FicWad

The Threads of Fate 6: Deliberations

Love conquers all, one of the poets had said. It was a beautiful sentiment, but she couldn't help the sneaking suspicion that the poet in question hadn't had a clue what he was talking about.

Padme sighed and laid aside her book. The melodic tinkling of the courtyard fountains did nothing to calm her, or diminish the terrible certainty that grew in her mind. She was not a cynic. She saw the good in people - it was one of her talents. She saw the good in Anakin, and there lay the heart of the matter. She saw the good in him, and it was precisely for that reason that she feared they could not continue.

The fanaticism in his eyes as he held her and promised her that he would save her, that he would find Palpatine and somehow extract some esoteric truth from him that would prevent his nightmares from coming true, frightened her. Not because of Anakin, but for him.

An image of Palpatine coalesced in her mind, his gentle, fatherly smile twisting into an unfamiliar sneer. She shuddered, tracing the gold lettering on the book cover with one fingertip as surety against the darkness. The Ancient Customs and Traditions of the Jedi Order, an ancient text retrieved from some dingy little shop somewhere in the depths of Coruscant. Hard-copy books did not come cheap, and this one was bound in leather and embossed with gold leaf. The price, she had willingly paid. Now, having read it, the price the pages extracted from her seemed almost too high to bear.

She couldn't entirely blame herself. She was not a Jedi, and she was in love. Of course she knew the penalties for marrying a Jedi; she was not one to embark on a plan of action of any kind without at least some idea of the consequences. But those consequences were strictly legal; loss of her position and responsibilities as a Senator, Anakin's expulsion from the Jedi Order. These were material things, and hardly worth worrying about in the face of overwhelming love.

No, what were far more worrying were the consequences she hadn't even thought about. Hadn't been aware of. The Jedi were forbidden to love. She knew that, but, in the storm of his affection, she had not really considered why.

Now it seemed blindingly obvious. Not for some ancient regard for asceticism, or even to purely dedicate themselves to the Force, although those were valid addendums to the main point. A Jedi should not love because, for them, emotional involvement or attachment was a slippery pathway to a darker road, in ways that those who were blind to the Force could not understand. Everybody knew that jealousy and lust, although often considered contemptible, were component parts of love. They could exist without it, but she was certain there was not one loving husband in the whole galaxy that would cheerfully allow another man to flirt and dance with, or even bed his wife without at least a sliver of jealousy in his soul.

But who outside the Jedi Order could know that love and its lesser cousins could be the cracks into which darker feelings could take root? After all, most beings couldn't move things with their minds, or seize control of the will of another. Most beings did not carry upon their shoulders the power of the Force and the training to use it.

The book explained in graphic terms what could happen when that power and that training was subverted into selfishness, for even the most noble of reasons.

Padme closed her eyes, seeking stillness that would not come. She did see the good in him, and now she thought she saw the hooks Palpatine could draw him in by. It was as though she had a glimpse of silver strands tightening around her husband like a noose. It was terrible to think that, perhaps, she had an insight into the monster's plan. Terrible, but she could use it if she had the will and the strength.

It was her responsibility to do so, as she believed that Anakin was too wrapped up in his own fears for her to see the danger he was in.

In one blow she could sever those silver threads and remove the juiciest bait from Palpatine's hook.

Tears dropped gently onto the crushed velvet of her gown. It always seemed to be the case that the best thing to do was always the hardest. She could see why the Dark Side held its appeal, but then she had never believed that life should be easy.

She would call Anakin in the morning.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He centred himself in the Force, reaching out for the glorious all-encompassing life of it. The dust and grime of Mist had been washed away in the fresher, but the memories of their encounter with the renegade Sith Lord would not depart so easily.

Glancing at the chrono, making a couple of quick calculations to allow for time difference, Obi-Wan decided that Yoda would probably be awake. If he wasn't, he soon would be.

It took less than a minute for the diminutive Jedi Master to answer the call, a flickering blue hologram springing into life on the projector plate.

'Master Obi-Wan,' Yoda greeted him. 'News, have you?'

Although Obi-Wan had rehearsed the conversation over and over in his mind, the words did not seem to want to come out as he had planned. 'We, uh, tracked him to a landing field on Mist. Our information was certainly accurate.'

Yoda's ears twitched; and Obi-Wan knew that the ancient Master had picked up on his uncharacteristic hesitation. Still, Yoda waited for him to continue.

'We had him at bay, but I was incapacitated in the fight, and he escaped.' There. The bare bones of the incident, at least.

'Not hurt, were you?' Yoda folded his hands in his lap.

'No, Master.' Obi-Wan fought the urge to rub the back of his neck, or shift his weight in discomfort.

'Something else, I sense.' Yoda, even as a hologram, had a penetrating gaze. 'What troubles you, Obi-Wan?'

'Master Yoda... I fear that Anakin has... done something foolish.' Foolish. He almost laughed at his own phrasing of it. The boy, his friend, was going to be expelled from the Order for this, and he called it foolish. What made it worse was the fact that he was the one to bring it to the Council's attention. Overall, he felt that he would rather fall upon his own blade than witness the inevitable look of betrayal in Anakin's eyes. But there was nothing for it now.

'Foolish, you say?' Yoda leaned forward, concerned. 'Tell me you must, my friend.' The Jedi Master's voice was gentle, as if he could feel Obi-Wan's pain across the light-years that separated them.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment, then forced them open. 'It concerns Senator Amidala.'

'Padme? Fond of her, he is. Noticed this, I have.'

Obi-Wan winced. 'Master, it seems that Anakin has... married her.' He delivered the revelation in a dead voice.

Yoda's eyes widened. It was not often that one managed to surprise the most senior member of the Jedi Council. Under other circumstances, Obi-Wan may even have counted it an achievement.

'Sure of this, are you?' He spoke sharply, studying the younger Jedi closely. 'From where does your information come?'

'From the Sith Lord, Master.' Obi-Wan leaned forward on the projection plate. 'I sensed no lie.'

'Nor would you. A master of deceit, Palpatine is. Sensed his duplicity I did not.' Yoda frowned at him.

It seemed totally unfair that Obi-Wan would have to argue for his case, that he would have to persuade the Jedi Council of this most painful truth - and destroy the lives of two people he counted dear friends in the process. But then, for a Jedi, fair never came into it. It was a matter of right.

'I know, Master. Believe me, if I could pass this off as one of Palpatine's lies, I would. But Anakin confirmed the truth of it by refusing to deny it.'

Yoda frowned again. 'Spoken to him about this, have you?'

Made to feel even more like a sneak going behind his friend's back, Obi-Wan shook his head. 'No. I sought your counsel first.'

'Wise of you, if true this is. Tell me what Anakin's reaction was.'

'Master, I couldn't see his face. They believed I was unconscious.' Obi-Wan had no trouble recalling the event. 'Sidious wants Anakin as an apprentice. He offered Anakin the opportunity to join him in order to save Padme's life.' Thank the Force, he thought, that Anakin refused.

'Hmm.' Yoda propped his chin in his hands and stared off past the Jedi Knight. 'Aware of no danger to Senator Amidala's life, am I.' A vestige of his usual humour returned. 'At least, not at the moment.'

'Anakin seems to believe that there is such a threat.'

'At least, know of the truth of Palpatine's interest in Anakin, we do,' Yoda mused. 'And the trap he tries to lay, we can now see.' He sighed. 'If true, a delicate matter it is.'

Obi-Wan folded his arms, trying not to let his agitation show. 'Master, Anakin is in grave danger. And possibly the Senator too.'

'Agree, I do.' Yoda nodded sharply. 'And in more danger if cut loose he is.'

'Master?' It was hard to hold on to the sudden sliver of hope.

Yoda gave him a shrewd look. 'Bring this to the Council's attention we must not, for the moment. Expelled he would be. Tradition and Temple law decree it. A Jedi he must remain, and watch him we can.'

'You mean to use him as bait?' Yoda had succeeded in turning the tables and surprising him this time. Still, Obi-Wan found it difficult to decide if becoming bait for a Sith Master was preferable to expulsion.

'Indeed. Wants Anakin, Sidious does. Out of hiding he will come, for the Chosen One. Then his downfall, Anakin will be.' The wizened Jedi Master's smile was predatory.

Obi-Wan met his gaze squarely. 'Master Yoda, I cannot in conscience use Anakin like that. He deserves better.'

'Use him? No.' Yoda returned the gaze. 'Use Sidious's need for him, we shall.'

Of course, he mused. It all comes down to your point of view. Yoda was, in a way, right. Still, it did not sit well with him at all. Perhaps his point of view, being so close to Anakin, was skewed. But then again, perhaps not. Even so, it was futile to argue the point without another plan to put forward. 'And what of the Senator?'

'Watch her also, we must. Her good health monitored, shall be.' Yoda gave him a searching look. 'Clear, your mind must be, Obi-Wan. Free of doubt, free to act. Your help, Anakin needs.' He suddenly seemed weary, saddened. 'You, he trusts.'

Sighing, Obi-Wan bowed his head. 'I shall be guided by you in this matter, Master'

'May the Force be with you, Master Obi-Wan.' The little Jedi Master raised a clawed hand, and the holo-image winked out of existence.

Obi-Wan stared through the empty space where Yoda had been, his mind whirling. They - he and Anakin both - skirted the edge of an abyss. It seemed only a matter of time before the treacherous footing gave way, and one or both plunged to an unknown doom.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The holomap of the galaxy swirled in a stately dance around the darkened lounge. Darth Sidious sat back in his seat, allowing his mind to wander amongst the stars. The comfortable recliner and the glass of brandy were well-deserved comforts earned after a most trying day.

It had been close. He had never thought for an instant that the boy would try to hurt him, and it was pleasing to be proven right on that score. The inestimable Master Kenobi, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. Oh, he was as honourable as they came, and if the Council had decreed that he be taken alive, Sidious had no doubt that Kenobi would do his best to deliver him in one piece, neatly tied up with a bow. The trouble was, he was as implacable as the march of time itself, and he was not without mental resource.

Still, it was to be hoped that he had been able to insert a small spoke into the Jedi wheel. Kenobi's naked shock at the revelation of Anakin's illicit marriage had been most gratifying. He was sure the boy hadn't even noticed his Master had come round, either. Too wrapped up in his own concerns and fears, that one. It was all to the good. The best wedges to drive between people were the ones they didn't see.

He was glad to quit Mist. The mud and the fog, both equally clinging, were best left to the kind of pond-scum one found inhabiting such climes. He had no intention of returning.

The stars wheeled around the room, glowing jewels in the darkness. He never tired of the beauty of space, real or holographic. There was so much mystery, so much promise and power in the stars. Even so, he would have much preferred to have been viewing the spectacle from quarters aboard a ship of the line, or a luxury yacht at the very least. The Night Hunter seemed a poor relation, although she had performed well today.

His gaze sought the Coruscant system, and tracked its primary's path amongst its fellow stars. Sipping his brandy, Darth Sidious offered up a silent toast to the long-dead engineer who had designed the cloaking system he had had the foresight to order and install. Not that he had expected this, exactly, but he knew the value of being prepared.

The cruiser, Shield, lurking at the edge of the system, had picked up just about every other type of criminal fleeing before the Republic's assumed invasion. Every criminal except the one they sought. Hopefully they would be tied up with processing the pirates, smugglers and slavers they had succeeded in capturing.

He relaxed, slipping into the easy pattern of breathing and simply being. He had taken a risk today, but it was a calculated one. Kenobi's choices were limited, after all. He could ignore what he had heard; pass it off as a lie. He could confront Anakin, or he could go above Anakin, to the Council. Or, more specifically, he could go to Yoda. Really, there wasn't much of a choice at all. Expelling the Chosen One from the Jedi Order would hardly be beneficial to them at this point. Their fear of a loose, uncontrolled Anakin must be very like his own. No, control was preferable. They would want to keep him close.

He could work with that. Anakin would chafe even more than he had already; such was his fear for Amidala. Particularly if they took him off the hunt - which, given the collective wisdom of the Jedi Council, was a possibility. In which case, the boy may continue the hunt alone.

Sidious did not allow himself to dwell on that thought for long. He had already underestimated Kenobi and the Council once. Given that, what was the most likely option? He did not see the stars now, but chains of possibility. They, in their way, were just as beautiful.

A trap, of sorts. The whole Council was most likely not involved - too unwieldy and bound by tradition. He doubted even Yoda could fly in the face of whole ages of custom - unless he acted without their knowledge, or they had plenty of time to discuss the matter. Kenobi certainly was no Qui-Gon, or even Dooku. He would seek advice. So - a quiet little conference - Kenobi and Yoda, maybe another master or two. Time was not on their side, and they knew it. The Senate and the people grew fractious. There was anger there, and so much distrust. It was all part of a larger picture.

Use the boy to lure him out. Set Anakin, all unknowing, as the bait for a trap. End it quickly, cleanly, providing triumphant evidence to the disbelieving masses. Who would then, in all probability, demand his head in exchange for the destruction his little war had wrought.

He smiled. Anakin couldn't allow that, for how would he save his precious wife?

Still, a back-up plan was advisable. If only Kenobi had gone to that damned sinkhole planet after Grievous... He wanted Anakin, if only for the sheer amusement value of having corrupted the vaunted Chosen One. The boy's power might prove problematic later. Having dispatched his own master, Darth Sidious knew full well the folly in trusting one's apprentice too far.

He hadn't really, seriously considered that Anakin wouldn't turn - at least, not until Kenobi had shown up in the holding office and everything had gone drastically wrong. Given the boy's career up to that point, it had seemed inevitable. He had seen it.

He did not like being wrong. However, there was a lesson there. And really, if the Chosen One decided to cling to the Jedi Order, he could not allow that to interfere with the larger picture. Perhaps he had already invested too much in Skywalker as it was.

Sidious held that thought, examining his plans and his feelings on the subject. Had he put too much into turning Anakin, at the possible expense of his overall goals? Could his scheme survive intact if the boy decided not to co-operate? Was it vanity or overconfidence that insisted it be the Chosen One, and not some other?

He half-smiled then. No, not vanity. Rather - a challenge. To steal the hope of the Jedi right out from under their collective noses. He didn't want it to be easy, after all. Where was the fun in that?

And if Anakin refused to take the bait, tempting though it was, then he rather thought he knew of another that might - for a different, if just as tempting bait on a very large hook indeed. It bore further looking into.

Sipping his brandy, Sidious once again observed the movement of the stars. They were predictable, like people, but every now and again, like people, they did something you never expected and threw you a challenge. Things tended to explode or collide, or glance off in unexpected directions. It made life interesting, banished complacency and showed the folly of overconfidence.

Perhaps there was a certain value in being wrong, after all, provided you had the wit to learn from it when life pointed out your mistake.