference between attachment and love, Anakin," he said. "The bond between a Master and a Padawan is not the same as attachment. A Jedi must always put the needs of the group-the galaxy -ahead of a single person, no matter the Jedi's relationship to that person."

"Why could that concept not be taught to younglings who know their parents?"

The other Masters did not speak for a moment, then Yoda nodded. "Have a point, you may," he said. "Possible this may be."

"Duty must come first, however," Mace said sharply, his eyes fixed on Anakin. "The Jedi's primary job is to serve the people of the Republic, not each other and not their loved ones. Anakin, when the Holocron was stolen, you put several Force-sensitive children in the galaxy at risk in order to save the life of your Padawan. And as you pointed out, a Master-Padawan bond is allowed, in fact encouraged, by the Order. Can you honestly tell me that you would sacrifice Senator Amidala's life if doing so would save the life of thousands of others? Hundreds of others? Even several others?"

"Please do not ask me that!" Anakin snapped, blinking furiously to stop the tears that threatened to fill his eyes. He paced more quickly.

"I'm sorry if the question is painful but it is a prime example of what we must consider before changing the attachment code," Mace said.

"As far as Ahsoka, she asked me to let her go rather than give up the Holocron. But isn't compassion central to a Jedi's life? What would be compassionate about abandoning my apprentice to a horrific death by being sucked into a space vacuum? We did save the children that you accused me of putting at risk, and I did not have to sacrifice Ahsoka to Bane in order to do it. And Padmé... we had not planned to fall in love, and it was no more convenient-or acceptable-in her line of duty than it was in mine. But it happened, and we have no regrets."

"Anakin has put his duty to the Jedi above the Senator's well being in the past," Obi-Wan said, trying to diffuse the heated argument. "On Geonosis. She fell out of the gunship while we were chasing Dooku. Granted it took a bit of encouragement to convince him that we had to keep moving..." Obi-Wan looked amused.

"Master Windu, the answer to your question is yes," Anakin interrupted. "I would..." Anakin swallowed. "I would sacrifice her life to save that of others, if that were my only choice. Because she would insist on it. On Geonosis... yes, I wanted to go after her. And ‘a bit of encouragement' is an understatement as to what Obi-Wan had to do. But if I had left Obi-Wan and gone after her, she would have never forgiven me. And I would have never forgiven myself if something had happened to Obi-Wan in my absence. Attachment can work in the Jedi's favor as well."

"You shirked your duties to go to Tatooine after your mother," Mace said. Anakin glared at him. "No, I didn't. My duty was to guard Padmé. She came with me. My family cared for her for the few hours that I was away. The only person that I did not protect on Tatooine was my mother." Anakin hastily wiped away the tears that ran down his cheeks.

"A painful trip that was for you," Yoda said. "Touched the Dark Side, you did."

Anakin nodded, this time not bothering to wipe away his tears. For a minute he said nothing.

"Anakin..." Obi-Wan prompted.

"I killed all the men in the camp," he said, sinking back into his chair. "Then I went after the women. They were unarmed and helpless, but they had watched my mother die, and I wanted them to pay. The women gathered their children and went into a tent. I started moving a large rock with the Force. I planned to drop it on the tent. Then I heard someone calling my name. I thought I must really be losing my mind, because it sounded like Master Qui-Gon."

"Qui-Gon Jinn, it was, young one," Yoda said. "Heard him as well, I did. In such terrible pain you were, that called him from beyond the Force, you did."

Anakin took a couple of deep breaths and wiped his eyes, willing himself to continue. "There was a Tusken child outside the tent. They wear masks that cover their faces just like the adults, but through the opening I could see his eyes. He was very, very afraid. And I was standing over him with my lightsaber ignited, ready to strike. The moment I heard Master Qui-Gon and saw those eyes, I disengaged my saber, took my mother's body and ran as fast as I could from the camp." Anakin buried his face in his hands, and for a few minutes, there was no sound in the room other than his heavy sobbing.

"Qui-Gon believed in you," Mace said. "That is why he came back."

"I knew better," Anakin cried. "I'm a Jedi."

"Atoned you have, young one," Yoda said. "Fulfilled your destiny, you did, by bringing down the Sith Master."

Anakin looked up, sniffed and wiped his eyes. "Master Windu did that," he said.

"With your help," Mace said. "Without the information you brought us, we could not have defeated Palpatine."

Anakin was silent for a moment, then sniffed again and sighed. "This session was not supposed to be about me," he said. "I apologize." "Some introspection, we all need," Yoda said.

"And I believe you are the expert on attachments here, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. He leaned forward. "You do not want the children to be taken from you and Padmé and raised in the Creche, assuming we were to establish a site for a Creche," he said.

"No," Anakin said. "If they are Force-sensitive, we can train them. All four of us, if necessary. But they will stay with Padmé and me. We have lost enough in the war already. We do not want to lose our children, even to the Jedi."

Before the other Jedi could answer, there was a knock on the door and one of Padmé's assistants palmed it open. "Excuse me, Masters? I have been asked to give you some information from the Senate session that just adjourned."

"Thank you," Mace said, taking the datapad and returning to his seat. He studied it for a minute as the other Masters waited.

"Well?" Anakin said impatiently.

Mace looked up. "The Senate has chosen a Vice Chair. Ister Paddie of Sermeria."

"Is that good or bad?" Anakin asked.

"Not good, but it could be worse," Mace said.

"A supporter of Palpatine, he was," Yoda said.

"He was also a supporter of the war," Obi-Wan added. "And very critical of opponents of the Military Creation Act. He is an ally of Orn Free Taa."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Anakin said.

"However," Mace said. "He's a noble and likely to seek political favors to benefit his home world and keep his family in power there. That could work to our advantage."

Obi-Wan smiled slightly. "That sounds like something Qui-Gon would say."

"Qui-Gon Jinn may have been the wisest of all of us," Mace replied. He stood. "We should discuss this with the Chancellor."

The other Jedi stood as well. "I know Padmé plans to propose a repeal of the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Act and the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act," Anakin said. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He had a headache. "She has been working on the bill all week and hopes to present it tomorrow."

"Waste time, your wife does not," Yoda said. "That is good."

"If Bail publicly supports a repeal of these acts, although they are acts that he would not use..." Obi-Wan began.

"Symbolic, it would be," Yoda finished. "Of a new Republic, in which once again, the people have power."

---

"This session of Congress is now called to order. The Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo," Vice Chair Paddie announced.

Padmé's pod lowered, with Anakin and Obi-Wan standing beside her. "Chancellor Organa, members of the Senate," she said. "Two years ago, in the wake of the Clone Wars, this body approved the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act and the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill. Under the guise of providing wartime security, the rights of many Republic citizens, including many members of this delegation, were stripped away. Innocent people were subject to searches and seizures without warrants, including the use of observation droids in the office of many Senators considered disloyal to the former Chancellor. Prisoners taken into custody by the Republic military were executed without proper trial. Rather than having the greater sense of security that these laws were intended to provide, people lived in fear, fear of false criminal accusations and no recourse, fear of financial and personal ruin. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proposing today that we repeal these two acts. No member of this Congress nor any citizen of the Republic should be subjected to a search without the constitutionally required warrant, and all prisoners should have the right to a fair hearing. Additionally, both the Jedi Order and the Grand Army of the Republic should answer to this body, not the Chancellor himself. We have been through a terrible war and a terrible deception by the former administration. It is time to restore the Republic using the Galactic Constitution as it stood prior to the war, and allow peace and diplomacy to resume."

Applause echoed through the chambers, along with a few jeers.

"Thank you, Senator Amidala," Bail said from the Chancellor's box. "I stood in opposition to these amendments when they were originally proposed by the former administration. My stance has not changed since that time. The Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act was proposed and passed in response to an attack on my cruiser by pirate forces as I returned from Alderaan. It is now known that the former Chancellor Palpatine personally arranged for the pirate attack in order to promote this Act. He also subsequently arranged for former Chancellor Valorum's assassination after Valorum confronted him with this evidence."

Gasps came from several of the Senators, but they were short-lived as Vice Chair Paddie's voice rang out again. "The Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Malastare," he said.

Ask Aak's pod lowered. "Wonder how much floor time he's going to get," Anakin muttered.

"Ample," Obi-Wan said. "But Paddie is not one to appear too obviously biased."

"Fellow delegates," Aak said. "I offer my support to Senator Amidala in her efforts to repeal this act, for one reason: I do not believe the current administration can be trusted with its powers. The current administration continues to support the Jedi, who only opposed the act two years ago because they feared having their power usurped by Chancellor Palpatine. Not only did they kill him shortly after he took charge of their corrupt Order, but they have now brainwashed their favored politicians into making scandalous and blatantly false accusations against the former Chancellor, whose excellent judgment led to a quick Separatist defeat." He paused, fixing all three of his eyes on Bail. "Please bring this to a vote quickly, Chancellor. I look forward to removing your powers before you can abuse them in order to aid your Jedi friends in their quest to rule the galaxy."

Aak's speech was met with a few cheers and several angry shouts. Anakin's teeth clenched and his hand went to his lightsaber. "Karking sleemo," he whispered fiercely. "Excellent judgment? Quick Separatist defeat?"

"Anakin..." Padmé said slowly, emphasizing every syllable of her husband's name. "The important thing is that with Aak's support, my bill will pass. Even if someone like Ask Aak, or Palpatine, is elected Chancellor, he will no longer have such power concentrated into his office. Let's focus on what really matters. Aak hates the Jedi; he did before Palpatine died. He takes every opportunity he can to express his hatred."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "Relax, Anakin. Just because Aak says something does not make it true, or even believable."

"The Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Sern," Paddie said.

Fang Zar's pod lowered. "What of the criminal activity in the Outer Rim, which led to the provision in the act implementing capital punishment for pirates captured by the Republic?"

"The Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Humbarine."

Bana Breemu's pod lowered. "Chancellor Organa, Senator Zar, as you know I originally opposed this act. However, the Clone War as well as the former administration's Order 66 caused the deaths of the majority of the Jedi. There are too few of them to keep order around the galaxy now. If the pirates do not fear capture and punishment, the Outer Rim territories might remain in chaos under their jurisdiction."

"Padmé," Anakin whispered, "Ask Bail if he'll allow me to speak. Obi-Wan and I can shed some light on this."

Padmé's pod lowered again. "With your permission, Chancellor Organa, I would like to ask Jedi Masters Skywalker and Kenobi to give the Jedi perspective on this bill," she said.

Bail nodded. Aak opened his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to think better of it.

"Your Excellency, Senators," Anakin began. "I am probably the only Jedi to originally support allocating emergency powers to the Chancellor's office, believing it would bring a quicker end to the war. Of course the war continued years after this act was passed, and at the time I was unaware of the former Chancellor's true identity."

Shouts came, and Paddie banged his gavel. "Order, order!" The shouts died down, and Paddie acknowledged Anakin. "Master Skywalker, you may continue."

"Senator Breemu, continuing to allow capital punishment for the pirates will not help the Jedi. That provision actually made our jobs more difficult. Prior to this act, pirate companies would sometimes surrender to us, knowing that they would be treated fairly. However, when they knew that death faced them if they were captured, they fought us to an often-bitter end."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker," Bail said. "Master Kenobi, did you have something to add?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "This act also made life very difficult for many innocent citizens of Coruscant. Crime on the lower levels of the Galactic City was reduced, yes, but at a terrible price. Aliens were especially prone to harsh interrogations, particularly those who were of the same species as the Separatists. They were often guilty of no crime other than not being humanoid."

"Thank you, Master Kenobi," Bail said, then addressed the entire body. "I have sent a copy of Senator Amidala's proposal to your datapads. If there is no further discussion, please review it and cast your votes."

For several minutes the chamber was filled with the sound of Senators chattering with colleagues in their pods. Padmé looked at Anakin and Obi-Wan. "Thank you both," she said. "Your information should help the bill pass."

"I only hope we didn't cause the bill to lose votes," Anakin said. "Especially given Aak's mutterings about Bail being a pawn of the Jedi. If people really think that we're using him to help us accumulate power..."

"That's laughable at best," Padmé said. "Bail is a pawn of no one. Aak knows that, he was here for the original debate on this bill, when Bail was the sole opposition and was labeled a traitor, among other things."

"The Council opposed the bill at the time, however," Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard.

"Yes," Padmé said. "And Bail was not the sole opposition until Palpatine had Valorum killed." She scowled.

"Sadly, Palpatine's role in Valorum's assassination will probably never be investigated or proven," Anakin said.

"Possibly," Obi-Wan said. "The majority of Palpatine's closest aides went into hiding after his death. However, many of them are wanted for war crimes. The clones are alerted to their identities, but we do not have locations to search at the moment."

"Sounds like a job for bounty hunters," Anakin muttered.

Obi-Wan gave him a meaningful look. "I certainly hope that we would never stoop that low," he said.

At that moment Paddie pounded his gavel, and the room silenced. "The Repeal of the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act and the Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill has passed," he announced. "The vote count is being sent to your datapads."

Padmé took hers; her eyes widened and she nearly dropped it.

"What is it?" Anakin asked.

"Anakin, it passed 1794 to 206," she said. "I don't recall a bill ever passing by such a majority."

"That's good," Anakin said, smiling. "Another vestige of Palpatine's regime gone."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, "Gone because Bail isn't Palpatine. Did these votes come from Senators who want to restore democracy, or Senators who do not trust the Jedi?"

"Both, I'm sure," Padmé said. "But they came, that's what matters for the moment."

---

"Master Anakin, Master Obi-Wan is here to see you," C3PO said. R2-D2 chirped. "No, R2, I do not know if he has any more sinister transmissions for you to decode. I really hope that whole business is over."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Not today, R2," he said. "Although that particular business might not be over for a long time. Anakin, I have some news."

"What is it?"

"Ask Aak and Orn Free Taa have petitioned for a recount of the votes for Chancellor. They believe the Jedi manipulated the elections."

Anakin's eyes widened. "How exactly would we do that?"

Obi-Wan looked amused. "I don't know. I've never successfully mind-tricked a vote-counting machine. But Aak seems desperate." He looked around. "Where is Padmé?"

"Meeting with the Delegation of 2000," Anakin said. "I wonder if they've gotten word of the recount request."

Obi-Wan nodded. "The courts granted it, although the judges practically told Aak outright how silly it was. Those were Palpatine's voting machines. If they were biased, Aak would have won." He sighed. "At any rate, the recount was finished this morning, and Organa is still Chancellor. In fact, he may have gained a couple of votes. The margin of error is three percent in either direction."

"Good," Anakin said.

"That isn't the only reason I came by," Obi-Wan said. "I brought you something. I had nearly forgotten in all the excitement recently that I had this." He retrieved a silver cylindrical object from his cloak and placed it in the palm of Anakin's mechanical hand.

Ahsoka's lightsaber.

Anakin opened his mouth to say "Thank you" but realized he couldn't speak. Obi-Wan nodded, showing that he understood. Anakin sat down on the couch, his head bowed.

He could feel her; she seemed so close that he could almost touch her, return her lightsaber to her as he did on Bane's ship, when he had agreed to open the Jedi holocron in order to save her life. I cannot let you die, Ahsoka, he had said then. Yet a year and a half later, he had. She had slipped away from him, as she often did, headstrong, impulsive, charging into battle alone. Maybe if he had taught her better, instructed her on patience, on self-control, as Obi-Wan had done for him...maybe he would not be holding her lightsaber, the only part of her left. Her blue eyes, her laughter, the feisty attitude that earned her her nickname, now only existed in his memory.

I miss you, Snips.

"I'm here, Sky Guy," he heard, and raised his head quickly and looked around. He could not have imagined that voice. It was way too real.

"Ahsoka?" he said aloud.

She appeared, shimmering, a few feet from him. "It's me," she said. "Now dry your tears, I don't have long, and I need to talk to both of you."

"Ahsoka, where did you learn...?" Obi-Wan began.

"From your Master Jinn," Ahsoka replied. "He has been training with a shaman of the Whills. He is teaching several of us who passed during the war, so that we might be able to help you. There are few Jedi left. You cannot rebuild the Order alone."

Anakin sniffed and brushed his sleeve across his face. "But how... how are you going to be able to help?" he asked.

"We can appear, for short periods of time, to Jedi who need our guidance. We will also teach you how to retain your consciousness from beyond the Force, just in case. The worst is over but troubled times still lay ahead for the Jedi. This information will help you." She smiled at Anakin. "It looks like I'll be doing the teaching now."

Anakin and Obi-Wan were both silent for a minute, then Obi-Wan stammered, "We can certainly use any assistance."

"Anakin," Ahsoka said.

"Yes?"

"You will have a daughter. She should have my lightsaber. Trust me, you are going to think you are training me all over again."

Anakin gave her a watery smile. "It will be done. And Snips... don't stay gone long."

"I will return when I can. May the Force be with you, Master." She disappeared.

Anakin ran his hands over the lightsaber hilt. Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "A shaman of the ancient Journal of the Whills has contacted Qui-Gon, or vice versa. That explains why you were able to hear him in the Tusken camp. He must have known, somehow, that we would need him, so he sought out the training." He paused. "We should go to Yoda. See if he's had a visit from Qui-Gon, and let him know that Ahsoka contacted you."

---

Chapter 8

"Well, it is done," Mace Windu said, addressing a coalition of Senators and Jedi in Chancellor Organa's office. "Ask Aak has filed a petition with the courts to have the Jedi tried for the assassination of Chancellor Palpatine."

"Took him awhile, didn't it?" Anakin snarked. "Chancellor Organa has been in office for over a month now."

Bail looked amused. "Aak was busy attempting to force the hands of the courts to order a recount. His lust for power outweighed his hatred for the Jedi, at least temporarily. He seems to have moved on to plan B now."

"Or," Fang Zar said, "this was his plan all along. If he had won the Chancellorship, a Jedi trial might have happened faster for him."

"I would say so," Organa said. "Unfortunately for him, one seat on the court remains unfilled, and that appointment is mine to make. The evidence is on the side of the Jedi, however, it would be prudent to prepare for hostile cross-examination." He looked at Anakin. "Master Skywalker and Master Windu will be the star witnesses, along with the clones who carried out Order 66."

"Witness to Lord Sidious' orders, Viceroy Gunray can," Yoda said. "Saved hologram transmissions, the Separatists did. Possible, it might be, to make the connection between Palpatine and Lord Sidious, based on these transmissions."

Fang Zar nodded. "Certainly. And those of us on the Delegation of 2000 can testify to his attitude towards our petition."

"I can do the same," Anakin added.

"Master Skywalker, do you know if the meeting that the Delegation of 2000 held with Chancellor Palpatine was recorded?" Mon Mothma asked.

Anakin nodded. "It was. He shut off the recording device after you left, after which he tried to accuse you of wanting to seize his power."

"He practically did that while we were still in the meeting," Padmé said bitterly.

Mon Mothma looked meaningfully at Padmé. "How much longer until the birth?"

"About six weeks," Padmé said, shifting in her chair. "I hope to leave for Naboo in four weeks, assuming I do not deliver earlier."

"Ask the twins to stay put as long as possible," Bail said, smiling at her. "I need you for the debate on taxation and trade. The Trade Federation has submitted a petition to decrease taxation along the Corellian Trade Spine. It has been signed by the Mining Guild and the Commerce Guild as well as a handful of other delegations-essentially, the groups that were drawn to Count Dooku and the Separatists. Their petition has a great deal of merit. However, the war has broken the Treasury. If we decrease taxation along the trade routes, we need to discuss spending cuts and an alternate means of revenue."

"An increase in income taxes will not go over very well right now," Mon Mothma said. "Individual systems are having to raise taxes to cover war destruction in their own areas."

"When have people ever taken well to a tax increase?" Fang Zar asked.

Bail nodded. "Very true." He looked at Padmé. "Are you alright?" He asked, noticing that the heavily pregnant Senator was shifting in her seat again.

She nodded. "It's my back," she said.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" her husband asked.

"Because my back always hurts lately, Anakin," she said. "It's just worse today, that's all."

"Why don't I adjourn this meeting," Bail said. "I will call a session of Congress next week regarding taxation; I want to allow the Trade Federation and the Commerce Guild to present their petition to the entire Senate delegation." He looked at Mace and Obi-Wan. "I will submit to the Council any further information I receive on Senator Aak's efforts to bring the Jedi to trial."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Mace said. The group stood; Anakin offered Padmé his arm, which she accepted, rising slowly from the plush chair. Jedi and Senators walked towards the door of the Chancellor's office.

"I hope we will soon be able to put Palpatine's regime and its aftermath behind us. Discussion of taxation, no matter how ugly it may get, will be a welcome return to normal," Fang Zar said, opening the door for himself and Mon Mothma.

"I could not agree more," Padmé said. "Have a good afternoon."

"You as well," Mon Mothma said. "Get some rest."

"The trial...be over quickly, it will not be," Yoda said after the Senators left. "Mindful we must be of theLiving Force. Oblivious we were before, and arrogant. Our knowledge and wisdom, a liability it became."

"The Dark Side surrounds Senator Aak," Mace said.

"Angry he is," Yoda said. "But cunning and powerful he is not."

"He is not as dangerous as Palpatine," Obi-Wan said. "Never has been. Nevertheless, we must..."

"Be mindful," Anakin finished, smiling as his former teacher. Obi-Wan returned the smile.

"Yes," he said.

"I will contact you later," Mace said. "May the Force be with you."

"With you as well, Mace," Obi-Wan said as the Korun Jedi Master left.

Padmé suddenly stopped just shy of the door. "Anakin..." she said. Her face was contorted with pain. "Anakin, something is wrong..."

Anakin put a hand on her large abdomen. "What is it?" Then he looked down. "Oh no..."

Padmé had lifted the hem of her dress. Blood was running down her legs, leaving puddles on the carpet.

From behind his desk Bail quickly punched a code into his comlink. "This is Chancellor Organa. I need a medical team immediately, in my office."

Anakin carried Padmé to a nearby sofa, laid her down, and knelt beside her, taking her hand in his. "Tell me where it hurts," he said.

She had gone pale and tears were leaking from the corners of her eyes. "My back..." She said. "No contractions... just my back."

Bail rushed to Anakin's side. "A medical team should be here quickly. They said to keep her awake and distracted as much as possible."

"Anakin, do you know how to ease her pain through the Force?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shook his head. General Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear, looked as frightened as his Master had ever seen him.

"Can you roll onto your side, Padmé?" Obi-Wan asked. She nodded and obeyed. Obi-Wan rested his large hands on Padmé's lower back and closed his eyes. Within seconds, Padmé's face visibly relaxed.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. "I really should have taught you to do that," he said.

"I'm not even sure I can touch the Force right now, Master," Anakin replied.

"Trust in the will of the Force, you must, young one," Yoda said. "Only in trusting its will, can you reach it at all times." He rested his hands on Padmé's abdomen and closed his eyes. For seconds which seemed an eternity to Anakin, he said nothing.

"Hmmm... the babies... healthy and strong they are," he finally said. "Very healthy and strong."

At that moment one of Organa's guards palmed open the door. "Medical droids, sir," he said. The team entered the office with a stretcher. Anakin lifted Padmé onto the stretcher and walked beside it into the lobby, never letting go of her hand. Obi-Wan, Yoda and Bail followed.

The speeder ambulance trip to the medical center only took a couple of minutes. Anakin was taken into the medical pod with Padmé; her bloodstained dress was removed, she was changed into a hospital gown, and monitors were attached to her abdomen. For a few moments there was no sound other than the humming of the monitors. Padmé held Anakin's hand tightly. Her eyes, which met his, were filled with fear.

Finally one of the droids spoke. "We have isolated the problem," it said. "The placenta of one of the twins is separating from the uterus. Both babies are healthy at the moment, but we must operate quickly."

Anakin and Padmé both nodded.

"Senator, if you will sit up and lean against Master Skywalker, I will give you an injection in your spine, which will numb you from the chest down."

Padmé nodded and obeyed, sitting up and resting her head against Anakin's chest. He ran his hand over her hair and kissed the top of her head as the droid injected her in the back with a long needle. Anakin laid her gently back down.

The droids dropped a curtain at the level of Padmé's chest, disappeared behind it, and began to work. Anakin held Padmé's hand and waited for what seemed an eternity, with no sounds in the room other than the clinking of medical instruments. Finally they heard a cry, and one of the droids emerged, placing a baby in the crook of Anakin's arm. "A boy," it said.

"Luke," Padmé whispered, reaching to touch the top of his head.

Anakin nodded and smiled, holding him closer to his mother. "Yes," he said. "Luke. Happy birthday, son." The baby's blue eyes opened and met his.

Another cry, and the droid emerged again, carrying another baby, which he placed in Anakin's other arm. "A girl," it said.

"Leia," Padmé whispered. The baby girl opened her eyes and looked at her mother. Padmé smiled, touched her head, then looked at Anakin. "Ani, we were both right. A boy... and a girl."

He returned the smile. "Funny how well that worked out," he said, then looked at his children. "You are so... beautiful. Both of you."

Anakin turned to the medical droid. "Is she..."

"The Senator will make a full recovery," it said. "We are stitching her incision right now and we have contained the blood loss."

Anakin leaned over to kiss Padmé, his relief palpable. "Are you ready to hold them?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, "but I can't feel anything below my chest yet." She smiled at him. "Take them to meet Obi-Wan and Bail and Yoda. You're ready to show them off. I can tell."

He laughed. "Well, of course..." he said. He kissed her one more time. "I love you," he said. "I will be back in a few minutes."

---

Anakin emerged from the pod, a twin in each arm and a wide grin on his face. Obi-Wan, Yoda and Bail stood as the pod door opened, then slid shut. "Everything went well then?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin nodded, still grinning. "Padmé is going to be fine, and look," he said, gazing at the babies. "I'm a father!"

Obi-Wan and Bail nodded. "Congratulations," Bail said. The three of them gazed at the twins for a moment, then Bail extended his arms. "May we...?"

"Of course," Anakin said, handing him one of the infants. "This one is Leia, and this one," he said, putting the other twin in Obi-Wan's arms, "is Luke."

"A Jedi already," Obi-Wan said, gazing at Luke as the baby reached up for him, seeming to want to grasp the beard.

"She's beautiful," Bail said, smiling down at Leia. Then he looked at Anakin. "Did the droids determine what caused the bleeding?" Anakin suddenly realized how worried Bail looked. Breha Organa's efforts to produce an heir to the Alderaani throne had only ended in heartbreak and loss.

"They did," Anakin said. "Placental abruption. We were very lucky..." Suddenly his vision blurred from tears he did not know he had been holding back.

"Anakin," Bail said softly. "You should sit down. It's been a very long day."

He did, and cradled his head as the sobs overtook him. Obi-Wan shifted Luke to his other arm and sat beside Anakin, put an arm around his shoulders.

"My... nightmare... Master," Anakin managed to say.

"Didn't come true," Obi-Wan finished. "Padmé is going to be fine."

"A real vision, the dream might not have been," Yoda said. The old Jedi Master had not spoken since Anakin emerged from the pod, had merely been observing the scene. "Sidious... sent you the vision, he may have. Promised you, didn't he, that the power to stop death, he would teach you? Fear is the path to the Dark Side, young one. Wanted you afraid, he did, so that manipulate you, he could."

"But it almost..." Anakin protested.

Yoda banged his gimer stick. "Almost matters not!" he said. "Focus on the negative, we must not. Fear every possible outcome, we must not. Keep our concentration on the here and now, we must!"

"Here," Obi-Wan said, handing Luke to Anakin. "...is what matters. Hold your son."

"...and your daughter," Bail said, approaching Anakin from the other side and placing Leia in the crook of his other arm.

Anakin said nothing, just gave his children a watery smile.

Yoda approached, laying a hand on each twin's head and closing his eyes. "Hmmm..." he said. "Yes...strong in the Force, they both are. Very strong in the Force. Powerful Jedi they will be."

Luke glanced in Yoda's direction, yawned, and closed his eyes.

---

Padmé sensed her husband in the room before she saw him. When she opened her eyes, he was gazing at her, smiling, with a baby in each arm.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," he replied softly, settling the twins on either side of their mother and kissing her forehead. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

She kissed the tops of the twins' heads then smiled at Anakin. "Not at all," she said. "A nice injection from the med droids took care of that. As long as I don't need to operate a speeder for awhile..."

Anakin laughed. "No, I don't think so," he said.

"What about you?" Padmé asked. Being careful of Luke nestled at her side, she reached her hand to squeeze Anakin's flesh hand. "Are you alright? You've been crying."

"I got a little shaken up but I'm fine," he said.

"Your nightmare?" She asked.

He nodded. "I thought..."

She gave his hand another squeeze. "I know," she said. "I was afraid too."

"Master Yoda thinks that Palpatine sent me the vision in order to turn me."

"He could have," she said, letting go of Anakin's hand and stroking the babies' heads. "Thankfully that's over and here we are." She kissed Luke and Leia again. "You are beautiful," she said. Luke opened his eyes and gazed at his mother. "Oh, Anakin, he has your eyes," she said.

"And Leia has yours," Anakin said.

"It's going to be interesting to see who inherits whose temperament," Padmé said.

Anakin laughed. "I think we'll know soon enough," he said, then added, "Master Yoda says they are both Force-sensitive."

Padmé looked at Anakin. "Did that surprise you?"

"No," he said.

"You just haven't decided how you feel about it yet," she said.

"I'm afraid," Anakin said. "Being a Jedi isn't exactly what I thought it would be when I was nine."

Padmé laughed. "Anakin, almost nothing in life meets the expectations we have as children," she said. "And being a Jedi... I can't imagine what you learned on Tatooine. I'm sure the deep space pilots gave you a lofty vision of Jedi superheroes. But even knowing what you know now, wouldn't you have left Tatooine with Qui-Gon? Do you regret becoming a Jedi?"

Anakin sighed. "Yes, I would have left with him, and no, I have no regrets." He let go of Padmé's hand, ran his finger over each twin's cheek. "Qui-Gon was right though. It's a hard life."

Padmé smiled. "So is any life that is worth living," she said. Then she yawned.

Anakin kissed her. "You should sleep," he said. "Your med droid says you can come home tomorrow as long as your incision is healing."

Padmé nodded and yawned again. "Good," she said. "I need to sleep in our bed again." Her eyelids were drooping. Anakin picked up Luke, then Leia and settled them in the bassinets next to their mother's bed. Then he kissed Padmé's forehead and said softly. "I know it won't be overlooking the garden in the Lake Country on Naboo, but I'll do my best with the nursery before tomorrow. I think the room next to ours will be perfect. It's relatively quiet..."

She opened her eyes, smiled at him, and nodded. "I love you," she whispered. She closed her eyes and drifted off before Anakin could reply.

---

Chapter 9

Obi-Wan found Anakin on the veranda. In the weeks since Organa's election, Coruscant had returned from chaos to a semblance of normality. Bright lights, rushing speeders and happy shouts had replaced the smoke in the evening skies and the screams from the streets. Anakin sat in a rocker, feeding Luke, who rested against his father's chest, facing outward. The baby's eyes seemed to scan the horizon as he drank from his bottle. Obi-Wan patted him on the head, then laid a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Good evening, Padawan," he said.

Anakin nodded and smiled. "Master," he replied.

Obi-Wan's gaze returned to Luke. "That's a curious position for him," he said.

Anakin laughed. "It's the only way he'll eat. He cries if I cradle him. Not going to be content to sit still and focus on the present, this one. Eyes already on the stars."

Obi-Wan shared in the laughter. "Not that we can see any stars here," he said. "How is Padmé?"

"Recovering well. She's been going to her office an hour or two a day this week, working on the taxation debates."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he looked at Luke. "The twins are three weeks old. She had surgery. What is she thinking?"

"That she'll go stir crazy if she has to stop completely," Anakin said. "Once I realized that, I gave up trying to persuade her to rest. Besides, she usually takes at least one of the babies with her." He sighed. "Fortunately she and Leia are both sleeping now. Both twins have hit a growth spurt and have been waking up to eat more often." Anakin set Luke's empty bottle on the table, rested the baby's head against his shoulder, and patted his back. "Of course this one has been in one constant growth spurt since he was born."

Obi-Wan smiled. "He is growing fast," he said. The smile disappeared. "Anakin, I did want to see you and the children, but that isn't the only reason I came by."

"I suspected that," Anakin said, looking at his former Master. "What is it?"

"A date has been set by the courts for the Jedi trial for the assassination of Palpatine."

Anakin frowned and nodded, resigned. "When?"

"We begin in two weeks," Obi-Wan said. "Aak and Free Taa wanted you and Mace taken into custody for the duration of the trial, but Bail gave an executive order that you are to remain as you are, saying that you are not a danger to either his office or the Republic itself. There is a contingency to that order, however."

Anakin looked at him. "What would that be?"

"You are not to leave Coruscant for any reason."

Anakin nodded, and looked at Luke, who was falling asleep, snuggled against his chest. Anakin stroked his son's cheek with one finger, kissed the top of his head, then looked at Obi-Wan again. "Master," he said, and his voice was tinged with fear. "What if we lose?"

"Losing is not an option, Anakin," Obi-Wan said firmly. "The Sith have won many battles but they will lose the war." He looked at Luke. "Are you going to lay him down?"

Anakin shook his head. "Not right now. I want to hold him for awhile."

Obi-Wan nodded, and both Jedi sat silently, gazing at the skyline of the bustling city.

---

It was early morning, before sunrise, when Ahsoka re-appeared. Anakin had fed Leia and was rocking her. He sensed his padawan's presence before he saw her.

"Good morning, Snips," he said, without looking up from gazing at the sleeping baby in his arms.

"Good morning, Master," Ahsoka replied. She moved closer, also watching the baby. "She's beautiful," she said. Anakin smiled.

Ahsoka turned her attention to him. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

Anakin looked up. "About Padmé?"

The ghost form of his apprentice nodded. "You were always taking off to ‘be somewhere' and not telling me where you were going. And I thought... I could see it in your eyes when you looked at each other. Now I know. I would have kept your secret."

Anakin shook his head. "I know you would have, but it wasn't yours to keep. I couldn't put you in that position. If the Council questioned you, it was better that you knew nothing. It wasn't a matter of trust, Padawan, I promise. It was a matter of not involving you in my issues."

"I'm sorry, Master."

Anakin smiled. "For what?"

"For all that has happened lately. That I was reckless and got myself killed. That I haven't been able to help you."

He sighed. "I'm sorry you had to take Grievous alone. Twice. As much as I wish you were physically here, I'm thankful for Master Qui-Gon's teachings, that I can still see you."

"Anakin, I came to give you some information about the trial."

He looked up quickly.

"You need to make sure you watch your temper in there," she said.

Anakin laughed. "You are telling me to watch my temper?"

Ahsoka scowled. "This isn't funny, Master. I am hardly the only member of the Order who is, to put it nicely, unpredictable. Your fuse is shorter than Master Yoda's thumb. The prosecution will try to goad you into losing it on the stand. They will start by trying to paint Palpatine as a good man who was only striving for peace, and then will paint you and Master Windu as power-hungry angry men who hid behind the Jedi guise in order to accumulate more power for yourselves. In other words, they will try to paint a picture exactly the opposite from reality. They cannot be successful. Fortunately for Master Windu, he is much less easily provoked than you are. Your losing your temper on the stand would be disastrous, Anakin. So no name-calling, no shouting, no Huttese curses, and for the love of the Force, stop reaching for your lightsaber every time someone says something that makes you mad. You have to be the perfect picture of a Jedi. The evidence in the case is on your side, and the prosecution will be relying on character assassination. Please do not play into their hands."

Anakin held up his mechanical hand in surrender. "Okay, okay, call off the gundarks, I understand."

"Good luck, Sky Guy. May the Force be with you."

---

"Master Anakin, Miss Padmé, very important visitors here to see you-the Chancellor, two Jedi, and another," 3PO announced.

"Thank you, 3PO," Padmé said, emerging from the bedroom where she had just settled Leia down to sleep. "Please have some drinks ready to serve them."

"Of course," 3PO said. R2-D2 chirped something. "No, R2, I don't know what is happening or what Master Anakin has been involved in lately, other than taking care of infants. I wish I could help, but I am afraid I am not programmed to understand the smallest humans..."

"Maybe it's time for some reprogramming, 3PO," Anakin said, smiling. "I think you could handle changing diapers, with the right instruction."

"Oh dear..." 3PO said, disappearing into the kitchen.

Padmé went to the entrance hall as Anakin went into the bedroom, carrying Luke.

"Senator Amidala," Mace said. "I would like you to meet Arili Adri, counselor for the Jedi defense."

Padmé shook her hand, met her eyes. They were soft and brown, her dark blonde hair pulled back into a chignon. "Very pleased to meet you. Please come in and have a seat. Anakin will be back in a minute; he's settling our son down for a nap."

Adri nodded, and the group followed Padmé into the living area and settled on the couches. 3PO brought a tray of caf and cups, settled it on a table, then quickly disappeared.

"How are the twins?" Bail asked.

"Healthy and growing fast," Padmé said.

"Growing at .5 past lightspeed," Anakin said, emerging from the hall leading to the bedrooms. "I'm afraid they'll be flying their own space cruisers next time I blink."

"Or if they are like their father, modifying all the space cruisers on Coruscant," Obi-Wan said. "Good morning, Padawan."

"Good morning, Master." Anakin approached Adri and extended his hand. "Hi. I'm Anakin Skywalker."

She took the proferred hand and smiled. "Master Skywalker. Arili Adri, I'll be defending you in court. I look forward to it."

Anakin smiled. "So do I." He poured himself a cup of caf and settled down.

"As you are probably aware already, the hard evidence in the case is on the side of the Jedi," Adri began. "The prosecution will try to make the case that Palpatine was correct, that the Jedi used the war to take control of the Republic, that you betrayed the Chancellor and initiated a coup in order to do so. They will attempt to feed into any innate anti-Jedi sentiment in the Court."

"What is the breakdown of the Court?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Of the twelve members, six are Palpatine appointees," Bail replied. "The other six were appointed by Valorum or myself. I have appointed Keyan Ijaaz to replace Raene Sularen, a Palpatine appointee who retired shortly after the assassination. Ijaaz is very supportive of the Jedi."

"The prosecuting attorney, Telera Dorstar, was a supporter of Palpatine but I don't know that she holds strong anti-Jedi sentiments, mostly just skepticism and distrust as opposed to outright hatred. Resmi Rosario will preside over the trial. She is a Valorum appointee and has had good relations with the Order," Adri said. "And there was an important breakthrough three days ago on the side of the Jedi."

"What would that be?" Anakin asked, taking a cautious sip of caf.

"The 501st arrested Sate Pestage on Telos IV. Pestage was complacent in many of Palpatine's war crimes. In exchange for immunity, he has agreed to testify for the defense."

Padmé's eyes widened and her hand shook as she sat her cup on its saucer. "Pestage...agreed to help the Jedi?"

"I was surprised as well," Mace said. "Considering that at one time, I thought Pestage himself was Sidious."

Adri nodded. "It seems that Palpatine offered him a share of power in exchange for doing his dirty work and keeping his secrets," she said. "And now that that is over..."

Bail was scowling. "Pestage is a thug," he said. "I only hope I have not endangered anyone by granting him immunity."

"I am quite certain you will have saved more than you might endanger, Chancellor," Adri said. She turned to Anakin. "Master Skywalker, were you aware that Palpatine had Sith statues in his office?"

Anakin shook his head. "I may have seen some statues but I did not know what they were," he said.

"Pestage bought the statues for Palpatine," Adri said. "The coroner droids found a red lightsaber next to Palpatine's body, and the janitorial droids found a Sith robe in the Chancellor's office, with a comlink inside it. The comlink was not erased. Viceroy Gunray will testify, and he has turned over all transmissions between the Separatists and Darth Sidious. Captain Rex will testify on Order 66, as he was among the legion that assaulted the Temple. Then Pestage, whose testimony will do the most to prove that Palpatine was a Sith Lord. And of course your own testimonies will be important." She looked at Mace, then at Anakin, then turned to Padmé. "Senator Amidala, does the Court know that you and Master Skywalker are married?"

Padmé took another sip of her caf. "I don't know," she said. "My closest colleagues in the Senate and members of the Jedi Council are the only people we have told personally. We are no longer actively trying to hide our marriage but we haven't made any official announcement either, especially given recent events."

"We've been trying to stay out of the Holonet," Anakin said. "We don't want reporters' cameras in our children's faces."

Adri nodded. "That's certainly understandable. I don't know that the prosecution will question you about your relationship. But with rumors floating about Coruscant that a Jedi fathered Senator Amidala's twins..."

Padmé scowled. "How did those rumors get started?"

Anakin looked amused. "You have always been a little too cozy with the Order, love," he replied.

"That's probably accurate," Bail said. "You were always able to gain access to the Temple more quickly than the rest of us." He looked amused as well.

"Plus Luke has already tried to mind-trick at least one Toydarian..." Obi-Wan said. "I'm teasing," he said, looking at Padmé, who continued to scowl.

"I know," she said. "It just seems that with the Republic in turmoil, people would have more important things to discuss than my love life."

Bail laughed. "You overestimate them, Padmé," he said. "Especially when Anakin and Obi-Wan have both been cited in at least one woman's magazine's monthly feature of Jedi We'd Like To..."

"Bail!" Padmé said. Anakin and Obi-Wan were shaking with laughter. Even Mace had cracked a smile.

"Anyway," Adri said. She looked amused as well. "It's possible that the prosecution will ask, and try to use it against you. They might try to accuse Master Skywalker of trying to create a political alliance."

"That would be a bit ridiculous," Padmé said. "Anakin doesn't have the patience for political alliances."

"Hey!" Anakin said. He pretended to look hurt but his amusement showed.

Padmé smiled at him. "Sorry, darling, you don't."

"I think the notion is ridiculous as well, and could be easily debunked, so I don't think they'll try that," Adri continued. "Just be prepared to be asked. Both of you."

"Are you planning to put me on the stand?" Padmé asked.

Adri looked at her. "We may need you to testify about the Naboo blockade, the vote of no confidence in Valorum, and Palpatine's ascension to power. I don't think that will be necessary, however. I believe we have enough evidence to make our case without your needing to testify."

Padmé nodded. Adri stood. "I will take my leave," she said. "I will keep you apprised of new evidence as it becomes available. And Master Skywalker..."

Anakin looked at her.

"During the trial, only speak when spoken to. Everything you say can be used against you. Even your facial expressions could influence the Court. I have already told Master Windu the same."

Mace nodded. Anakin, who was trying to count the number of times in the past 13 years that he had seen Mace's facial expression change from "completely unreadable," nodded as well. "Understood," he said.

"Good," Adri said. "I will see you in two days at 0800. Have a good morning."

---

Anakin got up early, well before sunrise, and took his caf alone in the living area, gazing out the window. As the Coruscant horizon grew pink, then orange, with daybreak, Anakin thought he heard one of the twins. Or was it both of them? He was never sure. He stood to go into the nursery to see if Padmé needed his help, when she appeared in the doorway, holding Leia, and handed her to Anakin. "She just ate. Can you burp and rock her? I need to take care of Luke; he's hungry."

Anakin nodded, taking the baby in one arm and with the other, throwing the burp cloth over his shoulder. "Of course," he said, kissing Leia's soft cheek as he rested her head on his shoulder. "Good morning, Princess," he said, giving her back a firm pat with his flesh hand. "Let's go on the balcony." He did, settling into a rocker there. The sun was rising brilliantly now, turning the sky several hues of purple and red. The morning was cool; Anakin wrapped Leia's lower body in the folds of his robe.

Padmé joined him on the veranda, sat down in the other rocker, and began to feed Luke. "Have you slept at all?" She asked.

"Some," he said. Insomnia had plagued him since the Separatist Crisis. The fact that he was only able to sleep three hours on the night before his trial, was not a surprise to him.

She watched Luke as he ate. "Anakin, we must have faith that the Court will do the right thing," she said. "We lost faith in the system before, remember? And almost became a dictatorship."

"How could I forget?" Anakin said bitterly. "I'm going on trial for stopping the dictator." He sighed. "I killed the Sith apprentice and was lauded as a hero. I helped kill the Sith Master and suddenly I'm the villain. What kind of kriffed-up system is that?"

"Bail has made a lot of strides in restoring faith in the Republic but we're not going to heal overnight," Padmé said. "Palpatine twisted too many minds. But we will heal, Anakin."

He sighed again. "I know, and I certainly was not trying to disparage Bail's work. Or yours." He paused. "The anti-Jedi sentiment that Adri talked about...I wonder how much of it is present in the Court. It was present all over Galactic City at one time; even Bail didn't like us much a few years ago. Thankfully he's become one of our strongest allies."

"I think it was more a mistrust because the Jedi were seen as secretive," Padmé said. "Not so much a dislike."

"Then Palpatine made sure our faces and our doings were made public," Anakin muttered. "Of course maybe that was the one thing he did right. No one can mistrust us for being secretive if our doings are splashed all over the Holonet. There is something to be said for transparency."

"Even if his motivations for doing so were evil," Padmé said, putting Luke on her shoulder. "But I think your actions during the war spoke for themselves, and helped build public trust more than Palpatine's publicity did."

"Depends on who you ask," Anakin muttered.

"You drove the Separatists out of the Core Worlds, Inner Rim and Mid Rim pretty quickly. If only Palpatine hadn't insisted on continuing the war on the Outer Rim..."

"With Dooku taking his orders. I know," Anakin said. "As long as we can prove that Palpatine as Sidious was giving the orders for the war to continue..."

3PO appeared on the balcony. "Master Anakin, Miss Padmé, Master Obi-Wan is here with two soldiers. Soldiers, oh dear... Master Anakin, are you going into battle again?"

Anakin stood, Leia still in his arms. "In a manner of speaking," he said. "Tell them I will be right there, 3PO, as soon as I put Leia down."

He took the baby into the nursery where two bassinets sat side by side, one blue, one pink. Anakin had constructed them himself, the day the twins were born. Gently and methodically carving the wood had helped fill the long hours while he waited for Padmé to be released from the medical center. And the happy tears that filled her eyes when she saw the cradles made the effort well worth his time.

He gently laid Leia in the pink one, handed her a rattle, and kissed her forehead. "Daddy's expecting a rough day, Princess, but knowing that I get to come home to you, will make it all better."

Leia looked at him and smiled. Her eyes met his. They were already darkening to a blue-grey, and Anakin knew they would eventually be brown like her mother's. And like their mother, Luke and Leia's mere presence was a balm to Anakin's soul. He kissed her forehead again. "I'll be back soon," he said, and stood, forcing himself to back out of the room.

He nearly ran into Padmé and Luke, who were standing near the doorway to the nursery. Padmé stood on tiptoe and kissed him. "You need to go ahead. They're waiting for you. Being late would definitely not be good." She shifted Luke to her other arm and took Anakin's flesh hand in hers. "I love you. The truth will prevail, Anakin."

Anakin nodded and held out his arms. "Let me hold him for a minute," he said.

Padmé handed Luke to him. Anakin held him, saying nothing, just gazing into the baby's clear blue eyes and rocking him gently. After a minute he kissed Luke's forehead and handed him reluctantly back to his mother, giving her a long kiss. "I love you. I'll be back as soon as I can," he said, then went into the entrance hall where Obi-Wan waited for him, with Rex and Cody.

"Are you ready, Anakin?" Obi-Wan said, obviously trying to sound cheerful.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Anakin asked, then looked at the clone soldiers.

"General Skywalker," Rex said. "This is just a formality. We aren't expecting you to try to escape."

"I hope not," Anakin said, and smiled. "Good to see you again, Rex."

"You as well, sir."

Anakin nervously smoothed the front of his tunic. "Alright, let's do this." He said it as if they were leaving on a mission.

---

Chapter 10

They approached the door to the courtroom in hushed silence. "Master Kenobi, Master Skywalker," Cody said just before the guards opened the large polished doors. "I have to ask you to surrender your lightsabers. They are not allowed in chambers."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said, nodding. He and Anakin put their sabers in the clone commander's palm.

Well, Snips, you won't have to worry about my reaching for it if someone irritates me, Anakin thought. While he wasn't surprised at the command, somehow having to surrender his weapon made him feel more vulnerable, and alone.

Adri rested her hand on Anakin's arm. "The only thing you need to do the next few days is sit and listen," she said. "And use whatever meditation techniques you need. Dorstar and her witnesses are going to brutally attack the Jedi. You need to be prepared."

Anakin scowled and nodded. He and Obi-Wan entered the courtroom and sat silently next to Mace. Yoda sat on Mace's other side, his eyes closed, seemingly going into meditation himself.

"This session of the Galactic Supreme Court is called to order," the bailiff said. "The Honorable Chief Justice Resmi Rosario presiding. Case number 87623: the Republic v. the High Council of the Jedi Order, on the charges of treason and murder in the premeditated assassination of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Lead counsel for the prosecution, Telera Dorstar. Lead counsel for the defense, Arili Adri."

Dorstar took the stand. "Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen of the Court, three months and ten days ago, five Jedi entered the office of the Supreme Chancellor, attacked him, and murdered him. They used their supernatural powers to assault the Chancellor's guards without using weapons, rendering them unconscious so that there would be no contest and no witnesses. The cause of the Chancellor's death was a chest wound inflicted by a lightsaber. Three of the five Jedi were also left dead from lightsaber wounds. The defense is going to attempt to convince you that the Chancellor himself attacked these Jedi with a lightsaber. Palpatine was 64 years old, not healthy enough to win a battle against five Jedi, and a lightsaber is a Jedi weapon, not the weapon of a politician or his guards." She paused. "Just prior to the Battle of Utapau, the Galactic Congress voted to relinquish control of the Jedi Order to the Chancellor himself, in an effort to end the war more quickly. The Jedi, in spite of the fact that their mission is to serve the Senate and obey its orders, resisted this change. Two weeks later, the Chancellor died at the hands of the Jedi. These are the facts, and they are undisputed. Three Senators, all close allies of Palpatine, including Palpatine's Vice Chair, will take the stand for the prosecution. They will speak of Palpatine's leadership as Chancellor, his attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the Separatist Crisis, and his betrayal by the Jedi Order. The Jedi so strongly resented having their own power challenged that they were willing to murder in order to keep it." She nodded towards Adri, and took her seat.

Adri stood. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Court, for 25,000 years, this Republic has stood, its Constitution virtually unamended, with the Order of the Jedi as its peacekeepers and protectors. In the past 13 years, the Jedi knights' role has changed from that of peacekeepers to soldiers, leading a clone army whose creation they opposed into a war whose outbreak they tried to prevent. During the war, the Galactic Constitution was amended to the point of being virtually unrecognizable, with so many powers concentrated into the office of the Supreme Chancellor that Palpatine became a virtual dictator. The Senate even voted to allow Palpatine to stay in office until he personally chose to step down. Members of the Senate and average Republic citizens who have spoken against Palpatine have been demonized at best, and at worst, secretly murdered. Madam Dorstar is correct in that the Jedi resisted being put under direct control of the Chancellor, and their fate became the same as many who protested Palpatine's orders. A clone soldier, Captain Rex, will take the stand for the defense to describe the nature of Order 66, in which the Supreme Chancellor ordered the clones to murder their Jedi generals. Because of this order, only 100 Jedi survived the war." She paused. "The Jedi have an ancient enemy which until recently, was not well known to the general public. That enemy is the Sith. The Sith have the same powers that the Jedi have, which Madam Dorstar referred to as ‘supernatural,' but they use their powers for evil. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was murdered 13 years ago by a Sith apprentice on the planet of Naboo. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi killed this apprentice, and the Jedi have been searching for the Sith Master since that time. Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation will testify to the fact that Sith Master Darth Sidious led the Separatist side of the war. The defense will then present undisputable evidence that Darth Sidious and Chancellor Palpatine were the same person. Yes, the facts on Chancellor Palpatine's death are undisputed, however, the Jedi Masters acted in self-defense and in an attempt to preserve the galaxy. They had gone into the Chancellor's office to arrest him for war crimes, and only attacked the Chancellor when he drew his weapon, a Sith lightsaber, on them. Thank you."

Dorstar stood again. "The prosecution calls Senator Ask Aak of Malastare."

Aak took the stand and swore an oath to tell the truth.

"Senator Aak, can you recall where you were when you received the news of the Chancellor's assassination?" Dorstar asked.

"In my office," he said. "One of my aides had brought me word that Master Kenobi had defeated General Grievous. We were rejoicing because we assumed this meant the end of the war, and we were anticipating a Holonet speech from the Chancellor that evening, as well as a special session of Congress, in which the Chancellor would declare victory and lasting peace for the Republic. Instead we received the tragic news that the Chancellor had been murdered in his own office."

"Did you know right away who committed the murder?"

"No," Aak said. "I assumed that the Separatists had infiltrated Coruscant. Count Dooku was able to enter the Chancellor's office to kidnap him; I assumed that in spite of the increased security in the Senate building since that event, his office had once again been compromised. I was correct, only this time it wasn't the Separatists."

"Were you surprised to learn that a team of Jedi Masters murdered the Chancellor?"

Aak shook his head. "I was surprised at their boldness, but not at the act itself. For several years I have been suspicious of the Jedi Order's level of secrecy, which they have always claimed necessary to protect their special powers. I was also suspicious of the lengths they will go to extend those special powers. They proclaim themselves the guardians of justice and peace but quickly set themselves as head of the Grand Army of the Republic when the war began. They preferred the glory of battle to peacekeeping and protection, which is allegedly the mission of the Order. Many worlds have suffered due to their dereliction of duty, including Aargau, where my predecessor, Aks Moe, was murdered."

"Were the Jedi protecting Moe at the time?"

"No," Aak replied. "Moe's alleged protector decided that he would rather fight pirates in the Atrivis sector."

"You have often criticized the Jedi for their role in the Battle of Parcelus Minor. Can you tell this court what happened there?"

"It was a disastrous loss for the Republic. Jedi Master Roblio Darte, realizing that he had no hope of victory, ran like the coward that he is, leaving his wounded clone troops to die in the swamp."

That's not true! Anakin thought, wishing desperately that he could stand and say it aloud. Obi-Wan looked at him meaningfully, and Anakin knew that his Master had sensed his thoughts.

Adri raised an objection, which was sustained.

"Senator Aak, you recently supported the repeal of the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act, after being a strong supporter of the Act's passage two years ago. Can you explain why you originally supported the act?"

"Again, because the Jedi were not doing their job of protecting the people. After the Star of Iskin was destroyed by an assassin directly above Coruscant, with its shrapnel raining down on the city and killing innocent people on the ground, I, along with several other Senators, realized that the Chancellor needed the liberty to take any necessary action to protect the people of the Republic."

"The High Council of the Jedi opposed this act, am I correct?"

Aak nodded. "They claimed the act would make policing the galaxy more difficult. The Act itself and its amendments did take several of their powers and concentrate them into the Supreme Chancellor's office."

"One further question: What do you know of the Chancellor's relationship with Anakin Skywalker?"

Aak looked meaningfully at Anakin. "Skywalker was the only Jedi that the Chancellor felt he could trust. I believe Palpatine considered him a friend."

Dorstar nodded. "I have nothing further."

She sat, and Adri stood. "Senator Aak, you say that the Jedi set themselves as head of the Grand Army of the Republic. Did they officially appoint themselves as leaders of this army, or did another appoint them?"

Aak's three eyes scanning the room nervously. "They were appointed, Madam."

"And who appointed them?"

Aak hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. With the approval of the High Council."

Anakin's mechanical hand clenched and unclenched rapidly.

Adri nodded at the Chief Justice. "I have nothing further, Your Honor."

---

Dorstar stood again. "The prosecution calls Senator Orn Free Taa of Ryloth."

Free Taa took the stand and swore the oath.

"Senator Free Taa, you were the one who nominated Senator Palpatine to the Chancellorship after the vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Of the 2000 Senators in the Galactic Congress, why was Senator Palpatine your first choice to lead the Republic?"

"He was an outstanding statesman, had made many friends among the Senators and few enemies. In any dispute, he worked well for both sides, resisted conflict and always called for a diplomatic solution. However, when diplomacy failed, he was strong enough to do what needed to be done. After years of Valorum's rule, which was ineffective at best and corrupt at worst, we needed change. The other two nominations after the vote of no confidence, Bail Antilles and Ainlee Teem, were unacceptable. Both of these Senators had announced their intention to run for the Chancellorship months prior to the vote of no confidence. They would have continued the corruption and ineffectiveness in the Senate while pretending to promote stability." Free Taa paused. "Palpatine's home world was under attack, and it was he, along with then-Queen Amidala, who were able to defeat the Trade Federation, in spite of the fact that they received no help from Valorum's administration and little help from the Jedi. He above all Senators deserved the Chancellorship."

Little help from the Jedi? Anakin thought angrily. He looked at Obi-Wan. His former master's expression was unreadable but Anakin sensed his thoughts. Irritated, but also resigned. I'm used to it, Anakin.

One day, Anakin thought, I will ensure that Qui-Gon's legacy is given its rightful place...

"Did you regret nominating Palpatine after his failed attempts at handling the Separatist Crisis?" Dorstar continued.

Free Taa shook his head. "No," he said. "Chancellor Palpatine worked tirelessly for peace."

"Did the Chancellor ask for a peace settlement with the Separatists?"

"Yes. He pleaded, begged, across the Holonet for Count Dooku to meet him on Bothawui to work towards a diplomatic solution to the crisis."

"What was Dooku's response?"

"There was none. He ignored the Chancellor completely."

"To your knowledge as a member of the Galactic Congress, how did the Jedi respond to the Separatist Crisis?"

Free Taa scowled. "They requested that the Chancellor let the Outer Rim worlds go. We mean very little to them I suppose. They were also in denial that Count Dooku would do us any harm. Count Dooku was once a Jedi, and according to their High Council, no Jedi, present or past, would ever commit murder or promote war."

"You were one of the initial members of the Loyalist Committee, were you not?"

"Yes."

"Why was this committee formed?"

"We were to advise Chancellor Palpatine on the Separatist Crisis. We were also to cleanse the Senate of Separatist traitors and promote loyalty to the Republic."

"Were the members of the Loyalist Committee supporters of the Clone War?"

"No. We often disagreed politically. Senator Amidala, who was the most vocal opponent of the Military Creation Act, was a member of the committee, as were Aks Moe and later Ask Aak, two of the most vocal supporters of the Act. I was also a supporter of the Act."

"Did Palpatine himself support the Act?"

"Absolutely not. He believed Senator Amidala to be correct when she said that the Separatists would take the creation of the Army as a threat of violence."

Anakin, underneath his irritation at Senator Free Taa's blatant falsehoods, felt a swell of pride for his wife.

"So Palpatine wanted peace with the Separatists?" Dorstar continued. "This is what he told you as a member of the Loyalist Committee? This is what he asked you to help him achieve?"

"Yes. This was our main focus."

"I have nothing further." Dorstar sat.

Adri stood. "Senator Free Taa, what was Chancellor Palpatine's very first act after the Senate voted him emergency powers?"

"He created a Grand Army of the Republic to counter the increasing threat of the Separatists."

"He created the Army himself? He did not allow the Senate to vote on it?"

Free Taa looked irritated. "As I have said several times, the Separatists gave him no choice."

"Senator Free Taa, your home world of Ryloth was invaded by the Separatists, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell the Court who helped you defeat the Separatists?"

Free Taa looked around the courtroom. "Generals Skywalker and Kenobi and their legions led a successful ground assault. General Windu led the negotiations with Cham Syndulla to retake the capital."

"General Windu negotiated? As in, without violence?"

"Yes." Free Taa looked more nervous; the ends of his lekku twitched.

"Were you pleased with the assistance you received from the Jedi?"

"Yes."

"Did you sense any attempt to usurp power, either yours as a representative of your home world or the Chancellor's as leader of the Republic?"

"You mean before I learned that they were willing to murder the Chancellor to get power?"

"Yes or no, Senator. When these Jedi Masters helped you take your home world back from the Separatists, did you feel that they were trying to set themselves in a position of power, either on Ryloth or in Coruscant?"

Free Taa hesitated, scanned the room, glared at Mace for a minute. Then he replied, "No."

"I have nothing further."

---

Padmé opened the door with two glasses of wine in her hand. She handed Anakin one of the glasses, pulled him in for a quick kiss, then took his hand and led him to the sofa. He said nothing for a minute, just gazed at her. Her emerald green dress was simple, long and flowing; her hair, free of the headdresses she wore in the Senate, fell in curls around her shoulders. Anakin touched her hair, running his fingers through the curls. "You're certainly a sight for sore eyes after today," he said.

"I saw most of the trial on the Holonet, Ani," she replied. "You did well."

"You mean I didn't splinter any courtroom furniture using the Force after a couple of wonderful Senators demonized my friends and made a mockery of my life's work?"

She took his hand. "Yes. Exactly." She sipped her wine, set the glass on the table, then put her hands on Anakin's shoulders, encouraging him to turn around, and began working her fingers into the muscles near his neck. "I can tell you've been tensing these muscles all day," she said. "You're one giant knot back here."

"Well whatever you're doing, it feels wonderful," he said. He set his wine glass on the table next to Padmé's, and closed his eyes, willing the headache that blazed behind his sockets to disappear. "Are the babies asleep?"

"Sound asleep," she said, working her fingers outward around his shoulder blades.

"Where are R2 and 3PO?"

"3PO has shut down to recharge. R2 is probably with him." She worked the muscles in his shoulders with her fingertips, then her knuckles.

"Tell me what you did today," Anakin said. "Other than watch the Holonet."

"Held babies, fed babies, rocked babies, changed diapers," she said, working her hands inward, near his collarbone. "Luke spit up on 3PO. The poor droid thought Luke was sick, wanted to call a Healer. When I told him that all babies spit up, he said something about not understanding the behavior of small humans."

Anakin laughed. Padmé worked a little deeper on the tense muscles near his shoulder blades. "I also went to the office for about an hour. I'm still working on the taxation issue; the final vote is next week. The Trade Federation and Banking Clan want a repeal of BR-0371..." Her fingers kneaded slowly down Anakin's back. "...which is fine, but if we're not going to tax the hyperspace lanes in the Mid Rim, we have to find another source of revenue. We're going to have to make some spending cuts. I don't know that we can increase taxes right now." Her hands moved up Anakin's back, kneading the muscles over his ribs. "Unfortunately most Senators take a ‘not on my planet' approach to cuts in earmark spending. I'm also working on a proposal to stop the production of clones. We've paid the Kaminoans a fortune, that's one cut that needs to be made. Fang Zar is heading a committee to work with planetary leaders to rehome existing clone soldiers on safe and welcoming worlds."

"You will find a solution," Anakin said. "One that will please everyone. You are better at negotiation than anyone I know." He turned around slowly and kissed her. She ran her hands along his chest, under his tunic, and he slowly deepened the kiss, running his hands along her back, under her hair.

"How long will the babies sleep?" He asked between kisses.

"They went down just before you came home," Padmé replied in a whisper. "We should have about an hour."

"And your med droid checkup?" He said, his hands fumbling with the zipper in her dress.

"I'm healthy, fully recovered, and ready to resume normal activities," Padmé said. She cupped his face with her hands, her eyes locked onto his.

"So let's resume them," Anakin said, smiling. He stood, picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom.

---

Several minutes later they lay silently, listening to the sound of speeders rushing by outside in the early evening sunlight. Padmé hoisted herself up on her elbow and brushed her husband's curls away from his sweaty forehead. "Anakin?"

He opened his eyes, touched her cheek and smiled. "Yes, love?"

"What really happened on Parcellus Minor?"

Anakin's smile disappeared, he closed his eyes again. "Padmé..." he said.

"I just want to know," she said.

"You don't believe Aak, do you?"

"Of course not," she snapped, lying back down. "If I believed Aak, I wouldn't ask you what really happened."

Anakin sighed, wrapped his arm around her, and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm still a bit on edge." He took a deep breath, closed his eyes again. "Nothing in that battle went well for us. We grossly underestimated the size of the Separatist fleet. The planet is a massive swamp and the clones couldn't land any of their equipment. Darte should have retreated from the beginning. And you know I don't like retreat." He paused. "Soon after he landed, the Separatists sent reinforcements although they already grossly outnumbered us. Then they set the swamps on fire. Literally ignited the planet. The tzeonine resin in the plants is highly flammable, and the fire spread quickly." Anakin swallowed. "Darte had to immediately mobilize himself and any troops who could run, or they'd burn alive. They could not carry anything or anyone. So yes, he left the wounded troops behind. He was sick about it, spent a month with a Mind Healer, didn't go back in battle for six." He opened his eyes again.

She rubbed his chest. "I'm sorry, Ani. That's heartbreaking."

"Darte was no coward. The fact that Aak could make such an accusation means that he is either grossly ignorant or the highest level of kung that ever lived. My guess would be the latter."

Padmé said nothing, just reached across Anakin's body to take his other hand in hers, and for several minutes the only sound in the room was, once again, the sounds of the Galactic City outside. The sound of an infant crying, then another, broke the silence. Anakin sat up, quickly putting his pants back on, and leaned over to kiss his wife. "I'll get them," he said. "I haven't seen them all day."

She nodded, closing her eyes, the last rays of the setting sun making shadows across her face.

---

"The prosecution calls Vice Chair Mas Amedda."

Amedda took the stand and swore the oath. Dorstar stood. "Vice Chair Amedda, you served under Chancellor Valorum, but you presided over the vote of no confidence and encouraged Senator Free Taa to nominate Palpatine for Chancellor, is this correct?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell the court why?"

"Valorum was ineffective as Chancellor, and the Republic needed stronger leadership. The Senate should not have been hamstrung by bureaucratic laws when the people of Naboo were dying. Queen Amidala needed our help, and Valorum was either unable or unwilling to give it. She had already told him that she held him personally responsible for the suffering of her people, and few in the Senate could blame her for that. But Valorum did nothing in response to her pleas."

"Was Valorum not your friend?"

"Yes, but friendship does not make for effective leadership."

"Why did you feel that Palpatine would make a better leader?"

"Counselor, Palpatine wrote the book on political leadership. At the time of his ascension to the Chancellorship, his political theories and leadership philosophies were being taught in universities and military academies around the galaxy." He paused. "He knew how to get things done. He made friends among many of the Senators, many with opposing political philosophies, and won them over to his side."

"How did he handle the Separatist Crisis?"

"He held the Republic together with his bare hands. He did all that he possibly could to appeal to the Separatists. He desperately wanted a diplomatic solution, pleaded with Dooku and the Confederacy to listen to him. His pleas fell on deaf ears."

"You initiated the Emergency Powers Act, is that correct?"

"I could not initiate it from the position of Vice Chair, but it was my idea, yes. Representative Jar Jar Binks proposed it in Senator Amidala's absence."

Anakin inwardly cringed. Oh, Jar Jar, you know Padmé better than that. He felt another twinge of anger at Palpatine for shoving Padmé out of the way and taking advantage of the vulnerable eager-to-please Gungan.

"Why did you feel the Chancellor needed emergency powers?" Dorstar continued.

"Like Valorum, he was bogged down by procedure. After Master Kenobi discovered a droid army foundry on Geonosis-proof that the Separatists were ready to wage war-we had to act quickly. The Chancellor needed to be able to take action by executive order rather than waiting for a Senate vote."

"And do you feel that the Chancellor abused his powers?"

"Certainly not. His initiation of the Military Creation Act enabled the Republic to regain control of all Core, Inner Rim and Mid-Rim systems very quickly."

"Vice Chair, what do you know of the Chancellor's relationship with the Jedi Order?"

"He had a great deal of respect for the Jedi and had formed friendships with several of the Knights. He and Master Ronhar Kim were friends for some 30 years."

"What do you know of Palpatine's relationship with Anakin Skywalker?"

Amedda looked directly at Anakin. "He made a point of taking Skywalker under his wing upon his arrival at the Temple. He was sad for the boy, who had been taken from his mother, rejected for training, and then lost Master Jinn in battle. He understood that Skywalker was not a typical Jedi and hoped to make his adjustment on Coruscant easier. He offered him a listening ear, and advice, which Skywalker received willingly for years. He came to love the boy like a son." He paused. "He was greatly saddened at his betrayal."

Dorstar nodded. "I have nothing further."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, who had suddenly become interested in the toes of his boots. He closed his eyes and tried to sense his former apprentice's emotions through the Force. There was plenty of anger and irritation there, but underneath that, a deep sadness and... was it embarrassment?

Adri stood. "Vice Chair Amedda, were you aware that Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord?"

Amedda hesitated, looked uncomfortable. "The Chancellor and I did not make a point of discussing his religious beliefs..."

"Yes or no, Vice Chair."

Amedda opened his mouth, closed it again, then opened it. His voice was barely audible in the courtroom. "Yes. Yes, I knew."

"And how did you know?"

"He told me."

"He told you? Why did you not report this information to the Jedi Council?"

Amedda's voice grew stronger. "Because the Republic's laws grant freedom of religion, Counselor. It is not illegal to be a Sith. The Chancellor's religious views were none of the Jedi Council's business."

Anakin gritted his teeth, clenching and unclenching his mechanical hand.

"None of their business, although the Sith religion mandates destruction of the Jedi Order? Is that the only reason you kept this identity a secret?" Adri continued.

Amedda hesitated again. "No," he replied.

"And what other reason might there be, Vice Chair?"

Amedda said nothing for a moment.

"Answer the counselor's question, Vice Chair," Rosario commanded.

Amedda did, his voice once again barely above a whisper. "He threatened me," he said. "He personally destroyed the Outbound Flight project for which I had lobbied; that nearly ruined my political career. He even sent his former apprentice to kill me, only calling him off after I agreed to support him as Chancellor. He had already arranged for Master Kim to be killed in battle after he and his Padawan wanted to take midichlorian counts of all Senate members. If I were to ever oppose him, or reveal the information he gave me..."

"That is over now," Adri said softly. "But Vice Chair Amedda, while being a Sith Lord may be legal, are death threats and blackmail from the Chancellor's office legal?"

Amedda opened his mouth and closed it, did not speak.

"I have nothing further," Adri said.

"That went well," Obi-Wan said as he and Anakin entered the turbolift. "I'm not sure Dorstar was prepared for that entire testimony, although obviously she had prepped her witnesses on the legality of the Sith religion. Who would have thought that Palpatine had trapped Amedda that way years ago?"

Anakin shook his head. "I had no idea," he said. "I doubt anyone in the Senate did either, but I can't be sure of that. Free Taa might have been privy to it."

"Palpatine probably threatened a few Senators and bribed many more," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin nodded. He continued to stare at his boots as he had in the courtroom, not meeting Obi-Wan's eyes. Obi-Wan reached through the Force to sense Anakin's emotions. Sadness and shame prevailed.

"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shook his head and sighed, but said nothing.

"Anakin..."

"A few years ago I would have believed him," Anakin said.

"Who? Amedda? What he said about you and Palpatine?"

Anakin nodded, looking away from Obi-Wan, out the turbolift's glass walls. "Palpatine did put on quite a show of pretending to be interested in me. ‘I know the Jedi are upsetting you, they don't appreciate you, come talk to me any time, boy, my door is always open...' He also took way too much pleasure in blowing sunshine up my ass. ‘You are the most talented Jedi I have ever met, Anakin. The Council does not fully appreciate your abilities, it is just too bad...' And I lapped it up like the idiot that I was."

Obi-Wan pushed a button on the turbolift, making it stop in midair, then put his hands on his former apprentice's shoulders, forcing him to turn around. "Anakin, look at me."

He did; Obi-Wan saw sad blue eyes and a set jaw. "It wasn't really your fault, you know that."

Anakin said nothing.

"If it was anyone's fault, it was mine."

Anakin shook his head rapidly. "Obi-Wan, no," he began.

Obi-Wan interrupted him. "Let me say this, Anakin. I owe you that much." He took a deep breath. "I wasn't prepared to train you, and I resented Qui-Gon for pushing me to face the trials so that he could take you, without even a word to me in advance. Then you and I both lost him. I was new to Knighthood, I certainly didn't know how to be a Master. And I was a bit harsh and unfair to you. I thought, since you came to the Temple at a later age and we needed to make up for lost time, that you needed a stern teacher more than you needed a friend. I could not have been more wrong, and it took you losing your mother, then your arm on Geonosis, and being thrust into Knighthood early yourself, for me to realize that. I am sorry, Anakin. But if I wasn't offering you the friendship you so desperately craved, who could blame you for turning to Palpatine?"

Anakin looked away again, not speaking, obviously moved. A couple of minutes later, still not quite trusting his voice, he said, "You didn't have to say any of that, Obi-Wan, but thank you anyway."

"You're welcome, Padawan. I have tried to make it up to you since then; I'm glad it wasn't too late."

"Well, all it took was one or two attempts to stop Palpatine from getting his way, for him to show his true colors. Padmé knows that better than either of us." Anakin pushed the button to get the turbolift going again, and put his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders. "Why don't you come by for dinner? I'm sure Luke would love the chance to try to pull your beard again."

Obi-Wan laughed. "I think Bail can manage without me for awhile, especially since Mace is with him. I'd love to come over."

---

"The prosecution calls Thrynka Padaunete."

A dark-haired, green-eyed woman took the stand and swore an oath.

"Madam Padaunete, you founded the group known as People's Inquest, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"What is the purpose of this group?"

"We are a citizens' watch group designed to hold the Jedi Order accountable for its actions."

"Why did you feel that such a group was needed?"

"I and several others were tired of the Jedi doing whatever they pleased, often times at the expense of Republic funds and manpower, using ‘security' as an excuse." Padaunette spat the word "security" the way Padmé had when she discussed Palpatine. "The Jedi claimed that we average people could not possibly understand their special powers and therefore we must be too stupid to have access to their deeds."

"Is it possible that the Jedi were correct, and their use of special powers needed to be classified for security reasons?"

Padaunette rolled her eyes. "Absolutely not. They wanted to use their powers to take over the Republic, and did not want average citizens catching onto them."

"What happened with Baby Ludi?"

"She was rescued by the Jedi from an earthquake and taken to the Temple. The Jedi thought her mother had died and were planning to raise her in their Creche. When her mother, who is very much alive, came for her six months later, Master Windu refused to return her."

"Why?"

"He and the rest of the Council claimed that the baby's mind had already been opened to the Force or some such garbage. The truth was that the Jedi had already begun their mind-control tactics on Ludi, and if she were returned to her mother, the rest of the galaxy might come to fully understand how the Jedi kidnap and brainwash children."

Anakin's jaw clenched. He closed his eyes, counted slowly to 20 in Huttese, and took a couple of deep breaths.

"What happened when several students from the University of Coruscant protested the Council's decision not to return Baby Ludi?"

"Jedi Master Plo Kloon mind tricked them and made them leave. The Jedi are good at mind-tricking people into compliance."

"Do you believe that the Chancellor was killed because he could not be successfully mind-tricked?"

"Objection! Speculation," Adri said.

"Sustained," Rosario said.

"I have nothing further," Dorstar replied.

Adri stood. "Madam Padaunette, what happened just prior to Master Plo Koon subduing the student protestors?"

"Two Jedi Padawans attempted to disperse the crowd."

"Were they successful?"

"No, hence a Master stepped in."

"So not all Jedi are able or willing to mind-trick Republic citizens?"

Padaunette said nothing.

"Madam Padaunette, are you aware of the presence of the Sith?"

Padaunette rolled her eyes again. "The Jedi's chosen enemy? Yes."

"Are you aware that the Sith possess the same ‘supernatural powers' that you attribute to the Jedi, they just use them for evil?"

"In other words, these Sith are noncompliant Jedi?"

"Are you aware that a Sith Lord was in charge of the Separatists?"

"Count Dooku?" Padaunette laughed. "He's a Jedi. Was a Jedi. So Sith Lords are not noncompliant Jedi, they are Jedi who no longer wish to be. I see."

"Are you familiar with the Chancellor's Order 66?"

Padaunette looked confused. "Order what?"

"Order 66. The Chancellor's command to the clone captains to assassinate all Jedi. An order which resulted in the deaths of 99 percent of the members of the Order."

Anakin saw the court members looking at each other, the same appalled look in their eyes. 99 percent??

"No, I am not," Padaunette said. "But Chancellor Palpatine was a wise and discerning man, and he has been the only Chancellor who did not allow the Jedi the free reign that they wanted. I am assuming that he executed the order to stop a massive Republic takeover by the Jedi... and was unsuccessful."

"Was he? Do the Jedi run the Republic now?"

"They once again have a Chancellor who is in their pocket. Interesting how well that worked."

"But do they run the Republic, Madam Padaunette? Coruscant was under martial law after Palpatine was killed. Are we still under martial law?"

"No, of course not, but..."

"When did the Jedi promise to lift martial law?"

"After the election of a new Supreme Chancellor. Their new Supreme Chancellor."

"Really? Did they promise to lift martial law if Organa was elected, or upon the election of a new Supreme Chancellor?"

"Upon the election of a new Supreme Chancellor," Padaunette said quietly.

"And did they keep this promise?"

"Yes," she replied.

"I have nothing further." Adri sat.

Rosario looked at the prosecuting attorney, who stood.

"The prosecution rests, Your Honor."

Rosario pounded her gavel. "We will reconvene tomorrow, when Madam Adri will call her first witness."

---

Chapter 11

"The defense calls Viceroy Nute Gunray."

"Viceroy Gunray, you are president of the Trade Federation, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And your organization was responsible for the blockade and invasion of Naboo thirteen years ago?"

"Yes."

"Why did your organization blockade Naboo?"

"We were protesting BR-371, the Senate bill signed into law by Chancellor Valorum, which levied such heavy taxes along the Corellian Trade Spine that many groups affiliated with us risked being put out of business completely."

"How did the Senate handle the blockade?"

"They sent two Jedi Knights to negotiate with us."

"And you refused to negotiate?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Gunray looked around the room, his eyes filled with fear. He swallowed hard. "We were directed to refuse negotiations and invade the planet."

"Directed? By whom?"

Another swallow. "Lord Darth Sidious, Madam."

"But wasn't such an invasion illegal?"

"Darth Sidious said he would make it legal."

Adri nodded. "And how did he propose to do that?"

"I do not know, Madam. I did not ask."

"What happened after you invaded the planet?"

"We captured Queen Amidala but she was rescued by the Jedi. She then went to Coruscant to seek help from the Senate, and called for a no-confidence vote in Chancellor Valorum after he agreed to hear our case. She then returned to Naboo, where she and the Gungans destroyed our droid army, costing me a fortune."

"So Queen Amidala-Senator Amidala-thwarted your invasion and blockade. Is this why you joined the Separatists?"

"Count Dooku approached me about joining the Separatists. He needed resources. I provided them on one condition, that he... help me take revenge on Senator Amidala."

Anakin's hand went to his waist, to a lightsaber that he did not have. Obi-Wan sent him a wave through the Force, a warning.

"And who did Count Dooku work for?"

"Darth Sidious. Sidious promised to help the Separatists work for peace."

"This Darth Sidious... did he bring peace to your alliance?"

"No."

"Did Count Dooku?"

"No."

"What about Chancellor Palpatine?"

"No. He made the plea over the Holonet, but Darth Sidious told Count Dooku to send no response."

"I see. And who finally approached you personally and offered you a peace treaty, Viceroy?"

"Jedi Master Yoda."

"And was Master Yoda's treaty genuine? Were there any threats of violence? Conditions in which you must cede power to the Jedi?"

"No, Madam. He did not even bring his weapon to the negotiating table."

"The Trade Federation has been welcomed back into the Republic?"

"Yes."

"By whom?"

"Chancellor Organa."

"And are your concerns being heard in the Galactic Congress?"

"Yes. We are currently working on a repeal of BR-371 and a revision of tax laws."

"I see." Adri turned to Rosario. "If it please the Court, I would like to present holographic transmissions of the Viceroy's Darth Sidious."

Rosario nodded.

Adri plugged a comlink into the astromech droid sitting near the judge's bench. R4-D6? Anakin was not sure of the droid's number, but it was a serviceable droid. It beamed a hologram of a man in a hooded cloak. Although the cloak hid the man's eyes, the beaky nose and set jaw were too familiar to Anakin. He wondered if anyone else noticed. Unfortunately, probably not, Anakin thought. As Palpatine allowed few to become as familiar with him as I became.

"Wipe them out. All of them." Came the transmission. Adri paused it.

"Viceroy Gunray," she asked. "Who was Darth Sidious talking about?"

"The Jedi, Madam. The Jedi sent to assist Queen Amidala and the Naboo after we invaded the planet."

"Did Sidious wipe out the Jedi?"

"He sent his apprentice, Darth Maul. Darth Maul killed one of the Jedi. The other Jedi, Master Kenobi, killed Maul." Gunray glanced at Obi-Wan, who sat stoically on the bench, his face revealing no trace of emotion, although Anakin felt the strong wave of sadness at the mention of Qui-Gon's death.

Adri started another transmission. "We seek the deaths of many Jedi, my apprentice. Remind Grievous of that. Remind him that he is hardly indispensable."

Adri paused the transmission again and addressed the bench. "Your Honor, in the Court's possession should be a written account of the findings of the coroner and janitorial droids after they took inventory of the Chancellor's office during the transition between the Palpatine and Organa administrations. This comlink, with these transmissions in its memory, was found in one of the private closets in the office, along with the black robe worn by Darth Sidious in the hologram. Also in the Court's possession is a red lightsaber found next to Chancellor Palpatine's body. Masters Windu and Skywalker will testify as to the color of their own lightsabers and those of the three Jedi accompanying them to arrest Chancellor Palpatine. None of them carry red lightsabers. Red is the lightsaber color of a Sith Lord." She paused. "I would like to play one more transmission before Viceroy Gunray steps down." She pressed another button, and Palpatine's voice rang through the courtroom again.

"The time has come. Execute Order 66. Captain Rex, all Jedi, including your commander and friend, Anakin Skywalker, are now enemies of the Republic. Go to the Temple, Captain, take your company and do what must be done. Show no mercy. All Jedi must be killed, including younglings and padawans."

Adri turned off the transmission and pushed a couple of other buttons. "Viceroy Gunray, do you recognize the channel number now being beamed by this droid? The channel number from which this transmission came?"

Gunray nodded. "Yes."

"Was this code used by the Republic, Viceroy?"

"No, Madam. That is a Separatist code."

"I have nothing further at the moment. Captain Rex will testify further on Order 66, including the fact that the order came from Chancellor Palpatine." She sat.

Dorstar stood. "Viceroy Gunray, you said that you asked Count Dooku to help you take revenge on Senator Amidala. What exactly do you mean by ‘take revenge'?"

Gunray looked frightened. "I..." Then he said nothing.

"Viceroy Gunray, did you or did you not say that you would only join the Separatists after Senator Amidala's head was on your desk?"

Anakin pursed his lips together tightly, clenching and unclenching both fists. He shifted in his chair. He glared at Gunray, who gulped, sparing only a minute glance at Anakin before returning his gaze to the prosecutor.

"I... I did, Madam."

"And Count Dooku agreed to your demands?"

"Yes. He sent a bounty hunter to assassinate the Senator."

"Who was this bounty hunter?"

"Jango Fett. He was the prototype for the Grand Army of the Republic."

"And who ordered the production of the clones?"

"A Jedi Master named Sifo-Dyas."

"A Jedi Master ordered the clones? How interesting. And Count Dooku... who was he exactly? Was he a Senator as well?"

"No. He was a Jedi. Was once a Jedi."

"Was he really? I see." Dorstar looked at Rosario. "I have nothing further."

---

"The defense calls Sate Pestage."

The black-haired man had a cold look in his brown eyes and a permanent scowl. He did not walk up to the stand so much as marching up to it.

"Mr. Pestage, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"That's why I'm here, isn't it?" He said. He met Adri's scowl with his own. "I do."

"Mr. Pestage, what was your role in the Palpatine administration?"

Pestage leaned back in the chair, seemingly deciding that he was going to enjoy this. "I was his chief advisor."

"For how long?"

"From the time he came to Coruscant as Naboo's Senator."

"What were your duties as his chief advisor?"

"Whatever he kriffin' told me to do, Madam."

"I see. And what did he, um, kriffin' tell you to do?"

Anakin bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"Cover for him."

"Cover for him? How?"

"Let's just say the former Chancellor was involved in some activity that was best hidden from the rest of the Senate..." He looked at Mace and Yoda. "...and the Jedi." He spat the word "Jedi."

"Really? And what might those activities be?"

"Oh, do I get to pick where I'm going to start?" Pestage smirked. "Chancellor Valorum. How about him?"

"How did you help Palpatine with Chancellor Valorum, Mr. Pestage?"

"Remember the two assassination attempts back before the Battle of Naboo? We arranged those. Right in the Coruscant Opera House. I checked the noise-cancelling equipment."

A few gasps came from the courtroom. I guess Palpatine did all his dirty work in the Opera House, Anakin thought, his heart pounding.

"Mr. Pestage, do you recall why Senator Orn Free Taa was so convinced that Chancellor Valorum was too corrupt to remain in office?"

Another smirk from Pestage. "Oh yes. I helped him a bit there. Broke into his apartment and planted a bit of false evidence of corruption on his computer."

Free Taa stood, his eyes blazing in anger, his lekku trembling. "Senator Free Taa, take a seat," Rosario commanded. "Continue, Madam Adri."

"You were responsible for managing Palpatine's schedule as Chancellor, were you not?"

"Among other things, yes."

"What instructions did the Chancellor give you regarding his meetings, specifically, who he met with?"

"I was told to keep an eye on Senators who might oppose him, and to not allow their agendas to in any way interfere with Palpatine's agenda." He scanned the audience, looking at the Jedi. "I was told to do what needed to be done to cleanse the system of traitors." He paused. "I don't know how many Senators caught on, though. Mostly I just... interfered with their meeting times. It was easy to just pretend that I had no knowledge of their scheduled meeting and that the Chancellor had a conflict elsewhere." Another smirk.

Anakin remembered Padmé's frustration at the Delegation of 2000 being constantly put off by Palpatine.

"What exactly were you told to do in order to, as you said, cleanse the system of traitors?"

Another smirk. "Let's just say that a small reminder of what happened to Chancellor Valorum was sufficient for then-Senator Organa."

"Are you saying that Palpatine ordered Valorum's assassination aboard the Star of Iskin?"

"Yes, he did."

"And he told you to threaten other Senators with assassination if they did not comply?"

"Exactly."

"Final question: Mr. Pestage, did you know that Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord who also went by the name Darth Sidious?"

He smirked again. "Yes, I did."

"And how did you know this?"

"He told me himself. He entrusted me with keeping his identity a secret and managing his dealings as Darth Sidious. He also entrusted me with his Sith artifacts, including his lightsaber and statues."

Another gasp from the courtroom.

"And where were these artifacts kept?"

"In a closet in the Chancellor's office."

"What color was his lightsaber blade?"

"Red. All Sith Lords have red lightsabers."

"Was anyone else to learn of his identity?"

"Eventually. Once the war was over, he had eliminated the Jedi and brought peace to his Empire."

"His Empire?"

"Yes."

"Chancellor Palpatine planned to turn the Republic into an Empire?"

"Yes."

"Final question: To your knowledge, what was the Chancellor's relationship with Anakin Skywalker?"

"Skywalker could join him or be eliminated. Same as anyone else. The only difference is that Palpatine thought Skywalker was gullible and easy to manipulate. It was way too easy to get a rise out of that kid. Prime Dark Side material." Pestage looked directly at Anakin. "I give him credit for proving Palpatine wrong on that. This time."

Why that half-witted overdressed exhaust for brains... Anakin thought. Obi-Wan once again felt the wave of anger coming from Anakin and gave him a significant look with raised eyebrows. Are you trying to prove his point?

"So Palpatine did not love Skywalker like a son, as Vice Chair Amedda claimed?"

Pestage laughed. "Palpatine loved no one but himself. And Vice Chair Amedda has always been a gullible fool."

"I have nothing further." Adri sat.

Dorstar stood. "Mr. Pestage, why have you chosen to side with the Jedi in this court?"

"I'm not siding with the Jedi. This was purely an exchange. I got arrested. I told Chancellor Organa..." Pestage said the name with a great deal of venom. "...that I would help him out with a bit of information if he would help me out by not throwing me into some dirty jail or sending me to a mining colony."

"And Chancellor Organa agreed?"

"He certainly did. His Jedi friends need me." Pestage's smirk was ear to ear.

"And your relationship with Chancellor Palpatine-was it also an exchange? How did he reward you for your work as his chief advisor?"

"He paid me handsomely and promised to make me Grand Vizier once he finished creating his Empire."

"So your loyalty is to whomever pays you most handsomely."

"I am just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe, Counselor. I work for money. I'm assuming that you are getting a paycheck for asking me all these questions? You and I are no different."

"Except that you can only be trusted as much as you are being paid, is that correct, Mr. Pestage?"

"Objection!" Adri said. "Mr. Pestage is not on trial here."

"Sustained," Rosario replied.

"I have nothing further," Dorstar said.

---

"Sadly," Obi-Wan said, pushing the button on the turbolift, "Dorstar is right. Pestage is purely mercenary and cannot be trusted."

"But we assume he was telling the truth, right?" Anakin said.

Obi-Wan nodded. "There is no reason to think otherwise," he said.

"Palpatine liked getting others to do his dirty work for him," Anakin said bitterly. "He was too big a coward to do it himself."

"Or, he could not have kept up the image of the soft-spoken well-mannered old man if he were caught blackmailing people and committing murder."

Anakin said nothing for a minute, then said, so quietly that Obi-Wan almost didn't hear him, "Palpatine ordered me to kill Dooku."

The elder Jedi whirled around to face his former apprentice, his eyes wide with shock. "What?"

Anakin did not look at him, instead stared at a nondescript spot on the turbolift's wall. "After Dooku knocked you unconscious. I fought him for a few more minutes and won; I cut his hands off and took his lightsaber. And Palpatine ordered me to kill him. Dooku was on his knees in front of me, his wrists bleeding, I had his lightsaber, he had this look in his eyes that begged for mercy... and Palpatine told me to kill him." Anakin squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears of shame that threatened.

Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin's arm. "Palpatine told you to kill him, and you just... did it."

Anakin nodded. "I cut off his head. And Palpatine cheered." Anakin took a deep breath. "I told him that I should not have done that, it wasn't the Jedi way, Dooku was an unarmed prisoner, and Palpatine said that he was too dangerous to be left alive." Anakin wiped his eyes with his flesh hand. "He wasn't, Master. Not like that. He didn't have any hands." He sniffled. "This is what I should be on trial for. Cutting down a man who was unarmed and in a position of surrender. Not helping Master Windu cut down a man who had just murdered three Jedi in front of us."

"Anakin, you did the best you could with the information we had," Obi-Wan said.

"Palpatine also told me to leave you on the Invisible Hand, that carrying you out would slow us down."

Obi-Wan looked amused. "Well, Palpatine was never as fond of me as he was of you."

Anakin did not return the smile. "I told him that your fate would be the same as mine in that case." He sighed. "I had had suspicions about Palpatine before, mostly from listening to Padmé complain about what he was doing in the Senate." He took another deep breath. "But that was the first time I really got to personally see him for who he was. Pestage may be a thug but it takes one to know one. He has Palpatine nailed. He used people. Padmé, Amedda, Orn Free Taa, Gunray, who knows how many others... and me."

"Am I detecting sympathy for the Senators that testified for the prosecution?" Obi-Wan's amusement showed again.

This time Anakin met his eyes. "As much as they make me want to throw large objects using the Force... maybe a little sympathy," he said. "At least Pestage knew he was being used. The Senators did not. The Separatists did not. And if they were gullible idiots... well, so was I." He looked away again.

"We all were, Anakin, at least for awhile." The lift stopped and opened. Obi-Wan stepped out. "I'm headed to Bail's office. Are you coming or going back home?"

Anakin closed his eyes for a few seconds, and Obi-Wan knew he was stretching out with the Force. "Padmé is in there, and the twins are with her. I'll come with you."

Bail's guards admitted them to his office. When the doors slid open, they saw that Padmé was indeed there, and in a towering temper. "The nerve of that man, getting on the stand and bragging about extortion and murder with a smirk on his face!"

"I did not relish granting him immunity, Padmé," Bail said quietly. "But he knew Palpatine better than anyone, had been with him for a long time. We needed his testimony."

"I know. I'm not angry with you, Bail. I'm just... angry."

"Anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering," Obi-Wan said, entering the room.

She glared at him. "I really don't need any of your Jedi platitudes today, Obi-Wan," she snapped.

He smiled and raised his eyebrows. "I can see that," he said.

Anakin crossed the room, hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Hey," he said. "Easy."

She sighed. "Pestage is disgusting," she said. "Bail, do you remember when he used to try to block us from getting an audience with Palpatine? Pretending he didn't know we had an appointment and that Palpatine was ‘busy'?"

"You mean that time we sat outside Palpatine's office for three hours and told Pestage that he could lose all the appointments he wanted but we weren't leaving until we saw the Chancellor? How could I forget?" Bail said.

Meanwhile, Anakin had spotted the double hover stroller parked in front of the expansive windows of the office, crossed the room and knelt in front of it. "Luke and Leia," he said. "Is Mommy letting you watch all the speeders go by? You have noticed that the ones with open cockpits are the best, right?"

"Except when it rains," Obi-Wan said dryly.

Anakin lowered his voice. "Don't listen to Uncle Obi-Wan. He doesn't like to fly," he said. His voice returned to normal levels. "It's always important to check on speeder capabilities, and acceleration. And colors-a good speeder usually comes in a really gonzo color."

"I'm a bit surprised that you haven't modified that stroller, Anakin," Bail said. "Added a motor or a sunroof, a racing stripe, or some sort of voice detector... ‘diaper change needed, infant on left'..."

Padmé scowled. "Don't give him any ideas," she said. Anakin was smiling.

"The diaper change alert wouldn't be necessary. The twins let us know about that well enough on their own," he said. Luke babbled; Anakin raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Yes, you do," he said. He looked back at Bail. "Your other ideas, however..." He grinned mischievously at his wife, who scowled.

"Why do I think I might be in trouble now?" Bail asked. "Padmé, did you finish with your briefing before I made the mistake of turning on the Holonet while Pestage was testifying?"

"Yes," she said. "We should meet with Viceroy Gunray and Senator Dodd tomorrow so they can review the proposals, but I am done for today."

"Good," Bail said, "because I have some more... personal news."

The other three turned to face him quickly. "What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

The Chancellor's face was set in a wide grin. "Breha and I are adopting a baby girl. She comes home in two weeks."

"That's... that's wonderful," Anakin said, standing.

"Yes, it is. Congratulations!" Padmé said, giving him a hug.

"Congratulations are definitely in order," Obi-Wan said.

"Thank you. I wanted you to be the first to know," he said, then looked at Padmé. "Especially since Queen Apailana and your father offered a great deal of assistance. The baby comes from a children's home on Naboo."

"What will her name be?" Padmé asked.

"Alys," he said. "I'll be taking two weeks' leave to go to Alderaan. I hope the Jedi trial will be finished by then. I also want to finish the taxation debates and the proposals on the clones before I leave. Let's meet with Gunray and Dodd in two days' time; we should meet with Fang Zar and Mon Mothma tomorrow regarding the clones."

Padmé nodded. "If it's going to be a long conference, I would prefer to meet in my apartment," she said.

"We can do that," Bail said.

Leia, who had been flailing her arms, started to cry, and Anakin picked her up.

"We should get them home," Padmé said. "Who is testifying tomorrow, do you know?"

"Captain Rex," Obi-Wan said. "On why the 501st destroyed the Temple."

Bail frowned. "That is going to be painful to hear," he said.

"Unfortunately, yes," Obi-Wan said.

"Probably painful for Rex to talk about as well," Anakin said, cradling Leia and rocking her.

Padmé sighed. "But necessary," she said. "We'll see what happens. Have a good afternoon, Bail." She took the stroller and headed for the door. Anakin and Obi-Wan said their goodbyes and followed.

---

"The defense calls clone captain CC-7567."

Rex went to the stand.

"State your name for the court, please."

"My number is CC-7567; I go by Rex."

"Captain Rex, you are the commander of Torrent Company, a unit of the 501st legion, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And you served under General Anakin Skywalker and the late Commander Ahsoka Tano, is that also correct?"

"Yes."

"Captain Rex, can you state the nature of Order 66?"

"It was a contingency order to cover emergency situations, in this case, involving the Jedi. ‘In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander, GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander until a new command structure is established."

"Captain Rex, who is the Supreme Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic?"

"The Chancellor, Madam."

"And when you received the command to execute Order 66, you were able to verify that it had come from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine?"

"Yes."

"There was no doubt about that?"

"None whatsoever, Madam. The order came from the Chancellor himself."

"The Supreme Chancellor gave the 501st more specialized instructions regarding Order 66, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"What were those instructions, Captain?"

"We were told that the Jedi had betrayed the Chancellor, that all Jedi were now enemies of the Republic, and that we were to storm the Temple and execute everyone inside."

"What did you do after you received this order, Captain?"

Rex looked nervously around the room, fixing his eyes on Anakin. Anakin read a silent plea for forgiveness in the clone captain's orbs.

"I called together the members of the 501st and gave them our instructions, and we marched on the Temple. We shot down any Jedi who approached us. Once they figured out what we were doing, some of them ran and hid, some of them fought back with their sabers, but we outnumbered them easily. The deed was done within several minutes."

Adri paused for a moment, looked around the courtroom, then back at the captain. Her voice was softer now. "Captain Rex, tell us what happened in the Council chambers."

Rex hesitated, looking around the room again. Then he spoke. "I opened the door and found several Jedi padawans and younglings, huddled together. A couple of them hid behind the chairs. One of the younglings, a boy of about five or six, came up to me and said, ‘Captain Rex, we didn't know which way to go.'"

"And what did you do?" Adri prompted.

"I raised my blaster and pointed it at him. He cried out and ran back behind the chair." He swallowed.

"Captain?" Adri asked, aware of a few audible sobs coming from the courtroom behind her.

"I looked around at those frightened kids and lowered my blaster. I don't kill unarmed and scared little ‘uns, Chancellor's orders or not. I knew I had just signed my own death warrant if the Chancellor found out, but I could not carry out the mission."

"Palpatine would have had you executed for refusing to kill children? Do I have that correct?"

"For disobeying orders, Madam. We clones were hardly indispensable to him. He just called Kamino and ordered more."

"Captain Rex, I know this isn't easy but the court needs you to continue," Adri said. "No one was left alive in the Temple, is that correct?"

Rex nodded. "I lowered my blaster, but Checkers, Echo, Fives and Hevy fired theirs. Several rounds and the deed was done. Then they promptly removed their helmets and vomited. We were trained for war, Madam, but this so-called mission was the absolutely worst we had ever been asked to do."

There was now hardly a dry eye in the courtroom. Anakin's face was buried in his hands, his shoulders shaking. Obi-Wan hastily wiped his eyes. Even Mace Windu's cheeks were streaked with tears.

"Did the Chancellor know that there were children in the Temple?"

"Yes, he did."

"And he told you that they had to die as well?"

"He told us to show no mercy, that all Jedi, including younglings and padawans, were enemies of the Republic and must be destroyed."

"What was your final act that day in the Temple?"

"We ignited it in order to destroy all Jedi artifacts and any Jedi that might have escaped our blasters."

"Captain, to your knowledge, having served under Anakin Skywalker, did he betray the Republic? Was he an ‘enemy of the Republic' as the Chancellor said?"

"Absolutely not."

"Were you planning to kill General Skywalker?"

Rex looked at Anakin again. "I had hoped that General Skywalker would not come to the Temple that day, and I am thankful that he did not. I did not want to kill him, and I was not going to hunt for him."

"Final question: Captain Rex, do you have General Skywalker's lightsaber?"

"I am holding it for him while he is in the courtroom, Madam."

"Is it a red lightsaber?"

"No, Madam. It is blue."

"I have nothing further." Adri sat.

Rosario looked at Dorstar. "Counselor, do you wish to cross-examine this witness?"

Dorstar stood. "Only one question," she said. "Captain Rex, what is the nature of Order 65?"

"Order 65: In the event of either a majority in the Senate declaring the Supreme Commander unfit to issue orders, or the Security Council declaring him to be unfit to issue orders, and an authenticated order being received by the GAR, commanders shall be authorized to detain the Supreme Commander, with lethal force if necessary, and command of the GAR shall fall to the acting Chancellor until a successor is appointed or alternative authority is identified."

"In other words, the Senate-or the Republic Security Council, of which our current Supreme Chancellor was a leading member-could have ordered your legion to declare Chancellor Palpatine unfit and have him killed."

"Yes."

"I wonder why they never did that, Captain."

"Objection!" Adri said. "Relevance, and speculation. Captain Rex has not attended any Republic Security Council meetings and could not possibly know why they did not implement Order 65."

"Sustained," Rosario said.

"Maybe the Republic Security Council did not find the Chancellor unfit?"

"Objection!" Adri repeated.

"Sustained."

"I have nothing further." Dorstar sat.

Adri stood again. "Your Honor, I request a short recess before I call my next witness."

Rosario glanced at the Jedi, all of whom had swollen eyes; Anakin was still wiping away tears. Without hesitation, she said, "Recess granted, Counselor."

Members of the Court stood; Adri led the Jedi into a small antechamber off the courtroom and closed the door. "I know that was difficult," she said. "But it had to be done."

Obi-Wan sniffed and nodded. "We understand," he said. Anakin still did not trust his voice, but nodded as well.

"There should be no doubt now regarding what Palpatine really was."

None of the Jedi spoke, but they all nodded in agreement.

"And there is someone who would like to speak to you directly," Adri said, pushing a button to slide the door open again.

Captain Rex entered the room hesitantly, glancing nervously at the Jedi seated on the sofa. He looked pointedly at Anakin as he spoke. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," he said. "If I had it to do again, I would have disobeyed Order 66, spared all the Jedi and left the Temple alone. I'll never stop regretting what happened."

Initially no one answered; the Jedi gazed at him sympathetically.

"Not... not your fault, Rex," Anakin managed.

Mace shook his head. "Certainly not. You were doing what you were ordered to do, what you were trained to do. You are a soldier and your job is to obey the Chancellor. If it's anyone's fault, it's ours. We should have been able to see this coming."

"Assigning blame, a waste of time it is," Yoda said. "Learn from our mistakes and move on, we must."

Mace nodded. "This is true."

Obi-Wan looked at Rex. "Thank you for trying to spare the children," he said.

"General Kenobi, I wish I could have done more," the captain replied. For the second time ever, Anakin saw tears in Rex's eyes. The only other time had been the day Ahsoka died.

"It makes me angry that Palpatine gave you such an order," Anakin said. "You're a human being, not a droid; he could not expect you to commit such an act without hesitation or any empathy."

"You Jedi saw us as human, General Skywalker, but unfortunately Chancellor Palpatine never did."

"He saw no one as human," Mace said. "All sentient beings were pawns to either be used or destroyed."

"You owe us no apologies, Rex," Obi-Wan said. "None of the clone soldiers do. And in all likelihood, your testimony has helped us. If we can win this trial, we can pick up the pieces and rebuild the Order, and help rebuild the Republic itself."

"I will help in any way I can," Rex replied.

"We owe you our thanks," Mace said. "And please do not feel that you owe us any apology."

Rex nodded. "Thank you, General Windu."

Adri stood. "I need you on the stand next, Master Skywalker. Are you ready?"

Anakin sighed and stood. "As ready as I'm going to be. Let's do this." He and Rex touched each other's shoulders as they walked towards the door.

---

Chapter 12

"The defense calls Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker."

As Anakin took the stand, the courtroom grew as silent as it had been the entire trial.

"Master Skywalker, when did you first meet Chancellor Palpatine?"

"When I came to the Temple 13 years ago."

"And how did you meet him?"

"He sought me out, welcomed me to Coruscant and told me to call on him if I needed anything. He said he would be watching my career with great interest."

"And did you call on him?"

"Yes, fairly often. I considered him a friend."

"He was supportive of you?"

"Define ‘supportive'. He assuaged my ego."

"How so?"

"He told me repeatedly that I was the most gifted Jedi that he had ever met, that the Council did not appreciate my abilities, that they should have made me a Master and given me solo missions at age 18. No one reaches Mastery at age 18, few Jedi reach Knighthood at age 18. I am one of few who reached Knighthood at 19 and Mastery at 23."

"And did you believe Palpatine when he said these things to you?"

"I enjoyed it for awhile, and then I got tired of it. It no longer seemed sincere." He looked at Obi-Wan. "My Jedi Master and the Council were less forthcoming with praise, but at least the praise they did give me was real."

Obi-Wan looked down, blinked rapidly, then met Anakin's eyes again.

"Master Skywalker, what happened in Palpatine's office after the Battle of Kothlis?"

"More fake praise. He ignored the accomplishments of the other Jedi, virtually ignored their presence in his office, and said that no one would be alive if it weren't for me. It was embarrassing."

Adri smiled. "Your saving the lives of the other Jedi and your squadron--fake praise? I understood that to be an accurate summation of the battle."

Anakin returned the smile. "I won the battle, Counselor, but only with the assistance of Master Kenobi, my Padawan, Captain Rex and the Torrent Company, and Admiral Yularen." The smile disappeared. "It was utterly unfair to them for the Chancellor to ignore their accomplishments and exaggerate mine. I'm good, but I'm not that good. And my success is due to the excellent training I received from my Master."

Now who is delivering false flattery?

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, who was giving him a half-smile, but Anakin could see the moisture in his eyes.

"Master Skywalker, what was your opinion of Chancellor Palpatine at the beginning of the war?"

"The same as most of the Jedi and from what I understand, most of the Galactic Congress. I thought he did the best he could to keep us out of war and keep the Republic intact."

"When did you begin to think that maybe the Chancellor was not exactly who and what he pretended to be?"

"My initial suspicion came about a year into the war," Anakin said. "We had driven the Separatists out of the Core Worlds, Inner Rim and Mid-Rim, which means they had essentially lost the war and there was no reason we could not at least attempt a peace agreement. Several Senators on the Loyalist Committee asked him repeatedly to do so, and he refused. He was not very diplomatic in his refusal either. He insisted on fighting in the Outer Rim, blaming Dooku and Grievous. And at the time I set aside my suspicions, believing it was only fair to the Outer Rim worlds to give them a chance to remain in the Republic. However, during this time Congress voted Palpatine more and more so-called ‘emergency powers,' allowing him to issue so many executive directives in the name of ‘security' that the Republic became virtually unrecognizable. Palpatine pretended to be reluctant to accept these ‘emergency powers' but he certainly used them to make life more difficult for Congress, the Jedi and the average citizen of Coruscant, especially those of non-human species. Citizens who happened to be of the same species as the Separatists were often treated brutally, arrested under false pretenses, received no assistance from the government when they were crime victims. And the emergency powers did nothing to bring an end to the fighting, did not even slow it down."

"You were present when the Delegation of 2000 presented their concerns to the Chancellor, were you not?"

"Yes."

Adri turned to Rosario. "If it please the Court, I would like to play the recording of that session."

Rosario nodded, and Adri pushed a button on the nearby R4 unit. The astromech droid projected the hologram of the meeting: Anakin standing behind the Chancellor's desk; the delegation members, led by a very pregnant and frustrated Padmé, asking Palpatine to please attempt diplomacy with the Separatists; the Chancellor's caustic rebuttal that he would do what was right and that should be enough, the way he spat the word "committee" at them. Then the recording ended.

"Master Skywalker," Adri continued. "Chancellor Palpatine shut off the recording at this point, is that correct?"

"He shut it off right after the Senators left," Anakin replied.

"Then what happened?"

"He accused them of trying to take over the Republic."

"I see. Sounds familiar. Did he not accuse the Jedi of the same?"

"Yes."

"Master Skywalker, what happened the night the Chancellor asked you to join him for a viewing of ‘Squid Lake' in the Coruscant Opera House?"

"He dismissed Vice Chair Amedda and Sly Moore, then told me that the Jedi were planning to betray him and take over the Republic."

"How did you react?"

"I told him that he was full of poodoo."

Adri looked amused, as did Obi-Wan and Mace. "Master Skywalker, could you tell the Court exactly what you said?"

"I told him that the Jedi are unselfish, only care about others, and that they use their power for good."

"And how did he respond?"

"He told me that good was a point of view, that the Jedi and the Sith are similar in their quest for power, but the Sith are considered evil only because they will use whatever means necessary to achieve that power, whereas the Jedi limit themselves to their own orthodox methods. Then he told me of a Sith legend of Darth Plagueis, who had the power to stop death."

"Why would he have told you of such a legend?"

"Prior to my mother's death, I had visions for months that she was suffering. Unfortunately I reached her too late to save her." Anakin looked down.

"I am sorry to hear that," Adri said. "Did you have any idea how the Chancellor might know a Sith legend?"

Anakin looked up again. "No," he said. "That's why the conversation was so disturbing. There were only two ways he could know: he either broke into the Temple Archives, which was highly unlikely, or he was a Sith Lord himself."

"Why did the Chancellor ask you to personally represent him on the Jedi Council after the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act gave him control of the Council?"

"He said he thought the Jedi wanted control of the Republic and he wanted me to keep an eye on their doings, to look for signs of disloyalty to him."

"So Palpatine thought that both the Jedi Council and the Delegation of 2000 wanted control of the Republic?"

"Yes."

"Interesting. And why did the Jedi Council ask you to spy on the Chancellor after they granted you Mastery?"

"They suspected that Palpatine was either a Sith Lord himself or was under the influence of one."

"And did you determine which was correct?"

"Yes. I determined that Palpatine himself was the same Darth Sidious that we had been looking for since the Battle of Naboo."

"How did you determine this?"

"He told me himself."

"He did? In what context, Master Skywalker?"

"It was just after Master Kenobi had been sent to Utapau to engage General Grievous. He told me that I should have been sent after Grievous instead of Master Kenobi, he said that the Jedi did not appreciate my abilities, and that he could help me embrace a ‘larger view' of the Force and that I could learn to stop any more of my loved ones from dying. Only the Jedi and the Sith know the ways of the Force, so I asked him point blank if he was a Sith Lord."

"And what was his answer?"

"That he was a Sith Lord, but he was also my friend so it didn't matter."

"How did you react?"

Anakin took a deep breath. "I ignited my saber and threatened to kill him."

"Why did you decide not to kill him?"

"He was unarmed, or so I believed, and I thought he needed to be taken into custody. I left and found Master Windu, who was on his way to the Chancellor's office."

"Why was Master Windu going to the Chancellor's office?"

"Master Kenobi had just defeated General Grievous, and Master Windu, along with Masters Kolar, Fisto and Tinn, planned to ask Palpatine to return emergency powers to the Senate. When I told him that the Chancellor was a Sith Lord, the mission changed. The five of us went to his office to arrest him."

"What happened after you arrived in his office?"

"Master Windu told him that he was under arrest. Palpatine asked if Master Windu was threatening him, Master Windu said that the Senate would decide his fate, and Palpatine said that he himself was the Senate. Then he pulled his lightsaber out from under his robe and jumped over his desk, lunging at us."

"Palpatine jumped over a desk? But wasn't he an old man with health problems?"

"That's what he wanted everyone to believe. But 64 isn't old. Master Jinn was an excellent swordsman and he wasn't much younger than that."

"What happened after he engaged his lightsaber?"

"Masters Fisto, Tinn and Kolar did not see that coming at all. They were killed almost instantly. Master Windu and I were behind them and were able to fight back."

"Master Skywalker, the Senate office repair team reported a broken window in the Chancellor's office. How did that window get broken?"

"Master Windu's saber broke it during the fight, and Palpatine shoved us onto the dais using the Force. He wanted us to fall to our deaths. Master Windu forced him back inside. Palpatine then attacked us with lightning."

"Lightning?"

"The Sith have the ability to shoot lightning from their fingertips. Dooku attacked us that way on Geonosis."

"How did the Chancellor die?"

"We forced the lightning back on him with our sabers. Then Master Windu stabbed him in the chest."

"Master Skywalker, did you feel that you had any other choice than to kill Palpatine?"

Anakin shook his head rapidly. "Absolutely not. The Jedi would have much preferred to take him into custody so that he could be the one on this stand explaining why he committed war crimes and had most of the Order slaughtered."

"Thank you. I have nothing further."

---

Dorstar stood. "Master Skywalker, your Padawan was killed in battle, is that correct?"

"Yes. On board General Grievous' ship."

"When did this happen?"

"Eight months and 17 days ago."

"Did you blame the Chancellor for your Padawan's death?"

"Not directly, no."

"Not directly? Exactly what do you mean, Master Skywalker?"

"I blamed him for continuing the war, for not attempting any sort of diplomacy with the Separatists. Master Yoda was able to reach a peace agreement with the Separatist leaders within a few hours, and this was after the Chancellor's death. How quickly could Palpatine have done this himself? Ending the war would have spared the lives of many Jedi, including Ahsoka."

"So you do blame the Chancellor for not reaching a peace agreement quickly enough for your tastes?"

Anakin looked at the prosecutor and raised his eyebrows. "No, I do not blame Palpatine for not reaching a peace agreement quickly enough. I blame him for not seeking a peace agreement at all, for not even wanting a peace agreement. I blame him for orchestrating both sides of a war that killed thousands of people-Jedi, clone soldiers and ordinary Republic citizens. And I blame him for accusing his Senate colleagues of betrayal when they presented him with concerns. I blame him for the attitude that opposition to him was tantamount to betrayal of the Republic itself."

"I see." Dorstar folded her arms. "Master Skywalker, what is your relationship with Senator Amidala?"

"Objection!" Adri said. "Relevance?"

"I'm interested in the relevance of this as well," Rosario said.

Dorstar turned to the Chief Justice. "Your Honor, Senator Amidala is a prominent member of the Galactic Congress and the so-called Delegation of 2000, a committee that led the opposition to Palpatine in the Senate. She recently gave birth to twins and has never been forthcoming about who the father is, however, the rumors surround Master Skywalker, Master Kenobi, and Chancellor Organa. If Master Skywalker does have an intimate relationship with a Senator who has been vocally and vehemently opposed to Palpatine, I think that relationship is indeed relevant."

Rosario said nothing for a minute, then nodded. "I will allow this line of questioning but it must remain relevant to Chancellor Palpatine's death. This Court has no time for idle gossip."

Dorstar turned to Anakin. "So, Master Skywalker... your relationship with the Senator?"

Anakin met her eyes with a hard, cold look in his. "She is my wife."

Several in the Court gasped. Dorstar looked as if she had just won the lotto. "Are Jedi allowed to marry, Master Skywalker?"

"No, we are not."

"But you got married anyway?"

"Yes, we did."

"I see," Dorstar said. "And since love led you to violate the sacred code of the Jedi Order, Master Skywalker, perhaps it also led you to violate the laws of the Republic? As a gift to your bride, did you agree to take vengeance on her political enemy?"

Anakin gritted his teeth and did not answer immediately. Behind the stand, his mechanical fist clenched and unclenched. The sound made by the prosthetic hand was all the court members heard in the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the room. Obi-Wan met Anakin's eyes. Take a deep breath. Now.

"Master Skywalker, answer the Counselor's question, please," Rosario said.

He took a deep breath, the mechanical fist relaxed, and he met Dorstar's eyes again. "Counselor, Senator Amidala and I married at the very beginning of the war. At the time, she was as much a supporter of Chancellor Palpatine as I was. It was her vote of no confidence in Valorum that put him in office. He was her Senator when she was Queen. I would invite you to put her on the stand so that she could tell you how often we disagreed politically, but that testimony would last through several meal breaks and probably at least one sunrise and sunset. She did not turn me against Chancellor Palpatine; he did that himself. And my role in his death had nothing to do with her; it had to do with the fact that he ignited a red lightsaber in my face and then tried to electrocute me with Sith lightning."

"Master Skywalker, when you were on The Invisible Hand, were you able to disarm Count Dooku?"

"Yes, I was."

"And you did not take him into custody? You killed him instead?"

"Yes."

"Why did you do that? I thought that the Jedi did not kill unarmed prisoners. I thought you only killed in self-defense."

"Normally that is true, and my plan was to take Dooku into custody and bring him back to Coruscant for trial. But Chancellor Palpatine told me to kill him."

Anakin could tell from Dorstar's face that that was not the answer she expected. "The Chancellor told you to do it?"

"Yes."

"Were there any witnesses?"

Anakin shook his head. "No. Dooku had knocked Master Kenobi unconscious. He did not know what happened until later."

"How convenient," Dorstar said. "Interesting how there never seem to be any witnesses when the Jedi kill unarmed prisoners."

"Objection!" Adri called.

"Sustained," Rosario said.

"I have nothing further," Dorstar said.

---

"You did well," Obi-Wan told Anakin as they entered the lift. "She baited you, and you didn't take it."

Anakin sighed. "Believe me, it was close."

Obi-Wan laughed. "I know, but you kept your head and that's what matters," he said.

"I just hope I'm not in trouble with Padmé," Anakin said. "Kriffing reporters are going to love this."

"I don't think you will be. It's not like you had a choice. You were under oath," Obi-Wan replied. "Besides, she'll probably be relieved to have the truth out and the rumor mill silenced. Although I'm a bit flattered to have made the list of potential fathers of the twins." He looked amused.

"I wonder how Bail feels about it," Anakin said. He was also smiling.

"I think that might depend on whether Breha has heard the rumor and taken it seriously," Obi-Wan said, laughing. "Which I somehow doubt. Bail Organa would be the last man alive to be caught in an illicit affair."

"Other than you, that is," Anakin said. Both men were laughing as the doors to the lift opened, revealing Padmé, standing outside the Chancellor's office. As Anakin stepped out of the lift, Padmé put her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Cameras flashed, and Anakin knew that several reporters were in the corridor as well.

"Padmé, what are you...?" Anakin whispered fiercely.

Padmé turned to the camera crew. "There," she said. "You should have enough to fill the gossip sections of the Holonet for at least a week now. Master Skywalker is my husband. The twins are his children. While you are furiously writing that story, I hope that you will also find time to report on the GAR Reassignment Act and the Trade and Taxation Act, which we will vote on in the Senate tomorrow. Both of these acts will have a much greater impact on the Republic than any aspect of my personal life." She turned back to Anakin, taking his hand in hers. "That should take care of things. Bail wants to see you and Obi-Wan. Master Windu arrived a few minutes ago."

Anakin squeezed her hand, intertwined his fingers with hers. "I thought you were going to be angry with me."

Padmé squeezed back. "Of course not, darling," she said, then glanced back at the chattering reporters. "These idiots, on the other hand... they've been mingling in this corridor ever since Dorstar asked you about us. They're relentless. And they're going to be annoyed next week when the excitement of finding out about us wears off, and they discover that they have to fill Holonet space with something more substantial than speculation on my children's paternity."

"Bail and Obi-Wan," Anakin said, laughing. "Love, you never told me."

"Like there was anything to tell," Padmé said, laughing as she palmed the door open. Anakin turned to look at Obi-Wan, who was waving his hand at the reporters.

"You will not take holos of the children without their parents' express consent..." he said.

"We will not take holos of the children without their parents' express consent..." they repeated.

"You will leave now," Obi-Wan said.

"We will leave now," they repeated. With glazed eyes, they put their datapads away, turned, and entered the lift.

---

Bail was sitting at his desk, giving Leia her bottle; Mace was holding Luke; Yoda sat next to Mace. Bail waved the Jedi in, looking directly at Anakin. "I thought I'd feed your daughter while her mother runs off the media," he said, looking amused.

Anakin laughed. "I think Obi-Wan just finished that job," he said. "You're not in trouble over those rumors, are you?"

Bail laughed. "Breha has been around Padmé enough the past several years to know exactly who fathered the twins. Without being told." He grinned at Padmé, who raised her eyebrows.

"Now, Bail, are you trying to tell me I wasn't discreet?"

"You tried, Padmé. The constant questioning about when Anakin was going to be home from battle and whether he was injured was sort of a giveaway though. Understandable, but no, not exactly discreet."

Anakin laughed, put his hands on his wife's shoulders. They both sat down on a nearby sofa. Obi-Wan sat in a chair next to Mace, took Luke from him. Luke immediately grabbed for the beard. Obi-Wan winced, then laughed, using a finger on Luke's palm to loosen his grip. "We're going to have to get you out of that habit, little one," he said, smiling.

"Mon Mothma and Fang Zar just left. We were discussing the clones," Bail continued. "Rex and the 501st want to stay on Coruscant, and I think Cody wants to stay as well. We are going to re-home legions on Naboo, Alderaan, Sumeria and Chandrila. We are discussing the possibility of re-homing a legion on Corellia as well."

"Will that take care of all of them?" Obi-Wan asked.

Bail frowned. "We lost so many in the war that unfortunately, yes, that's all the legions that are left. The Kaminoans are in the process of growing a few others, which will be fully ready in five years. We'll discuss those when the time comes. Padmé has written a provision into the Trade and Taxation Act to order a halt on the production of clones, which will open up a significant portion of the budget. We will still hire the Kaminoans to clone limbs and other body parts for those that need them, particularly with wartime injuries, so they will not completely lose government business, but we will not be hiring them to genetically engineer soldiers."

"This is good news," Anakin said. He looked at Yoda. "The Jedi Council-are we working on this as well?" he asked.

"No," Yoda said. "Another issue, we are presenting."

"Assuming we survive this trial, we need to look at a bit of re-homing ourselves," Mace said.

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked.

"All the discussion about the Jedi being complacent and hidden in the ivory tower that was our Temple," Mace replied. "Yoda and I were just discussing that it might be better if we had some training outposts on Core and Mid-Rim worlds."

"But we would keep a headquarters here, would we not?" Obi-Wan asked.

Mace nodded. "Several of us would be stationed here in order to be on call for the Chancellor and the Senate, but if we were dispersed a bit throughout the galaxy, we could respond to, for example, mediation calls on Outer Rim worlds more quickly. And younglings in training could maintain contact with their families more easily."

"And more in tune with the citizens of the Republic, we would be," Yoda said. "Better able to serve them, we would be."

Anakin nodded. "Because we would see first hand how they live, have a better understanding of what their day-to-day lives are like. I think that's a good idea," he said. "Assuming we survive the trial..."

"After recent testimonies I don't know how the Court could decide against you," Bail said. "And on that, another issue has come up," Bail added. "The People's Inquest are planning some demonstrations during closing arguments."

"Demonstrations?" Padmé said, blanching. "What kind of demonstrations?"

"Protests," Bail said. "We can hope that they aren't violent but I've alerted the 501st just in case. And I'm tightening security around 500 Republica." He walked out from behind his desk, approached Padmé and placed Leia in her arms. "But it might be better if you went off planet. For the children's safety as much as your own, especially now that your marriage is going to be in the news."

Padmé scowled. "You know I don't like the idea of hiding," she said.

"It wouldn't be hiding," Anakin said. "You're taking a break. And I think it's a good idea." He rested his hand on her hair. "Go to Naboo for a few weeks, love. You were planning to have the babies there, remember? So you've delayed the trip by ten weeks."

Padmé's scowl deepened; she looked at her husband and then Bail. "Did you two discuss this ahead of time?"

Anakin and Bail looked at each other and laughed. "No," Bail said. "But is it really so bad that we agree?"

"I wanted to go to Naboo when all this was over anyway," Anakin said. "Assuming I can."

"Assuming you can," Padmé repeated. "I want to see you through this, Anakin."

"And you will. But I was so afraid for you during the Battle of Coruscant, and the aftermath of the attack on the Temple... I don't want to have to go through that again, especially with the babies." He took his wife's free hand in his, meeting her eyes. "Please," he said. "Go visit your parents and Sola for awhile. You never even took maternity leave."

"They're at Varykino this time of year." She sighed again. "They never even knew I was pregnant. I never got the chance to tell them."

Anakin smiled. "I guess you'll have a couple of surprises for them, then."

Padmé scowled again. "I'm outvoted, aren't I?" she said. "I'll go. I don't like it, but I'll go."

Anakin kissed her cheek. "I will feel better if you are there and I don't have to worry about you as much," he said. "I don't know how ugly this is going to get as it winds down, especially with the People's Inquest involved."

"Accompany you I can, Senator," Yoda said. "Speak with Queen Apailana, I must."

Padmé sighed again but met the old Jedi Master's eyes. "I would appreciate your company, Master Yoda," she said.

"And your protection," Anakin added.

"It's settled then," Bail said.

---

"We are ready for takeoff, milady," Captain Typho said. "Are we stopping in Theed or do you plan to go directly to Varykino?"

"We'll go to the Palace first," Padmé replied. "Master Yoda and I both need to speak with the Queen."

She looked at Anakin, who was kneeling in front of the infants, who were strapped into their carriers. He held out his flesh hand, letting each of them grip a finger. "You'll like Naboo," he said. "Everything is lush and green and the lake is beautiful. There is plenty of open space and at night you can see the stars. I fell in love with the planet and your Mommy at the same time. It was easy."

They both gazed at him. Luke shook Anakin's index finger, then put the tip in his mouth. Anakin smiled. "I'm glad I washed that hand just before we got on board," he said.

"Ani," Padmé said sadly. "It's time, darling."

He sighed. "I know," he said. He kissed the twins' foreheads. "Daddy loves you very much," he said. "I think about you all the time, and I hope you'll be able to sense that, even from far away." Their eyes met his, as if to say that they understood.

Anakin kissed them one more time, stood and backed away slowly.

He felt his wife's arms around his waist and turned to face her. The intensity of the kiss that followed made Typho and Yoda avert their eyes; Yoda said "harrumph" under his breath.

"I love you, Anakin," Padmé said.

"And I love you," he replied, stroking her cheek. "I will come to you at the first possible moment."

She nodded. "I know."

He looked in the direction of his protocol droid, who was chattering with R2 as the latter ran diagnostics. "3PO," he said. "Make sure the babies have their pacifiers before the ship goes into hyperspace. It will help their ears."

"Of course, sir," 3PO replied, immediately looking among the babies' bags for their pacifiers.

Padmé smiled. "Good call, Ani," she said.

"A few of the old space pilots would travel with kids," Anakin said. "Some infants. Refugees. I paid attention." He looked at the babies. "Maybe some extra blankets too. Space is cold."

Captain Typho approached him. "I will watch over them, General. The Senator, and the children-I will guard them as if they were my own. You have my word." He extended his hand, and Anakin took it, his other arm wrapped around Padmé's waist.

"I know," he said. "Thank you, Captain."

"My pleasure, sir. Good luck to you."

"Leave we must," Yoda said. "Be in hyperspace before daybreak, we should."

Anakin nodded, kissed Padmé again, hugged her tightly, then moved slowly away, continuing to hold her hand until only their fingertips touched. Then he was on the platform waving goodbye, the ramp closed, the ship took off, and disappeared into hyperspace. Anakin was alone. He sank into one of the rockers on the balcony and closed his eyes.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there; even from behind closed eyelids, he could sense the sun growing brighter in the sky. He heard a speeder slow to a stop, footsteps on the platform and then Obi-Wan's voice. "Are you alright?"

Anakin opened his eyes slowly and nodded.

"Padmé and the children left with no mishaps?"

Another nod.

"Good." Obi-Wan sat in the rocker next to Anakin and handed him a travel mug. "I brought caf. The good stuff from Alderaan. Thought I'd save you the trouble of making it."

Anakin nodded his thanks, took the mug, and sipped. He stared into the sky, to the spot where he had seen Padmé's skiff disappear into hyperspace. "With the war over, I didn't think I'd have to be apart from her again. And the children..." His voice trailed off.

Obi-Wan nodded, wanting to say that he understood, or that he at least wanted to understand. After a minute he said, "You should come stay with us for the rest of the trial. Bail has a couple of extra bedrooms."

Anakin closed his eyes again. "I'm fine, Obi-Wan, really."

"Did Padmé take the droids with her?"

Anakin nodded, his eyes still closed. "I programmed 3PO to warm up bottles, sanitize bottles and pacifiers and set up diaper-changing stations, even if he is still being weird about the idea of actually changing diapers. He'll be of some help to Padmé; he'd just be bored sitting around here. Or if the People's Inquest does demonstrate, he'll probably freak out. He's better off going to Naboo, complaints about space travel aside. And I sent R2 to help fly the ship and keep 3PO from driving Yoda and Typho crazy."

"Bail once said that only you would build a droid with a personality," Obi-Wan said, laughing. "Really, Anakin, you don't even have the droids for company. Don't stay here alone."

He opened his eyes and took another sip of caf. "I'll think about it," he said. "Especially if this caf is readily available."

"A full pot every morning," Obi-Wan said. "We need to be off to the Courts soon. Mace's testimony should seal this for the Jedi."

"Let's hope," Anakin said. The fear that rose up in Anakin at that moment made his heart pound, made him break out in sweat in spite of the chill of the early morning. Fear of never seeing his wife and children again, or seeing them only from behind bars. "What if...?" His eyes closed again.

Obi-Wan squeezed his shoulder. "No what ifs," he said. "Do not focus on the negative right now. We can't afford it." He let his hand linger on Anakin's shoulder, having felt the horrific wave of fear rise from his former apprentice. "You were always so confident on the battlefield, Anakin."

"I was in control there," Anakin said. "Most of the time. My fate was not in someone else's hands." He opened his eyes again. "No amount of skill can help me through this one, Master. Either those justices decide that our story is valid, or they don't."

"Anakin, you are not the only one with skills," Obi-Wan replied. "Discerning the truth is a skill as well. So is winning a defense case for innocent clients."

"I certainly was not doubting Adri's abilities," Anakin said. "She's been brilliant so far."

Obi-Wan squeezed the shoulder again. "I understand why you are afraid," he said. "Palpatine controlled the courts when he was in office. But that is no longer true."

Anakin sighed. "I know," he said. He was suddenly very tired. He fought the urge to close his eyes again, took a couple of sips of the caf, and stood. "Let's hear what Master Windu has to say. Come to think of it, Dorstar trying to cross-examine him might be amusing. She won't know what hit her. I think the last person who questioned his authority was Dooku."

"No," Obi-Wan said. "Even he would not dare." Both men laughed as they got in the speeder.

---

Chapter 13

"The defense calls Jedi Master Mace Windu."

Mace took the stand, calmly surveying the crowd.

"Master Windu, how long have you served on the Jedi Council?" Adri began.

"The better part of three decades, Madam."

"What is the history of the Sith, or should I say, who exactly are the Sith?"

"The Sith are the ancient enemy of the Jedi. We were at war with them a thousand years ago; they were defeated, or so we thought. Thirteen years ago, Master Qui-Gon Jinn brought us word that he had been attacked on Tatooine by a warrior who was obviously trained in the Jedi arts. We initially did not believe that he could be a Sith, because we thought the Sith were extinct. After the battle of Theed, in which Master Jinn encountered this same warrior again and was killed, we decided our initial assumptions were wrong."

"What course of action did the Council take after this battle and Master Jinn's death?"

"We knew that the warrior was a Sith, and we knew that there are always two Sith, a Master and an apprentice. For ten years we were not sure if we were dealing with the Master or the apprentice. Then Master Kenobi was captured on Geonosis by Count Dooku. Count Dooku asked Kenobi to join him in fighting the Sith, and informed him that several Senators were under the influence of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious."

"So the Jedi Council set out in search of this Darth Sidious?"

"We did, especially after learning that he was behind both the Naboo blockade and the Separatist Crisis."

"Master Windu, who was Count Dooku exactly? And was he telling Master Kenobi the truth on Geonosis?"

"Count Dooku was once a Jedi. He left the Order about twelve years ago for personal reasons, or so we believed. He had been an apprentice of Master Yoda and he trained Master Jinn. He was angry after Jinn died, felt that we should have investigated further into who this mysterious warrior was before Jinn and Kenobi encountered him on Naboo. This anger was one reason he left the Order. My understanding is that Sidious fed Dooku the same lines that he fed Anakin Skywalker in an attempt to recruit him, lines about teaching him a more efficient and effective use of the Force, a ‘larger view'. Was he telling Kenobi the truth? Yes, he was, he just wasn't telling the whole truth. He wanted Kenobi to join him on the Dark Side and overthrow Sidious. That is why there are always two Sith; there were more at one time but they killed each other. And the Master and apprentice are constantly trying to kill each other."

"Do you feel that Count Dooku was correct regarding the Order's ineffectiveness?"

Mace sighed. "Yes. We should not have assumed that there was no possibility that Jinn was attacked by a Sith. If we had not made that assumption, maybe he would have lived. Our ability to use the Force had been diminished. The Dark Side clouded everything. We did not understand why at the time. The fact that the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic was a Sith Master is very explanatory, however."

"Objection!" Dorstar said.

Adri looked at her. "Two witnesses have already testified that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious were one and the same. Do you wish to have those witnesses charged with perjury?"

Dorstar shook her head and sat.

"Objection overruled," Rosario said. "You may continue, Madam Adri."

"Master Windu, when you discovered that the Dark Side clouded your vision and believed that the Sith Master must be within your midst, where did the Council begin its search?"

"With the Senate. Master Ronhar Kim wished to have midichlorian counts taken of all members of the Galactic Congress. Narrowing down Force-sensitives in Congress would narrow down potential Sith Lords hiding in the legislature."

"What were the results of Master Kim's study?"

Mace frowned. "The study never took place. Chancellor Palpatine sent Master Kim to the front lines of battle and he was killed."

"I see. And what was the Council's next plan of action?"

"We needed an insider, someone that the Chancellor trusted. Understand that we did not think that the Chancellor himself was a Sith, we thought that someone among his closest circle of advisors must be. I personally thought that Sate Pestage was the Sith and was influencing the Chancellor. However, we needed a spy of sorts. When Chancellor Palpatine took over the Jedi Council and asked Skywalker to represent him personally on the Council, we had a ready-made opportunity."

"How so?"

"We appointed Skywalker to the Council ourselves and gave him the rank of Jedi Master. We had planned to do so anyway; his accomplishments in battle were highly commendable, especially his defeat of Count Dooku, and his name had appeared for Mastery numerous times. We then asked Skywalker to accept the Chancellor's appointment and report to us on all his doings. We needed Skywalker to keep the Chancellor's trust."

"Were you not concerned that either Master Skywalker or the Council would be accused of treason?"

"That thought had occurred to us, however, we were at war, and we were much more concerned about the Sith gaining control of the Republic and destroying the Order."

"Master Windu, what happened the day that Master Kenobi defeated General Grievous?"

"When we received the news, three other Jedi Masters and I prepared to approach the Chancellor about returning his emergency powers to the Senate. We, along with many members of the Galactic Congress, saw no need for his oppressive security measures with the war ending. As we were boarding the security ship to take us to the Chancellor's office, I was approached by Skywalker."

"What did Skywalker tell you?"

"Nothing initially. He was too sweaty and shaky to talk. I was certain for a moment that he was going to either pass out or vomit on my boots."

"Did you have any idea why he looked so sick?"

"Once he told me his story it was pretty clear. He had just come from the Chancellor's office, where Palpatine had told him personally that he was a Sith Lord. He knew Sith legends and he knew the ways of the Force. He tried to turn Skywalker against the Jedi and convince him to join the Sith."

"What did you do with the information that Skywalker brought you?"

"Our mission changed. Instead of asking the Chancellor to return powers to the Senate, we went to his office to arrest him for war crimes."

"You went to arrest him? You did not go to kill him?"

"No. The Jedi will always attempt to take a prisoner into custody first. We only kill if we have no choice. We are not assassins, Counselor."

Adri nodded. "What happened after you entered Chancellor Palpatine's office?"

"I told him that he was under arrest. He asked if I was threatening him, and I told him that the Senate would decide his fate. He said that he was the Senate, jumped over his desk and attacked us with a lightsaber."

"Master Windu, what color is your lightsaber?"

"Purple."

"And Masters Fisto, Tinn and Kolar-what color were their lightsabers?"

"Fisto's was green, the other two were blue."

"None of you own or carry a red lightsaber?"

"No. Only Sith carry red lightsabers."

"The Chancellor attacked you with a lightsaber, and what happened?"

"Masters Fisto, Tinn and Kolar were dead almost before they had the chance to unsheathe their sabers. Anakin and I were left to fight Palpatine. During the fight, my saber broke the office window; Palpatine shoved us out onto the dais. But we were able to get back inside, knock the Chancellor onto the floor and knock his saber out of his hand."

"And you were able to arrest him then?"

"No. He attacked us with Force lightning. Anakin and I had to deflect it back onto him using our sabers."

"How did the Chancellor die, Master Windu?"

"As he attacked us with lightning, he continued to threaten Anakin, telling him that he had seen a vision of his wife dying and that only he, the Chancellor, could save her. As Anakin told him that his wife would rather die than be saved by a Sith, I managed to free myself from the lightning enough to stab Palpatine in the chest and end the attack."

"Master Windu, did you feel you had any other choice?"

"Absolutely not. If I had had another choice, I would not be on this stand right now."

"Why did you feel you had no other choice?"

"Palpatine had to be disarmed before we could arrest him. We could not disarm him from the lightning. Knocking his lightsaber out of his hands did little good, as he still had that weapon. We were virtually powerless against it. We could have stopped fighting him and attempted to get binders on him, but he would have killed us."

Adri turned to Rosario. "In the Court's possession should be a copy of the autopsy report on Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. It will show the lightsaber wound to the chest, and it will also show that the Chancellor's face had become disfigured, essentially melted. This is an effect of the Force lightning deflected back on the Chancellor by Masters Windu and Skywalker." She turned to Mace. "Master Windu, are either you or Master Skywalker capable of producing lightning with your fingers?"

Mace looked amused. "I am not, and Anakin has a metal prosthetic arm. If he produced lightning with his fingers, it would kill him."

Adri nodded. "Final question: what happened after you and Master Skywalker left the Chancellor's office?"

"We boarded the security ship to return to the Temple, only to see the Temple in flames. I immediately contacted Master Kenobi and learned that his and Master Yoda's clones had turned on them. Anakin informed me that he had heard the Chancellor give an Order 66 just as he left his office to search for me."

"Thank you, Master Windu. I have nothing further."

Dorstar stood. "Master Windu, to your knowledge, did Chancellor Palpatine ever use this lightning on anyone else?"

"To my knowledge, no."

"And did anyone see him use it on you and Master Skywalker?"

"No."

"Did either of you have any side effects of being attacked by lightning? Did Master Skywalker lose use of his prosthetic arm, even temporarily?"

"No. As I said, we deflected the lightning with our lightsabers. We were not hit with it despite the Chancellor's best efforts."

"Have you ever met another who could produce this Force lightning?"

"Count Dooku was able to do it."

"Did you personally witness Count Dooku using Force lightning?"

"No. Masters Kenobi, Skywalker and Yoda did."

"Jedi. One of whom is also accused of murder. I see."

"Objection!" Adri called.

"Sustained," Rosario said.

"Master Windu," Dorstar said, "If Chancellor Palpatine had not used this lightning, would you have been able to take him into custody?"

"We certainly would have had a better chance of doing so, although Palpatine could have used the Force to drop a heavy object on us or attack us in another way, as Count Dooku attacked Master Kenobi on The Invisible Hand. The only real way to ensure that the Chancellor could have been taken into custody would be to remove the use of his hands altogether, and even that would not have been foolproof. There are many ways to manipulate the Force, Counselor."

"So the gist of your case is built around a battle of a Force that no one understands, or more specifically, an attack of so-called Force lightning that no one witnessed and from which neither you nor Master Skywalker, who has a metal arm, suffered any side effects. Very interesting."

Mace glared at her. "I don't think so," he said firmly. "Our case is built around the fact that Chancellor Palpatine orchestrated both sides of the war in order to make himself a dictator, ordered the execution of all Jedi, and then attempted to kill us when we went to arrest him."

Dorstar gave Mace a hard, cold gaze, and after a minute of silence, said, "I have nothing further."

Adri stood. "The defense rests. Your Honor."

---

"Master Yoda, you should at least come for dinner," Padmé said.

The old Jedi Master shook his head and climbed out of the water speeder, looking toward the lodge on top of the hill, the one that Queen Apailana had told him to use as headquarters for the Jedi on Naboo. It was a few houses down from the Naberries' Varykino retreat.

"Generous you are," he replied. "But much work I have to do. Get established here I must. However, contact me you should, if need me you do."

Padmé nodded. "I will do that. And you likewise. If you need supplies, or anything else..."

"Contact you or the Queen, I will," Yoda said.

"Have a good evening, Master," Padmé said as the water speeder started again.

"You as well, Senator," Yoda replied, glancing at her and the children one last time before walking up the hill. Captain Typho accelerated the speeder and a minute later, docked it outside the Naberrie home. Typho got out, unfolded the stroller, and lifted the children's carriers into it as Padmé got out behind him, scanning the entrances to the house. 3PO slowly got out of the speeder. "I'm not sure water travel is much better than space travel, R2," he said. R2 chirped something, and 3PO replied. "It's not my fault. I was built in the desert, I'm not used to this."

Padmé's mother appeared in the doorway of the home, smiling broadly as she saw her daughter. "Padmé? Is that you? It is you!" She called to her husband. "Ruwee, Padmé is home!"

A moment later Padmé's father joined his wife, with Sola almost directly behind them. Typho put a hand on Padmé's shoulder. "I am going to establish security around the perimeter of the house, milady," he said.

She nodded, pushing the stroller along the walk to the house. Jobal Naberrie wrapped her daughter in a hug. "We're glad you're home. It's been so long; we've been worried, especially with the war, and Palpatine..." She looked at the babies, then slowly raised her head to look at Padmé again. "So the Holonet rumors were true. Honey, why didn't you tell us?"

"The Holonet does occasionally report gossip correctly. His name is Luke, and her name is Leia." She returned her gaze from her children to her mother. "And we didn't tell anyone. I wore clothes that hid my pregnancy until the very end. Even my Senate colleagues didn't know until right before I gave birth. Anakin would have been expelled from the Order and the Queen would have asked me to step down from my Senate seat if they knew."

"But Padmé...we're your family. We would not have told the Queen or the Jedi Council. Why did you need to hide from us? My goodness, it wasn't enough that you got married and didn't tell us until several months later. Now this..."

She hung her head, ashamed. "I wanted to tell you, I really did... if I had had the chance to come home. It wasn't something I felt like I could tell you over a comlink. We were going to come out in the open after the war ended, when we could both step out of public life for awhile. I wanted to have the babies here, we had already discussed it, but..." Padmé suddenly felt dizzy, and sat on the garden bench.

"The war took a turn for the worse, and Palpatine accumulated draconian powers and then was assassinated. By the Jedi, if the Holonet is to be believed," Ruwee said. His tone of voice indicated that he did not believe the Holonet at all.

Padmé nodded. "Unfortunately that's not all of it. He was a Sith Lord, Daddy," she said. "The Sith who killed Master Jinn in Theed was his apprentice."

Ruwee had gone pale. "Palpatine was a Sith?" he said.

"Yes. He told Anakin as much himself. Anakin told the Council, and five Council members went to arrest him. He resisted arrest, attacked the Jedi, and killed three of them. Anakin..."

Luke sucked on his fist and started to cry, followed immediately by Leia. Jobal unbuckled the straps on the stroller and picked up Leia; Sola picked up Luke. "They're hungry," Jobal said. 3PO immediately went for the diaper bag. "Miss Padmé, I have their bottles and the warmer, I just need a place..."

"We can go inside and use the outlets in the kitchen," Sola said, looking at Luke.

"Yes," Jobal replied. "We'll feed them, finish updating your father." She and Sola went inside with the babies, followed by 3PO with the diaper bag.

"Five Jedi went to arrest Palpatine for being a Sith..." Ruwee prompted.

"For war crimes. He orchestrated both sides of the war. He was waiting for all his generals and most of the Jedi to be killed so he could declare himself Emperor. His generals and most of the Jedi were killed. And those who didn't die in battle, were killed when Palpatine ordered the clone army to kill them."

Ruwee's eyes widened in horror. "Palpatine ordered the clones to kill the Jedi?"

Padmé nodded. "He declared the Jedi enemies of the Republic. There is a contingency order that was implemented into the clones at the time of their creation, to execute the Jedi immediately upon the Chancellor's order. Palpatine gave the Order. Thousands of Jedi died, everyone who was in the Temple that day, even the children." She felt a lump rising in her throat. "They set the Temple on fire."

"Did Anakin kill Palpatine?" Ruwee asked softly.

Padmé shook her head. "Master Windu killed him. Anakin was there when it happened."

"I'm assuming that he's involved in this trial that everyone is talking about? We've only gotten snippets in the news here, only that Jedi are on trial for their role in the assassination. Few details."

Padmé took a deep breath. "Anakin and the rest of the Jedi Council are accused of treason and murder. There were no cameras or witnesses when Palpatine attacked the Jedi, so Anakin and Master Windu are having to prove that they were attacked and that they didn't just initiate a coup to overthrow the Republic. That they were just stopping Palpatine from overthrowing the Republic himself." She was suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer injustice of it. Sobs that she had buried inside her since the trial began-or since the beginning of the war-came over her all at once. She buried her face in her hands and wept.

She felt her father's arms around her, his large hand on her hair, her head resting against his chest. He held her for several minutes until the sobbing slowed.

"Shhh...it will be alright," he said quietly. "Organa has appointed at least one justice, has he not?"

Padmé nodded and sniffled. "Six of the justices are Palpatine appointees, six were appointed by either Bail or Chancellor Valorum," she said, taking several deep breaths and wiping her eyes. "The chief justice was appointed by Valorum. But the prosecutor's questions, and the testimonies, even the defense testimonies... it's been awful." More tears fell down her cheeks. "People believed Palpatine's lies. They've attacked the Jedi, accused them of being cowards, power-mongers... everything that Palpatine was. They went after Anakin regarding our marriage, accused him of turning against Palpatine because of me..."

Her father stroked her hair. "I am sorry, honey," he said. "How much longer is the trial expected to last?"

Padmé sniffled again. "Master Windu was testifying today and closing arguments should start tomorrow," she said.

"So you'll know something very soon."

Padmé nodded. "Anakin is coming to Naboo when this is over, if he can, if they don't..." She couldn't finish the sentence. Ruwee stroked her back.

"Anakin and the Council did the right thing," he said. "The Court will see that. Did you decide to come here to wait out the rest of the trial?"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes again. "Some anti-Jedi demonstrations are planned during closing arguments," she said. "Since my marriage to Anakin is all over the Coruscant news now, he and Bail both thought that the children and I would be safer here." She sighed.

"Yes. And you look tired."

"I am tired," she said. "I was up early enough to cast my votes on three bills and leave before sunrise."

"Aunt Padmé!" The voice came from around the side of the house; Ryoo and Pooja emerged and threw themselves into her arms. "We didn't know you were home," Ryoo said.

She smiled, returned the hug and kissed both of their cheeks. "That's because I didn't tell anyone I was coming," she said.

Pooja was frowning. "Aunt Padmé, why are you sad?"

Padmé hugged the girl again. "Grown up problems," she said. "I'm not sad now that I've seen you."

"Where's R2?" Pooja asked.

"He went inside," Padmé replied. At that moment her mother and Sola emerged, carrying the babies.

"They've been fed and changed," Jobal said, placing Luke in Padmé's arms. Sola handed Leia to Ruwee.

"Thank you," Padmé said. She looked at her nieces. "Would you like to meet your cousins? This is Luke, and Grandpa is holding Leia."

Ryoo's brow furrowed. "You had two babies? At the same time?"

Padmé laughed. "Yes, I did. Luke and Leia are twins."

"When is Uncle Anakin going to come see us again?" Ryoo asked.

Padmé closed her eyes and opened them again. "As soon as he can. Hopefully in a few days."

"Good. I want him to make my dolls dance in the air like he did last time. That was funny."

"Can we hold the baby?" Pooja asked.

Padmé stood. "Sit beside Grandpa." They did, and Padmé rested Luke's head in Ryoo's arms, his feet in Pooja's.

"Now that is a beautiful sight," Sola said, smiling.

"Senator, all is secure here," Captain Typho said, emerging from the side of the house. He stopped at the sight of Ryoo and Pooja holding the baby. "Nice," he said, smiling. He looked at Jobal. "I am expecting a battalion of security droids from Theed by nightfall," he said. "We will be as unobtrusive as possible in guarding the house."

"Is there any danger that we should know about?" Ruwee asked.

"No sir," Typho replied. "Nothing unusual. But we have taken additional precautions in the wake of the unrest after Palpatine's assassination. "

Jobal nodded. "You should come in and have some dinner, Captain," she said.

"I would like that," he replied.

Padmé and her father stood, Padmé taking Luke from her nieces, and the family went into the house.

---

"Transmission coming in for you, Padmé," Sola said as the family finished dessert. Padmé knew who it was by the teasing look on her sister's face. She stood and quickly ran into her father's office, where the com unit sat. A hologram of Anakin appeared before her.

"You are so beautiful," he said.

She laughed. "I'm a hologram, Ani," she said.

"And you're beautiful even in hologram form," he said. He sighed. "I wish I could touch you."

"So do I," she said. "Soon... it must be soon. How did it go today?"

"Pretty well. Master Windu stood up to Dorstar's cross examination. Her angle now is that there was no proof that Palpatine used lightning on us and if we knocked his lightsaber out of his hand, we should have been able to take him into custody."

"I thought his face was melted by the lightning you deflected back onto him?"

"It was," Anakin replied. "Plus it is practically impossible to take a Dark Side user into custody without Force binders, which we did not have, and even then..."

"Does this mean you'll stop chastising yourself for what happened to Dooku?" Padmé asked.

He sighed again. "I don't know, Padmé," he said. He changed the subject quickly. "I'm staying with Bail. Obi-Wan is being a bit overprotective. He seems to think I shouldn't be alone."

"He knows you have nightmares," she said. "This has taken a heavy toll on all of us, Ani. Indulge Obi-Wan a bit. For what it's worth I think he's right. None of us need to be alone right now."

"Oh, I'm indulging him. Two words: Alderaanian caf."

Padmé smiled. "I thought you were going to say wine."

Anakin laughed. "That too," he said. "Where are the babies?"

"Here," Jobal said, bringing Luke into the room, followed by Sola carrying Leia. They held the infants in front of the holoprojector. Anakin smiled at each of them; Luke reached for his father's holographic form.

"I know, little guy," Anakin said. "I want to hold you too."

"Ryoo asked for you," Padmé said. "She wants you to make her dolls dance in the air again."

Anakin smiled. "Tell her that when I get there, I'll make the dolls turn somersaults and back flips," he said.

"Just a few more days..." Padmé said.

Anakin nodded. "We hope," he replied.

---

Chapter 14

Rosario banged her gavel. "Attorneys for the prosecution and defense will now present their closing arguments, after which time the court will recess to discuss a verdict. Madam Dorstar, you may begin."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Court, 13 years ago, Chancellor Palpatine was elected by a majority vote after an attack on his home planet and a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum resulted in Valorum's dismissal. The motion for a vote of no-confidence was presented by Queen, now Senator, Amidala. The Chancellor was put in the very difficult position of leading the Republic through war, a role that no Chancellor in thousands of years has had to undertake. As a result, Chancellor Palpatine had to implement some security measures which were not very popular among some in the Galactic Congress and some citizens of the Republic, including the Jedi Order. Did these measures include falsely portraying innocent people as enemies? Sometimes, yes, but such is the nature of war. Did many of these measures seem draconian? Yes again. However, Chancellor Palpatine was not eager to use those powers; we all heard his reluctance every time the Senate implemented a new security measure. Why did the Chancellor send the Jedi into battle? Because they have proven themselves best able to protect the Republic. Why did the Chancellor order a battalion of clones without the Senate's consent? Because we were at war and the situation was an emergency. I believe any Jedi will tell you that these clones, whose creation they so vehemently opposed, saved their lives on Geonosis and in many other battles. Did Chancellor Palpatine end the war quickly enough? Ladies and gentlemen, does war ever end quickly enough? Chancellor Palpatine attempted a peace agreement with the Separatists; I believe most of us saw the speech broadcast over the Holonet. Now, the defense has brought forth arguments that Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord and had Force powers which he used for evil. Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith, but the Sith are a religious organization, and the Republic has established freedom of religion laws. And the Force-its use has been strongly and secretly guarded by the Jedi, who oddly enough, when questioned about this secrecy, used the same reasoning about security that the Chancellor was criticized for using. How would we know whether Palpatine used the Force at all, whether for evil or for good? Only six people know what really happened in the Chancellor's office that day. Four of those six are dead, and two of them have stood in this room and claimed that the Chancellor attacked them using the Force. One of those two, Master Skywalker, has admitted to killing an unarmed prisoner whom he labeled an enemy. What would stop him from attacking another one, especially a political adversary of a Senator whom we now know to be Skywalker's wife? We can discuss all day long who Palpatine was, and the fact remains that if he committed crimes, he should have been taken into custody. Not executed in cold blood in his office by the very Jedi Masters that he trusted. Thank you."

Adri stood. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Court, the Sith are a religious organization and Republic citizens are free to practice any religion they choose, however, they must do so within the confines of existing Republic law. Existing Republic law does not allow for blackmail, extortion, or assassination of one's political enemies. Anakin Skywalker has been accused by the prosecution of avenging his wife's political enemy, however, the accusation is baseless and without evidence. Chancellor Palpatine, on the other hand, has a history of ordering the assassinations of his enemies, both political and those outside the government. His closest advisor, who helped plan the assassinations of political officials, has admitted as much, that Palpatine ordered the assassination of his predecessor and threatened the current Supreme Chancellor. The Court has also heard a recording of Palpatine issuing an Order 66, and the clone captain who implemented the order, stood in this courtroom and described its nature. The prosecution has made the argument that Chancellor Palpatine should have been taken into custody, however, Palpatine would not give the same consideration to the 9,900 Jedi whose assassinations he ordered. Some of those Jedi were young children who were unable to defend themselves. Even the fully trained Jedi were taken completely by surprise when the clone legions with whom they had fought for years and trusted completely, murdered them in cold blood on Palpatine's orders." She paused. "Palpatine orchestrated both sides of a war that has left Republic citizens in misery and entire worlds in ruin. He did so using the alternate identity of Darth Sidious to direct the Separatists. Viceroy Gunray presented evidence that Order 66, the order given by Palpatine to execute the Jedi, was communicated via a Separatist channel. How could the Chancellor of the Republic gain access to a channel used by the Confederacy worlds that he is supposed to be fighting against?" Another pause. "And even with concrete evidence of Palpatine's treachery-a direct confession to Anakin Skywalker by Palpatine himself-the Jedi did not enter his office seeking to kill him. They planned to arrest him and take him into custody. With his lightsaber-the red lightsaber found next to his body-Chancellor Palpatine attacked the Jedi, murdering three of them. When Masters Windu and Skywalker fought back using their own sabers, Palpatine attacked them with Sith lightning. Palpatine's contorted face corroborates Skywalker and Windu's testimonies that they deflected the lightning back onto Palpatine before killing him. Master Windu ended the attack only by taking the Chancellor's life. This was purely an act of self-defense against a tyrant who had murdered 99 percent of the Jedi and sought to finish the job. It was not, as the prosecution has attempted to establish, a bid for power or an act of vengeance on a statesman who interfered too much in Jedi affairs. The five Jedi who entered the Chancellor's office that day sought to take him into custody. Palpatine, however, did not give them that option. They could kill him, or be killed themselves. I certainly hope the Court's verdict reflects this concrete, undeniable evidence. Thank you."

Rosario banged her gavel again. "The Court will reconvene tomorrow at 0800, at which time we will issue our verdict."

---

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Mace were met outside the courtroom by Rex and Cody, who handed them their lightsabers. "Bad news, Generals," Rex said. "It's already ugly out there."

"What is?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The People's Inquest, sir," Rex replied. "I've got 50 men stationed out there to hold them off but still... you're walking into a gundark's nest."

"We'll handle it," Anakin said. They entered the lift, and Obi-Wan pushed the button to descend to the bottom level.

"All the same, we are escorting you. I want the honor of arresting Padaunette myself," Rex said.

"I'll pin her down while you put the cuffs on her," Cody replied.

"Are the protests violent?" Mace asked.

"No blood yet, but there have been some objects thrown and glass broken. Echo and Fives made ten arrests already. The protests started at 500 Republica but my men quickly headed them off," Cody replied.

500 Republica. They were looking for Padmé. And the babies, Anakin thought. He quickly stifled a surge of anger; his hand went to his lightsaber.

Rex seemed to read Anakin's mind. "They were, um, trying to make their presence known to the Chancellor," he said. "His guards held them off and contacted the 501st."

Anakin nodded. All the same, had Padmé not gone to Naboo... He didn't allow himself to complete the thought.

The lift doors opened into the lobby of the Court building. The Jedi and clones could hear the growing shouts outside. As they opened the lobby doors to exit the building, they saw that the walkway was guarded by a legion of clones, who were holding back crowds of demonstrators on both sides. They were holding signs that read "Jedi murderers!", "Justice for Palpatine!" and "We will not be ruled by a band of evil sorcerers!" Anakin ducked as an object was thrown at his head. The object smashed into the pavement; it turned out to be a glass bottle. Rex gestured at one of the soldiers guarding the walkway, who immediately handcuffed the protestor. Another woman threw a bottle at Mace; he deflected it using the Force and it shattered. She shouted, "You wizards think you are above the rest of us!" and spat at him, but missed. She was also quickly handcuffed. Numerous shouts of "Murderers!" "Scum!" "Traitors!" and "Execute them for treason!" rang through the air.

The Jedi moved as quickly as possible to the waiting speeder, which was also heavily guarded by clone soldiers. They got in quickly, Anakin and Obi-Wan in front, Mace in the rear. Obi-Wan pushed a button on the dashboard, and a glass roof covered them. "No open cockpit today, Anakin," he said.

"I agree, Master," Anakin replied.

"I believe Rex just called in for another legion of clones," Mace said. "There may be many arrests made before this is over."

"If Cody's squadron headed off the protestors from 500 Republica, I assume it's safe to go back that way?" Anakin said.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, Anakin, but... use one of your shortcuts."

He grinned. "Your wish is my command, Master," he said, giving the speeder's wheel a deft turn and causing it to plunge several stories.

"But warn us before you do that!" Obi-Wan said, gripping the console.

"Consider yourself warned," Anakin said, making a fast 180 degree turn and plunging in the opposite direction.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan said, gripping the console again. After he caught his breath, he added, "I have the code for Bail's private landing platform, the code that was revised just this morning, so go there."

Anakin nodded and accelerated quickly. Within minutes they were landing at the highly secured platform of the Chancellor's private quarters at 500 Republica. Obi-Wan punched in the code to gain them admittance, Anakin parked the speeder and they got out, breathing a sigh of relief.

Guards stationed outside the entrance palmed the door open for the Jedi, who found Bail standing by the window, a glass of wine in his hand. He had shed his Chancellor's robes and wore slacks and a turtleneck. He turned quickly when the door opened, smiled when he saw his guests. "You're safe, good," he said. "I was beginning to worry. That was even worse than I expected. Rex is supposed to contact me as soon as the crowd is completely dispersed." He held up his glass. "Can I offer you some?"

"Yes," Anakin said immediately. Obi-Wan looked at him, then turned to Bail and accepted a glass as well. Mace politely declined. Bail went to the kitchen, quickly poured two glasses and brought them to the Jedi. As he handed Anakin his glass, he said, "By the way, please go in my study and put a com call through to your wife before she implodes my private channel trying to get through to you again. She's called at least three times in the past hour."

Anakin's brow furrowed; his hand shook as he set his glass down. "Did she say what was wrong? Is she alright?"

Bail smiled. "She's fine, I think she's worried about whether you are alright."

"I should have told her to leave the Holonet turned off," Anakin muttered as he dashed into the next room.

"Good luck with that," Bail said, laughing.

Anakin, now in the study, found the comlink that connected to Bail's private network and connected to the Naberrie's Varykino residence. It buzzed a couple of times before Sola picked up. "Anakin," she said. "Good to see you're in one piece. What a mess that was."

"I wish they hadn't broadcast it over the entire galaxy," Anakin muttered.

"Well people love a good riot, it makes headlines," Sola replied. "You did the right thing sending Padmé and the babies here."

He nodded at the same time that Padmé dashed in; her hologram appeared next to her sister's, and even in that form, Anakin could see the fear written on her face. "Oh, Anakin..."

"It's alright, love, I'm fine. Compared to Teth or Kothlis that was easy."

Sola squeezed her sister's shoulder and then withdrew. "But how could they do that to you after the proof the defense has presented?" Padmé continued.

"Because they hate Jedi and they can," Anakin said.

"Have any arrests been made?"

"Yes. Bail is waiting on the final count, I think. Really, Padmé, I wish you hadn't watched it, I'm sure it got blown up into much worse than it was. It was worse when Orn Free Taa called you a slut in the Senate chambers."

"Free Taa didn't throw anything at my head though. And as far as my not watching-you can protect me from many things, Anakin, but information isn't one of them."

Anakin sighed. "I'm aware of that. You've made that clear many times before. Doesn't stop me from trying though." He changed the subject. "Where are the babies?"

"Here," Padmé said, reaching down and picking up Leia. They had apparently been resting on a mat on the floor of the study. Anakin watched the hologram of his baby girl as she babbled and waved her arms in the air. He smiled at her. "I miss you, Princess," he said. She smiled, babbled and waved her arms again.

Padmé bent down again, Leia disappeared from sight, and Padmé reappeared holding Luke. Even through holograms the baby's eyes caught Anakin's own. Anakin smiled. "Hi handsome," he said. Luke babbled, and Anakin raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I completely agree, Master Yoda's nose hairs are much too long," he said.

Padmé burst into laughter. "Ani!" she said reprovingly. The laughter stopped almost as soon as it started, and she sighed. "I miss you," she said.

"With some luck I'll leave tomorrow night," Anakin said.

"Yes," Padmé replied. "Just get out of there as soon as you can before the rioters have a chance to get restarted."

"I'll do what I can," Anakin said. Neither of them addressed aloud the "What if...?" question that hung on both of their minds. They quickly said their goodnights and turned the comlink off.

---

"Fifty-two total arrests," Bail was saying as Anakin returned to the living area. "And Cody got the pleasure of handcuffing Paudaunette." He grinned.

"What did she do exactly to get herself handcuffed?" Anakin asked, taking his glass of wine from Bail and sipping it.

"Threw a rock at Rex's head and spat at him," Bail replied. "Fortunately Rex was wearing his helmet. He held her at blaster point while Cody cuffed her. That should end People's Inquest demonstrations for awhile. At least we hope." He met Anakin's eyes. "Everything alright on Naboo?"

Anakin nodded. "Padmé and the children are fine."

"And Padmé has seen you now and knows that you are in one piece, no broken bones, no lacerations, no ysalamaris wrapped around your head?"

Anakin laughed. "Yes."

"Good," Bail said, and turned to the other Jedi. "Shall we eat?"

---

A tense silence fell over the courtroom as the Jedi entered it for the final time and were seated. Rosario scanned the room quickly, locked eyes with Anakin and Mace, then spoke. "The Galactic Supreme Court has reached its verdict in the case of the Republic v. the High Council of the Jedi Order on the charges of treason and premeditated murder in the assassination of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine." She turned to the justices seated behind her.

"Gafomaar?"

"Not guilty."

"Zionz?"

"Not guilty."

"Yoan?"

"Guilty as charged."

Anakin's rapidly pounding heart leapt into his throat.

"Ijaaz?"

"Not guilty."

"Arkada?"

"Guilty as charged."

"Inkari?"

"Guilty as charged."

"Jahsop?"

"Not guilty."

"Major?"

"Not guilty."

"Hunt?"

"Guilty as charged."

"Vand?"

"Not guilty."

"Fotzekotze?"

"Not guilty."

"And I am entering my own verdict of ‘not guilty.'" Rosario banged her gavel. "The majority of this Court has determined that Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker acted in self-defense and will not be sentenced for the assassination of Chancellor Palpatine. These Jedi Masters are free to go at the end of this session. The injunction that restricts them from travel outside Coruscant is now lifted."

Cheers erupted in the courtroom. Anakin felt dizzy with relief, his heart pounding in his throat, but he could not surpress a grin. Naboo, he thought. I can go to Naboo. Finally. Rosario banged her gavel again. "However," she said, and the courtroom once again grew silent. "This Court is ordering some changes in the operations of the Jedi Council. The era of secrecy, which led to numerous accusations against the Jedi, up to and including this trial, is over. Supreme Chancellor Organa will appoint a committee in the Senate to oversee Jedi budgets, which will now be public record. This committee will also approve any requests by the Jedi to keep certain information classified, and oversee any complaints of unauthorized or unacceptable use of the Force. Each subsequent Supreme Chancellor will appoint a similar committee. The Jedi serve at the behest of the citizens of the Republic and the Galactic Congress, and as such, we must have access on demand to their records. Secrecy will be the exception rather than the rule in the new Order of the Jedi." She banged her gavel again. "This session of the Galactic Supreme Court is now adjourned."

Everyone stood, chatter erupted around the room. Anakin and Mace met each other's eyes. Anakin extended his hand; Mace Windu had never been for anything more than a handshake. But the Korun Jedi Master surprised him by putting an arm around his shoulders. "You have done well, Anakin," he said.

"Thank you, Master Windu," he stammered. "I'm just glad it's over."

Obi-Wan clapped a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I'm guessing you're going to be in hyperspace within a few hours. Want to grab a meal first?"

"I'd love to. But give me a minute, there is someone I want to speak with."

Obi-Wan nodded, and Anakin walked quickly away from the Jedi and towards the closed door of one of the courtroom's antechambers. He knocked, and the door slid open, revealing Adri at her desk, several datapads spread in front of her. She looked up briefly. "Master Skywalker," she said. "What can I do for you?"

Anakin found himself at a loss for words. He took a deep breath and stood in the door frame, gazing at her. She returned the gaze. "Do you need something?"

Anakin swallowed and found his voice. "I just wanted to thank you," he said quietly.

Her expression softened, and she smiled. "You and Master Windu saved the Republic. We owe you our thanks."

"We only did our jobs," Anakin said.

Her smile widened. "And I only did mine," she said. "And it was my pleasure. You know, you remind me a bit of my son."

"You have a son?" Anakin had not given much thought to his attorney's family. She had never before volunteered such information, and he had not wanted to ask.

"He's a Republic Navy pilot," she said. "He may be a little younger than you. He's 21."

"I'm 23," Anakin said.

"That's what I thought," Adri said. "You're quite a bit alike. He has a big heart and a flaming temper. And his greatest passions are machinery and intelligent women."

Anakin laughed. "Only one intelligent woman in my case," he said.

She raised her eyebrows. "Enjoy your trip to Naboo," she said. "Hold your babies; they grow up before you can blink. And while I hope you never again need legal assistance, feel free to call on me."

"Thank you again," Anakin said. "I mean it. I feel like I owe you a life debt."

"You Jedi keep doing what you do best, protecting and defending the Republic, and you will have paid it," she said, and smiled at him again. "Goodbye, Anakin."

---

The Naberries tuned in anxiously to the Holonet news feed. Padmé held Luke, who had fallen asleep; her mother held Leia; her father and Sola stood behind her, each tightly gripping the back of her chair. Sola's children, having given up on getting the adults' attention after being shushed all morning, had finally retreated to their playroom upstairs.

"A verdict was reached today by the Galactic Supreme Court in the case of the Republic v. the Jedi Council in the case of the assassination of Chancellor Palpatine," the reporter announced. Padmé felt her heart plunge into her stomach; the hands on the back of her chair tightened. She rested her cheek against Luke's head, deeply inhaling the sweet scent that only comes from a baby, willing herself to be calm, to hope...

"In an 8-4 ruling, the Court ruled that Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker acted in self-defense. Evidence presented by defense counsel Arili Adri indicated that the late Supreme Chancellor attacked the Jedi, murdering three of them, Masters Kit Fisto, Saesee Tinn and Agen Kolar. The remaining two Jedi Masters had no choice but to fight Palpatine to his death. Masters Windu and Skywalker will not be sentenced for the former Chancellor's assassination. I repeat, this is breaking news: Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker have been declared innocent in the assassination of Chancellor Palpatine. The trial is over, and the Jedi are free."

The hands moved from the back of the chair to Padmé's shoulders. She let out a breath that she did not know she had been holding, and the tears that fell into her son's hair were tears of relief.

---

"I will probably see you in a week," Obi-Wan said as Anakin prepared to board his ship. "Mace and I are going to meet Yoda on Naboo; the Jedi Council will need to convene to decide how we want to proceed as far as headquarters on that planet."

"The Queen is leasing us a lodge in the Lake Country," Anakin said. "It's out of the way and has plenty of space indoors and out. Should work pretty well for awhile anyway." His brow furrowed. "What about this new court ruling?"

"We have a Supreme Chancellor friendly to the Jedi so for a few years it won't have much effect on us," Obi-Wan replied. "Palpatine had already made many of our doings public. The ruling just gives in to some People's Inquest demands regarding budgetary requests. We will not be able to keep those classified for security reasons without the consent of this committee that Bail is supposed to appoint. Which could be a problem in some cases but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"In other words, the Jedi Order is directly intertwined in politics now."

Obi-Wan laughed. "Given that certain Jedi married a Galactic Senator without the knowledge or permission of the Council, I would say that's nothing new."

Anakin ignored the lighthearted reproval. "You could come to Naboo now, Obi-Wan," Anakin said.

He shook his head. "No," he said. "Take this time, you need it. Bail is leaving for Alderaan tomorrow; he and Breha are bringing the new baby home. He won't be calling Padmé back to Coruscant for at least a couple of weeks; Mon Mothma will preside over any emergency Senate business. Spend some time in Varykino with no obligations but your family. You have never gotten that chance, who knows when it will reappear."

Anakin smiled. "You are right, and thank you."

"May the Force be with you, old friend."

"May the Force be with you, Master."

---

Anakin came out of hyperspace with the lush green planet in his viewport. "This is Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker, requesting permission to land in Theed."

"This is Captain Mako Anan of Queen Apailana's security service. Permission granted, Master Skywalker. Welcome home."

Home, Anakin thought, grinning. Yes, Naboo was home.

He expertly landed his ship in one of Theed Palace's hangars, lowered the ramp and exited. Meeting him on the platform was Queen Apailana, surrounded by her guards and handmaidens. Anakin bowed. "Your Highness," he said.

"Master Skywalker," she replied. "The Naboo, and the Republic, owe you a debt of gratitude."

"Thank you," he said.

"The Jedi Council is welcome to use the lodge in the Lake Country as planetary headquarters for as long as necessary. As I have already told Master Yoda, we are thankful that the Jedi will have a presence here. Please inform either myself or Governor Bibble if the Palace can be of any assistance to you."

Anakin nodded, and the Queen continued. "I won't keep you. I know you are anxious to go to Varykino." She smiled. "You have the most beautiful children."

Anakin returned the smile. "They take after their mother."

"Tell her I would like to see her again before she returns to Coruscant," she replied. "Have a good trip."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Anakin bowed again and set out from the Palace. He had one stop to make before renting a water speeder and heading for Varykino. At a jeweler's.

The trip across the water was a blur. Anakin was sure that he drove the speeder at an unsafe speed, but no lake patrol droids caught him and he only splashed himself a couple of times. He had barely docked and exited the speeder when he saw Padmé running towards him. He broke into a run as well, picked her up and twirled her around, inhaling the scent of her hair, the scent of rain water and flowers, before locking his lips onto hers.

"You're here," Padmé said breathlessly when the kiss ended. "You're really here."

"Of course I am," he said, smiling, and hugged her again tightly, lifting her off the ground. "And if I can help it, I will never be away from you again."

Padmé laughed. "Let's not go overboard on the promises just yet, Master Skywalker," she said. With her arm around his waist, his around her shoulders, they walked toward the house, where her parents stood in the doorway, each holding an infant.

Luke and Leia were placed in their father's arms; Jobal kissed Anakin's cheek, Ruwee put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Welcome back, son." Anakin murmured "Thank you" while gazing into his children's eyes.

They went inside; Anakin sat on the sofa, the babies still in his arms, Padmé sat beside him. For several minutes neither of them spoke. Anakin watched the babies; Padmé rested her head on Anakin's shoulder.

"Are you going to meet with the Council while Master Yoda is still here?" she asked.

"Yes," Anakin said. "But not right away. Obi-Wan and Master Windu will be here in about a week. Until then..." He grinned at her. "No war, no politics. Just us."

She sighed, stroking the top of Leia's head. "That's wonderful. How long have we waited for this?"

"Too long," Anakin said. "Way too long."

---

That night after the sun set and the babies were asleep, they walked outside and stood in the spot overlooking the lake where they had shared their first kiss, and later, where they had married. Anakin held Padmé's hand and stared at the moon shining on the water, not speaking.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just remembering," he said, and looked at her and smiled.

She returned the smile. "I am too," she said.

"There... is something else." Anakin pulled a small black box from his cloak and opened it to reveal two simple gold bands. "We're not hiding anymore, the entire galaxy knows we're married. I would have liked to have done this on our wedding day, but..." He took the smallest gold band from the box.

"Oh Anakin..." she said, holding out her hand and letting him slide the band onto her left ring finger.

"I thought it was time," he said, handing her the box. She took out the remaining ring and slid it onto the ring finger of his left hand.

"It is," she said, cupping his face for a kiss.

"I suppose we should have had R2 and 3PO witness this as well," Anakin said, laughing.

Padmé laughed. "No, they're both shut down for the night, and it's better that way," she said, pulling Anakin in for another kiss. "Shall we go back inside?"

---

Blood. There was so much blood. His mother's blood, dried and caked on her face, staining the sand in the Tusken tent. The blood of hundreds of Jedi Knights, splattered on the ground in the Geonosis arena. His own blood pouring onto the floor of the hangar after Count Dooku cut off his arm. Padmé's blood running down her back after the nexu scratched her. Obi-Wan's blood covering his face after he was caught in the Separatist terror attack in the Court district. Ahsoka's blood bubbling on her lips after Grievous stabbed her. The blood of his men, the soldiers that Palpatine found disposable like so much garbage, but that the Jedi grew to know as friends. Their blood spilled on the battlefield, on the ships of their enemies, on their own ships. The blood of the younglings, ordered slaughtered by Palpatine for the crime of being Jedi, pooling on the floor of the Council chambers. Anakin could not stop it. Tourniquets, pressure to the wounds, nothing helped. It kept coming. Then Palpatine, more sinister in death than he had been in life. "Only I can stop the blood, Anakin. Ever hear of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? It's a Sith legend. He could create life, and he had the power to stop death..."

"Anakin!" He heard Padmé's frightened cry and felt a cool cloth against his face. His throat was raw and he realized that he had been screaming. He could not catch his breath; his heart pounded. He rolled over onto his side, hoping he could breathe more easily that way. He faced the window, which was open, the night air of Naboo soothed his burning skin. He touched the top of his head, which was drenched in sweat. Padmé knelt next to his side of the bed and continued to sponge his forehead. The moonlight gave her face a soft glow. Her brown eyes were wide; she looked frightened, but her voice was even, and it calmed him.

"Breathe," she said, wiping away the sweat from his clammy skin. His breath still came in short gasps; he tried to concentrate on evening it out. In slowly, out slowly, in slowly, out slowly.

But there was so much blood. His heart raced again. Inhale...exhale, he ordered himself.

"Another premonition?" Padmé asked.

He gulped, shook his head. "Flashbacks," he managed. His voice was hoarse and scratchy. "Did I wake the babies?"

"No," she said. "You weren't that loud. You were thrashing quite a bit though." She wrung out the cloth, returning it to the basin of cool water. He must have thrashed around in his sleep long enough for her to go to the ‘fresher and fill up the bowl. She climbed back into bed beside him, snuggled next to him, her head on his shoulder, and took his hand in hers. "Can you tell me?"

So much blood. He started to say it, and immediately thought better of it. She would want details, of each battle, each flashback. And he couldn't tell her. Couldn't bear to see the heartbreak on her face. It was better that she never learn the full horror of the war that she worked so hard to prevent.

He kissed her forehead, held her more closely. "I can't right now, Padmé," he said. "I really...I can't talk about it." He closed his eyes.

He felt her fingers touch his cheek, running a line down to the stubble on his chin; when they found his mouth, he kissed the fingertips. She rested her palm on his chest, the place where his heart was returning to its normal beat. "The war is over, Ani," she said. "It really is. I don't know what you saw, but you won't have to see it again."

We can hope, Anakin thought. He wasn't sure. He never was anymore.

---

Anakin woke to a full sun streaming in the windows. What time is it? he thought. Padmé's side of the bed was cool; she had been up for awhile. He stood slowly, rubbed his eyes, dressed, and went downstairs. There was no sign of Padmé or the babies. Jobal stood alone in the kitchen, stirring a pot on the stove, from which a heavenly aroma floated.

"Good morning," Anakin said.

She smiled and winked. "It's afternoon," she said, giving the pot another stir and closing the lid.

"Really? Incredible," he replied, running a hand through his hair. "I'm pretty sure I haven't slept past 0800 since I was a Padawan. Obi-Wan used to threaten me with a Gungan electropole if I didn't get out of bed at sunrise."

She laughed. "Well, I was told that under no circumstances was anyone allowed to wake you," she replied. "Padmé and Sola took Ryoo and Pooja and the babies outside. Caf?" She poured a cup and handed it to him.

"Thank you," he said, taking a sip.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little," he said. He sat at the table and took a few more sips of the caf.

She smiled. "You're just being polite. You're starving."

He smiled back. "Well... okay, yes, I am."

They both laughed. Jobal opened the oven and took out a loaf of bread. When she turned to Anakin again, her expression had turned much more serious.

"How are you, Anakin?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Fine. Why?"

"No, how are you really? Padmé said you had a rough night."

He took a spoon and stirred his caf, saying nothing for a minute. "I've been prone to nightmares since I was a kid. It's fine."

He could tell from the look on her face that she didn't believe him.

"War can break the strongest of us. Hurt us in places that we didn't know we could hurt. Even Jedi."

Especially Jedi, Anakin thought, but didn't say anything. He felt like a shell around him had broken, a bandage had been torn off an old wound, leaving raw, exposed, tender skin. And it did hurt.

Screaming. His mother calling to him in his dream to come save her. Ahsoka crying to him over their bond when Bane had her trapped, when the Geonosian brain worms attacked everyone on her ship, and her final scream when Grievous plunged his lightsaber into her. The clone soldiers, his men, screaming as they lost arms and legs in battle or worse, when they were hit in the abdomen by Separatist blasters. The screams of the citizens of Coruscant as they saw the Jedi Temple in flames.

The war was over but the screaming echoed.

Jobal Naberrie ladled a bowl of stew for her son-in-law and set it on a plate with a couple of slices of bread. When she turned to face him again, she saw that he had bowed his head, covered his eyes with his trembling flesh hand.

She set the plate in front of him, squeezed his shoulder then backed away, giving him the space he needed.

He quickly composed himself. "I'm sorry," he said, sniffing and taking a half-hearted swipe at his eyes.

She turned back to him. "For what?" she asked. She sat across from him, took his wrist. "Anakin, listen to me. You need to heal. Padmé does too, but you especially... And it's not going to happen overnight. It's not necessarily going to feel good either. There will be tears. Allow them to happen. It's the only way you're going to get through this and come out on the other side."

Anakin wanted to ask her about her own experience with war, with the Federation blockade, if she had been in Theed, been taken into a camp or had to go into hiding. And Padmé-fear for her safety was a fear that he understood all too well, and he knew that time period was terrifying for her parents.

"I worked on the Refugee Relief Movement for years," she said. "So many of the people came from areas devastated by war. Some had been forced to fight it directly, although they were not trained for it. They lost their homes, many of them lost their families." She met Anakin's eyes. "The ones that were able to heal were those who didn't pretend they weren't hurting. Who allowed themselves to not be strong all the time."

Anakin sipped his caf and ate a spoonful of stew. "After my Padawan died, I was supposed to take a week's leave. Then we got new intelligence that General Grievous was planning a new large-scale attack in the Outer Rim and they needed all hands on deck. A week's leave turned into one night's leave, and we got stuck on the Outer Rim for five months. When I finally got back, Padmé was pregnant and heavily showing."

"She said she hid the pregnancy under her clothes."

"She did, and pretty well. I sensed it-actually I sensed something even from the Outer Rim-but it wasn't blatantly obvious until she told me, even though she was so far along with twins. I couldn't really tell until she got out of her Senate garb." He looked down. "She was completely alone. Dealing with horrific morning sickness and all the other changes and couldn't tell anyone. I wasn't there."

"It wasn't your fault."

He sighed. "I know. But it feels like it is. I failed in one duty because I was busy performing another one."

He looked away as tears filled his eyes again.

"You were home when they were born..."

Anakin nodded. "They came six weeks early. The placenta of one of the twins abrupted and she had emergency surgery. That day was scarier than any day I experienced in battle."

So much blood, running down Padmé's legs, staining the carpet in the Chancellor's office...

He swallowed and closed his eyes; a couple of tears spilled from them. His heart pounded.

Jobal squeezed his shoulder again. "Take your time, Anakin."

He took a couple of deep breaths and nodded. "She's fine now. That's all that matters," he said, as much for himself as for her.

Jobal replied softly, "And the trial is over. The Jedi have sustained great losses but you are rebuilding the Order."

He nodded again slowly.

"Do you feel any better?"

He opened his eyes and nodded again. "Yes. Thank you."

"Good." She gave his shoulder another squeeze. "Eat, then go outside and get some air. The breezes here are balm for the most wounded souls."

"I know," Anakin said. A minute later he was spooning stew into his mouth.

---

In a highly secured underground fort on Geonosis, Asajj Ventress, Sly Moore, Wat Tambor and Poggle the Lesser waited impatiently for the arrival of a fifth visitor. The knock on the door a few minutes later announced his arrival. Ventress slid the door open using the Force, and the tall, black-haired man entered.

"Ventress," he said coldly.

"Pestage," she replied in the same tone, then looked at the others. "Are we ready to begin?"

"Yes," Poggle replied. "What do we have?"

"The Jedi are rebuilding their Order," Pestage said. "Although they now have to get permission from some Senate committee if they even want to ignite their lightsabers." He laughed. A cold gaze from Ventress and the laughter stopped.

"Do we have a spy on that committee?" she asked.

"That could be arranged," Sly Moore said. "I could be very... persuasive with the Senators when the last Chancellor was in office."

"I could as well," Pestage said.

"You fool," Ventress said to Pestage. "You threatened people. Don't you think that would be a bit obvious now, after you cut a deal with Organa and testified for the Jedi in order to save your own sorry, slimy hide?" She looked at Moore. "We need her. She doesn't strong arm anyone. Her methods are a little more...subtle."

"What exactly do you mean?" Tambor asked.

"She gets inside their minds," Ventress said. "Much more effective."

"So we persuade some Senators to our side," Poggle said. "We find any remaining Separatists who were not the cowards that Gunray and San Hill are, who are a little more interested in telling Organa to take his treaty and shove it. Then what?"

"That will take some time," Ventress said. "There are Separatist cells all over the Outer Rim, a few in Wild Space as well." She looked at Pestage. "That will be your job."

He returned her sneer. "Of course," he said.

"What of the Jedi?" Sly Moore said.

Ventress looked at her. "Patience," she said.

"Patience?" Tambor asked. He pointed at his missing eye. "Skywalker did this to me. I want revenge. On him and Chancellor Organa."

Ventress' hand shot out and Tambor fell backward, pushed to the ground by the Force. "Idiot!" she said. "The Clone War just ended. The Jedi and Organa think they have brought peace to the galaxy. They must be allowed to think that. They must let down their guard, become complacent, before we can strike. At the moment, even after the Order 66 deaths, there are still too many of them and too few of us. If we strike now we will be defeated easily. We must wait."

"How long?" Tambor asked, getting up and brushing himself off.

"As long as it takes," Ventress said. She grinned. "Years, if necessary. I have all the time I need. Battles have been lost by those who were impatient. Ask Skywalker. The scar over his eye was my gift, the metal arm was Dooku's." She laughed.

"What of his precious Senator and their filthy spawn?" Pestage asked.

"The twins are very well protected right now," Ventress said. "Mommy and Daddy aren't sure they are out of danger. We need to wait until they are sure." She sneered. "We do nothing."

"Nothing?" Poggle asked.

"Not nothing, you idiot. We regroup. We gather forces. And then we go after the Jedi themselves, and the legislators who refuse to see things our way." She gave Pestage a hard cold gaze. "The children are a last resort. There will be too much of an outcry and too great of a fight if they are taken young. They could eventually be a very strong bargaining chip for Skywalker, Amidala and Organa, but... we wait."

Poggle nodded, his concession to Ventress. "Skywalker can be dangerous. I have seen personally the lengths to which he would go to protect his Padawan." Poggle shuddered at the memory of the invisible hand around his throat, cutting off his airway even as he was lifted against the wall of his cell. "He would be more menacing in the face of a threat to his own flesh and blood."

"Tano. Ah yes, he was very fond of his obnoxious little pet." Ventress laughed. "And you are right. I take great pleasure in imagining the lengths to which he would go to protect his brats. We can use that to our advantage. We might even be able to throw in Organa's brat as a consolation prize."

Wat Tambor looked excited. Ventress noticed, and glared at him. "But we wait. If you are interested in enacting personal vengeance on Organa or the Jedi, Tambor, I suggest you keep yourself undercover and alive until the time is right." She glared at Pestage. "You as well."

His sinister grin matched one of her better ones. "Oh, I am a very patient man, Ventress. You know that." The grin disappeared and he glared at her. "But I expect to be rewarded handsomely."

She met his cold stare with her own. "Of course you do."

---

Blood. The blood of the citizens of Christophsis, staining the streets of the Crystal City after their futile attempts to defend themselves against the Separatists.

The terrified rodent melting into its own blood on Lanteeb, a victim of Lok Durd's biological weapon, which could cause populations of entire planets to dissolve in one astronomical pool of blood.

Screaming, then the deafening silence as their communications were jammed and they had to fight the Separatists on Kothlis in silence... Ahsoka's silent scream over their bond as her ribs were broken... the frustrating silence of the medical team as he demanded, begged, for some information on his Padawan and the injured clones... Ahsoka's words, "All those who are going to die, have died, Master..." Screaming, and then the silence of death...

Anakin was grateful that this time, he didn't cry out and awaken Padmé. The expression on her sleeping face in the light of Naboo's moon was as peaceful as it had been on their wedding night, so peaceful that Anakin's heart climbed into his throat. He smoothed her hair, pulled the blanket to her chin, kissed her cheek and slowly got out of bed.

He listened for the twins; they were sleeping soundly as well. He went outside and leaned on the railing, gazing at the full moon reflected off the lake.

"Master?"

Ahsoka's shimmering form appeared next to him. He turned to her and smiled slightly. "It's been awhile, Snips."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. Once I pass onto the other side of the Force, I don't know how often I'll want to reappear on this side either."

"But you will," she said. "In fact, everything has almost settled down enough to start our lessons. But that isn't why I'm here."

He sighed. "I suppose I'm about to find out."

"First I wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you. You did well during the trial."

"Well, thanks."

"It was hard on Padmé, you know."

He had returned his gaze to the moonlit lake but now whirled to face her again. "What are you talking about?"

"You hadn't noticed?" She asked.

He was speechless for a minute, a little angry, but then he sighed and looked out at the lake again. "No, I guess I didn't."

"She was trying to be strong for you, but this was hard on her as well."

He sighed again. "I know. Or I should have known. Of course it was. But really, Ahsoka, I didn't need anything else to feel guilty about." He turned, walked to a nearby bench and sat down, his head in his hands.

"That isn't why I told you. You two need to talk. You're shutting her out of your nightmares."

"She doesn't need to know what I see in those," Anakin said stubbornly.

"Actually I think she does."

"I have to agree." The voice was very familiar, although he had not heard it in years, and he jumped in surprise.

"Master Qui-Gon?"

Qui-Gon Jinn's shimmering form appeared next to Ahsoka's. "Hello, Anakin."

He caught his breath. "Okay, Ahsoka did say you were training her, I don't know why I'm surprised..."

He smiled. "You shouldn't be." The smile disappeared. "Anakin, your mother-in-law is right. Healing is a long and painful process. You can't do this alone. And Padmé isn't going to be tolerant of your silence. The idea of your hiding information to protect her-you of all people should know that that won't go over well."

Anakin's head went back into his hands and for a minute he said nothing. When he did speak, his voice was muffled. "I don't know why this is happening to me."

"Because you've been through hell," Ahsoka said.

He lifted his head and looked at her. "I hear you screaming for me over and over, and I can't reach you." His voice choked and the tears started, and he put his head in his hands again.

"Anakin, you did everything you could," Qui-Gon said.

"I wish I could believe that," he replied between sobs.

"You keep revisiting those scenes because you still think you should be able to fix what happened."

He said nothing. The tears came faster.

"I called for you because I knew you would come help me as quickly as you could-and you did. You were- are-- my hero, but I knew that even you would lose some battles. You are not all powerful," Ahsoka said.

"I should be."

"No, you shouldn't," Qui-Gon replied. "You don't want that kind of responsibility, even if you think you do."

Anakin wiped his eyes and looked at Qui-Gon. "My mom... the day she... I heard you."

"Yes," he said. "I had to interfere. You would have wiped out the entire camp."

"I know," Anakin replied.

"I am sorry about Shmi. I was fond of her, in the short time we spent together. She did not deserve such a cruel death."

Anakin nodded and the sobbing started again. After a couple of minutes he said, "Obi-Wan...is this happening to him too?"

Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows. "I think that's a question that you need to ask him yourself," he said.

Anakin didn't answer.

"This will get better."

Anakin took a deep breath and wiped his face.

"There is one other thing, Master," Ahsoka added.

Anakin sniffled and looked at her.

"Ventress," she said.

"What about her? She's been laying low ever since Dooku was killed."

"You don't expect her to do that forever, do you?" Ahsoka said. "That hairless harpy isn't known for lying down and taking defeat. She might run right now like the coward that she is, but she won't hide forever."

"What do you know?" Anakin asked.

"Nothing at this point. Just saying you should keep your ears open, and warn the rest of the Council to do the same."

"I can do that. Thanks, Snips."

"May the Force be with you, Master." She disappeared. Qui-Gon faded away as well.

A few minutes later Padmé appeared in her robe and slippers. She put Luke in Anakin's arms and handed him a bottle, then kissed his cheek. "I'm getting Leia, I'll be back."

Anakin settled the baby against his chest, wrapping him in the folds of his robe, and began feeding him. "Well, little guy, I can handle this at least," he said. "I can take care of you."

"Keep that in mind," Qui-Gon said, re-appearing beside him.

"Where did you go?" Anakin asked, looking up.

Qui-Gon didn't answer. "You are good with the babies, Anakin. Taking care of them comes naturally to you."

"Most of the time," he said.

"Remember that," Qui-Gon replied. "The twins don't need you to fix all the wrongs in the galaxy. They don't need you to be all powerful. They just need you to be their father. And Padmé... she wasn't looking for a savior or protector when she married you, nor does she need one, as she can take care of herself pretty well. She needs a husband. She needs you to share with her what is going on with you and let her help."

Anakin sighed. "I know. I'm trying, I really am."

"Sometimes trying to shelter other people is not the best for them, or for us. I'm afraid that's a lesson you will learn with your children as well, as they get older."

"It's scary," Anakin said, kissing the top of Luke's head. "Loving someone this much. Terrifying actually." The baby gazed upward, at the stars and moon, as he drank.

"I'm sure it is," Qui-Gon said. "That is why the Jedi normally prohibit having families."

"If you had lived and had trained me, would you have stopped me from marrying Padmé?"

He smiled. "Would you have listened to me if I had tried?"

"No," Anakin said.

"That's what I thought. There would have been no point. You have a great capacity for love, and that was not something you could just turn off like a switch. I would expect no differently from you." He paused. "But as you saw in the courtroom, there are those who will try to use Padmé and the children against you. Be mindful of that, and do not let them succeed."

"Yes, Master, and thank you."

"May the Force be with you, Anakin." Qui-Gon disappeared again, and Padmé re-emerged from the house, holding Leia. She sat beside Anakin and began to feed the baby.

"I know you had another nightmare," she said quietly after a couple of minutes. "I want you to tell me."

"I didn't want to wake you," he said.

"You didn't. The twins woke up hungry and you weren't in the bed. I know what it means when you get up in the middle of the night and go outside." She looked at Leia, then back at her husband. "Talk to me. Please. I love you. I want to help."

He looked away. "I love you too. That's why I want to spare you this."

"And I'm asking not to be spared," she said firmly.

"Padmé, there are some things you really don't want to know about."

"This isn't one of them," she replied, a bite of anger in her voice.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a minute, then took a deep breath. "I see blood and I hear screaming," he began.

And he told her, every sordid detail of every flashback. He answered all her questions, although she asked some that he would have given anything to avoid. By the time he finished, they were both sobbing.

The twins had finished their bottles and fallen asleep. Anakin and Padmé carried them back inside and settled them in their cradles, then got back in bed and fell into each other's arms. They didn't talk; they held each other, their tears mingling, until sleep came.

---

Obi-Wan docked the water speeder, disembarked, and saw Padmé coming toward him. She wore a long royal blue gown, her hair pinned back with a gold clip. She was carrying Leia and walking quickly.

"Obi-Wan," she said. "I trust your trip was uneventful?"

"Yes," he said. He gazed at her, at the dark circles under her eyes, the pallor of her face. "Have the twins been keeping you awake?"

She sighed. "No, their father has." She looked away for a minute, then met his eyes. "The nightmares are really bad, Obi-Wan. He cries a lot during the day too. Mostly when he thinks no one is looking."

Obi-Wan looked worried. "Has he told you what he sees? Is he having premonitions again?"

"No. Flashbacks. He did finally tell me, after quite a bit of prompting. He seems to be reliving every battle in all its bloodiest, goriest detail. He's also reliving his mother's and Ahsoka's deaths."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Those tragedies compounded an already existing problem. Anakin always took the loss of his men very personally." He put a hand on Padmé's shoulder. "I know it probably doesn't seem like Anakin is healing but I'm going to guess that this is a necessary part of the process."

She frowned. "I know."

"What's happening during the day? Other than surreptitious tears? Is he functioning otherwise?"

She nodded. "He takes care of the babies. He plays with Sola's girls. He tinkers with any piece of machinery he can find."

They walked around the house and found Anakin facing the water, standing with his legs spread, his arms clasped behind him and his eyes closed. They thought he was meditating but he opened his eyes as soon as they approached.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Padawan," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin shook his head. "Meditation is no use lately." He took a deep breath.

Obi-Wan laid a hand on his arm. "It's no surprise," he said. "I've had a few nightmares myself. I've even relived Qui-Gon's death, and that hasn't happened in ten years. And Yoda and Mace have both had their meditations disrupted. This is hard on all of us."

Padmé had put Leia in the stroller next to Luke and was starting to go back into the house, when Anakin held up his hand. "Don't go, love. Your presence is soothing."

Your presence is soothing. The memory of the long-ago interrupted meditation, in this same spot, made tears sting her eyes. In a little over three years' time, premonitions of horror in an innocent world had become flashbacks of horror in a world that had crumbled. She walked back to him and took her hand in his.

"Hey," he said, stroking her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just... oh, Anakin." The tears came faster now; he held her and rubbed her back.

She was trying to be strong for you, but this is hard on her as well.

Anakin held her more tightly and kissed the top of her head.

"Should I come back later?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin and Padmé said "no" at the same time and Anakin added, "Please stay, Master."

Padmé pulled away from Anakin and hastily dried her eyes. "I'm fine, it's just... look what this war has done to all of us. Look what Palpatine has done to all of us."

"That's the mission of the Sith. To destroy lives. Fortunately we had-have-the means to stop him," Obi-Wan said.

"What happens now?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan looked at him. "Time will be the only healer," he said. For the first time Anakin noticed how tired his former master looked. His eyes were red and bloodshot. Obi-Wan sat on the bench. Anakin picked up Leia, Padmé picked up Luke, and they sat next to him.

"Have you seen Qui-Gon?" Anakin asked, resting his daughter's head on his shoulder and stroking her back.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I have. He's been very helpful."

Padmé's eyes widened. "You two are seeing ghosts?"

Anakin gave her a small smile. "The ancient Journal of the Whills teaches Jedi how to retain their consciousness beyond the Force, so they can help Jedi who are still here. I've seen Ahsoka as well."

Padmé looked stunned and shook her head. "There is far too much that I don't understand," she said.

"Normally we would not share that information beyond the confines of the Jedi but I expect you'll be privy to many of our secrets," Obi-Wan said.

"Well, if it's helpful... your version of the wisdom of the ancients I suppose..." She looked confused but a little relieved at the same time.

You could call it that," Anakin said. "It's new to me as well. I think Qui-Gon knew something was going to happen to the Jedi, and started looking for a way he could help us even from beyond the Force."

"How would he have known?"

Anakin looked down. "I don't know," he said.

"Qui-Gon was always more in tune with the Living Force than the rest of us," Obi-Wan said. "And the Dark Side clouded our vision."

For a moment Obi-Wan looked more tired than ever, then he seemed to come back.

"The best way we can defeat our demons is to rebuild the Order," he said. "I feel better when I'm actively doing something to fix a problem, and I think you do as well, Anakin."

Anakin met Obi-Wan's eyes and nodded slowly.

"We're meeting tomorrow afternoon. Mace arrives in the morning."

Anakin nodded again. Obi-Wan stood, with Anakin following him. Anakin put Leia in the stroller, took Obi-Wan's arm, and pulled the older man into a hug.

"You should sleep, Master. You don't look good."

Obi-Wan smiled. "I could say the same for you, Padawan." He squeezed his shoulder. "This will pass in time. For all of us. But it will only pass with time I'm afraid, so we must be patient."

Anakin nodded, hanging his head, frowning.

---

The lodge that the Jedi had procured for temporary headquarters was sparsely furnished-a sofa, a couple of chairs, a stool that Yoda had co-opted as a meditation stool, situated in front of a large fireplace.

Anakin entered the room just as the others were settling down with cups of tea. Obi-Wan waved him over. "Good news," he said. "Mace just received word. We are not the only survivors on the Council after all. Shaak Ti is alive."

Anakin's eyes widened. He sat next to his former master on the couch and took a cup of tea; his hand shook. "Really? Where is she?" Shaak Ti had been in the Temple a mere 30 minutes before the attack by the 501st; the Jedi had assumed that she was among the unrecognizable dead buried in the rubble.

"Master Ti, as I'm sure you know, is one of the most accomplished in lightsaber skill. She fought off ten clones, escaped in one of their speeders, and managed to get to an off world hangar and leave Coruscant before martial law was enacted. She's been hiding on Felucia," Mace said.

"Felucia? Isn't that a Separatist world?" Anakin asked.

"A Separatist world it is," Yoda said. "Disguised herself, Master Ti did. Befriend the natives, she did as well, and convinced them to hide her."

"A padawan, Maris Brood, is hiding with her. They were waiting for the outcome of the trial before they revealed themselves," Mace said.

"Why?" Anakin asked.

"Because if the outcome had been different, she and Maris would have needed to rebuild the Order in hiding. As it is, they can join us. Master Ti contacted Bail this morning," Mace said.

"Bail is still on Alderaan of course, but when he received her message, he contacted Mace," Obi-Wan said.

"How is the baby?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan smiled. "Doing well. She has the bluest eyes I've ever seen, even in the holo image Bail sent us. She will be well loved and pampered, I'm sure."

Anakin smiled.

"Anyway," Obi-Wan continued. "Master Ti and Padawan Brood will meet us on Coruscant in a week's time. We need to salvage what we can from the remains of the archives."

"Assume, I do, that in charge of this facility, you want to be?" Yoda said, looking at Anakin.

"I would like that," Anakin said. "We're going to get our own place in Theed, put the twins in the same schools that Padmé attended."

Obi-Wan nodded. "We used to have teachers in the Temple that gave Jedi younglings their education in other subjects," he said. He frowned. "Of course that is no longer true. Younglings will now need to attend school on worlds where they are being trained."

Anakin nodded. He had been behind on his subjects when he arrived at the Temple. Jedi tutors had taught him to read, write and do basic arithmetic, which he picked up quickly. His natural propensity with machinery led to a natural propensity with mathematics.

"Jedi training used to be all-encompassing and exclusive. It will now be almost supplemental. Extracurricular courses for Force-sensitives," Mace added.

"Is that necessarily bad?" Anakin asked.

"Not necessarily, no," Mace said.

"Change we needed," Yoda said. "Only the beginning, this is."

"I will run the training facility on Alderaan; Obi-Wan will be in charge of the one on Corellia. Yoda will stay on Coruscant," Mace continued.

"Return there tomorrow, I will," Yoda said.

"The Jedi have been given a fresh start," Mace said. "May we use it well. And may the Force be with us all."

---

Epilogue

Theed, the Skywalker residence, four years later

Luke Skywalker adjusted the helmet over his eyes and powered on his training saber. The remote was... yes... there. He zapped at it, and sensing a hit, it powered off and fell into the grass. Now where was the second remote? He stretched out with the Force... it was... ouch. Poodoo. Too late. He powered down his saber, took off his helmet and slumped onto the grass.

"You did well, Luke," Anakin called from the porch, where he had been watching.

"I missed one," he said.

"After having defeated both remotes five times in a row. Take a break."

"I'm taking a break," Leia said. She was sitting on her father's lap, her head resting against his chest.

"Battle droids don't give breaks, Daddy," Luke said.

Anakin frowned. "Well, Jedi Masters do, so take one."

"Hi, Uncle Obi-Wan," Leia said. Anakin turned to see his former master climbing up the steps to the porch.

Obi-Wan approached Anakin and patted the girl's dark hair. "Hello, Leia."

"I beat both of my remotes seven times."

He smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Good job."

"And I'm going to go do it again," she said, bounding off Anakin's lap. "Watch me, Daddy!"

"I'm watching, Princess," he said, then turned briefly to Obi-Wan. "Good to see you, Master."

"I've stopped to refuel and bring you some supplies for the training facility before I head to Coruscant," he said.

"We're headed there tonight ourselves, you could just ride with us. Padmé left this morning; I was just waiting for the twins to finish this week in school." Anakin watched Leia put her helmet on and power her saber.

"What is Luke doing?" Obi-Wan asked, seeing the boy sitting in the yard.

"Pouting," Anakin said. "He'll be alright in a minute. Leia has beaten him in their training exercises today and he doesn't like it." He sighed. "They're so competitive. Was I ever...?"

Obi-Wan laughed before Anakin even finished the question. "Do you want me to answer that?"

"No," Anakin said, and laughed as well. He changed the subject. "Have you watched the Holonet today? We've been training since lunchtime, I haven't had the chance."

"I have, and there is good news. Bail has handily won re-election."

Anakin sighed with relief. "Good. I was hoping Padmé didn't leave before the crack of dawn for nothing."

"Definitely not. And it would have been very bad for all of us if Free Taa had won."

"Yes," Anakin said.

"There is also some bad news," Obi-Wan said.

"What is it?"

Obi-Wan looked at the twins. Luke had stood, brushed himself off, and was once more working with his remotes. Leia seemed to be trying to defeat her remotes with her back turned to them. When Obi-Wan spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Separatist cells re-emerging on the Outer Rim. Most of the reports are unconfirmed as of yet, but a few have been confirmed."

Anakin leaned back and closed his eyes. Blood. So much blood. And screaming. Loud, horrifying, and helpless. He quickly shook his head to clear the old vision and opened his eyes again.

"Does Bail know?"

"Yes. And Shaak Ti is going to Felucia. She may be able to find out more."

Anakin closed his eyes again. "I sense Ventress."

"So do I," Obi-Wan said gravely. "We will need to investigate this and put a stop to it before it turns into another all out war."

War. Anakin took a couple of deep breaths, willing the flashbacks to not reappear, willing his heart to stop pounding.

He felt 35 pounds of little girl climbing onto his lap again, smelled the sweet scent of children's shampoo, and felt her tiny hand against his cheek. "Daddy?"

He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "I'm sorry, Leia, I got distracted. Did you finish?"

She nodded. "I beat them eight times this time."

"That's good, that's very good," he said. He kissed her forehead and held her. "I'll do a better job of watching next time, I promise." He unscrewed the top off a bottle of water and gave it to her. "Drink up."

She leaned against him and sipped her water.

"Uncle Obi-Wan!" Luke called, putting his helmet and training saber down and running onto the porch, wrapping the older man in a hug.

He laughed. "Hello, Luke."

Anakin grabbed another bottle of water, unscrewed the top and handed it to his son, who now sat on Obi-Wan's lap. "Drink," he said. "You don't want to get dehydrated."

"What's ‘dehydrated'?" Luke asked,

"Really really thirsty," Anakin replied. "Your insides turn into a desert."

"Like sand?"

Anakin smiled. "Yes, like sand. Gritty and dirty. So drink your water."

Luke nodded and downed the entire bottle.

"We've got to pack soon," Anakin said to the twins. "We're leaving to meet Mommy on Coruscant."

Leia grinned. "Coruscant? Is Alys going to be there?"

Anakin smiled. "She very well might be."

"What about that blue man with the pigtails?" Luke asked.

Obi-Wan laughed. "Blue man?" he said.

Luke nodded. "The one Daddy doesn't like. I don't think Mommy likes him either. He's fun to watch though. He gets mad all the time. Acts like he wants to start a war."

"Luke!" Leia scolded. "Stop talking about war. War makes Mommy and Daddy sad."

"But Daddy and Uncle Obi-Wan are war heroes!" Luke said.

"Only because we had to be, young one," Obi-Wan said, smoothing the boy's blond hair. "Your sister is right. War is sad. Better to be the kind of hero that keeps war from ever starting."

Luke frowned, seemed to be contemplating something, then nodded.

"Speaking of heroes, I met a kid that I think you would like," Obi-Wan said, looking at Anakin. "I was at a Republic Navy recruiting center on Corellia a few days ago, watching the ensign in charge deal with a 16-year-old who was absolutely irate that he couldn't enlist yet. Name was Han Solo. Said his parents were gone, he had basically raised himself and had no more use for school, and what was two years anyway?"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. I was there to speak to the admiral but evidently Solo thought I was on some other sort of duty. He looked at me, mumbled something about hokey religions and ancient weapons, and left the center without another word."

Anakin laughed.

"Interestingly enough," Obi-Wan continued. "I think the kid will probably make a good officer one day. He has the persistence. He just needs some patience and discipline." Obi-Wan paused. "Seemed to be good with machinery too. He told the recruiter that he had modified his own ship." He smiled at Anakin. "As I said, I think you'd get along."

Anakin smiled. "He'll probably be at the recruiting center again tomorrow, different recruiter, and lying about his age," he said.

"Not something I would normally condone but we need cadets with his enthusiasm," Obi-Wan replied.

"Especially if these Outer Rim cells turn out to be any more numerous than we think," Anakin said, his mood suddenly more somber.

The somber mood was contagious, and for a moment no one spoke, even the children. Then Obi-Wan stood, lifting Luke from his lap and setting him down, and looked at Anakin. "Need any help packing? I think I will take you up on your offer of a ride to Coruscant." He smiled. "I would actually rather put up with your flying than do any more flying myself right now."

Anakin laughed, and stood, setting Leia down. "Padmé took 3PO with her so yes, any help is welcome."

"But Daddy, R2 is still here!" Leia said.

Luke scowled. "Leia, R2 would just say beep beep beep if we tried to get him to put clothes in a suitcase."

"So? 3PO says ‘Oh dear, too many choices' every time he opens Mommy's closet," Leia replied.

"Alright, I'm calling a moratorium on bickering before you two make my ears bleed," Anakin said. But he was smiling. Obi-Wan laughed as Anakin hoisted up both twins, kissed them, then took their hands and went into the house.

---

The Naboo skiff, similar to Padmé's but a smaller version that Anakin had procured for himself, landed easily next to the Senate building. Anakin could see Padmé waiting for them; with her was Mon Mothma, Fang Zar and Bana Breemu. Behind her was the newly-reelected Chancellor Organa with his wife, Queen Breha, their daughter and several guards.

The ramp lowered and the twins, heedless of any formality normally present on the platform, ran out of the ship, calling "Mommy!" in unison. Their mother also momentarily dispensed of any protocol, transforming from Senator Amidala into Padmé Skywalker as she knelt down to take her children in her arms. "Luke and Leia!" She said, kissing both of their cheeks. "Did you have a good trip?"

The twins started talking in unison.

"We did. Uncle Obi-Wan came with us too!"

"Daddy flew fast. But not too fast. He said he was ‘flying casual'."

"R2 put ruby bliels in our meal packs. Daddy says they made us hyper and if R2 does that again, he has to put extra Corellian brandy on the ship for him. R2 said beep beep beep beep, and Daddy said Uncle Obi-Wan drank it all. Uncle Obi-Wan said he has to drink Corellian brandy to deal with Daddy's flying and..."

"Luke went into the cockpit and tried to push some of the buttons."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too! I saw you!"

Padmé laughed and kissed them again. "OK, you two, why don't you go with 3PO."

"Can they come with me?" Alys Organa had broken away from her parents to meet the Skywalker twins, and was now gazing shyly at Padmé.

Padmé smiled at the girl, meeting her vivid blue eyes. "Of course," she said.

"Thank you!" Alys stood between Luke and Leia, took both of their hands, and led them in the direction of her entourage. Padmé watched the scene for a minute, the platinum-haired Princess of Alderaan standing between her own very brunette and very blond twins. Then she turned to her husband and his best friend, who stood at the bottom of the now-closing ramp.

"Good to see you, Obi-Wan," she said.

He nodded. "Padmé," he said. "Your husband just tried to kill me again."

Anakin feigned offense. "I did not!"

Obi-Wan returned the teasing smile his former apprentice gave him and turned to Padmé again. "My stomach will be joining us shortly. It got left on some Inner Rim planet a couple of parsecs from here."

She laughed, then turned to Anakin and kissed him lightly. "Darling." He smiled, stroked her cheek and returned the kiss.

Then she put on what Anakin called her "politician face," transforming back into Senator Amidala, and took his arm. With Obi-Wan and the droids, they followed their children and the Chancellor's entourage into the building.

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