Candlelight

Chapter 10 - Sidious

Sidious is unsurprised and unperturbed when Dooku calls to report that the weapon to destroy the Naboo system failed. It would have been... useful, but it was hardly crucial to his plans.

What does concern him is the rest of his report. "I confronted Skywalker," Dooku says, "But he appeared... different. I have never felt him so light, and he appeared far more trained than I have seen in the past."

He genuinely believed this... situation couldn't become any stranger. He was wrong. Sidious has absolutely no idea what is wrong with his future apprentice. He can't think of anything that could have changed so much.

He doesn't understand this. None of it makes any sense whatsoever. He still remembers how Anakin was panicking when they last interacted, and that isn't something Sidious can make sense of. Everything implies that he has been through something... he struggled with, but his actions are implying the exact opposite – that he has somehow let go of everything and embraced the Jedi way.

He should have grown Darker, had something happened.

And how could he have experienced something without Sidious having heard word of it?

"He appears to be more powerful in the Force as well," Dooku adds.

That doesn't make sense either, and Sidious doesn't like it when he doesn't understand important factors in his plans.

He needs answers, and the only way to get them is from Anakin, except he's gone for the indefinite future right now. He hadn't been able to get anything out of him last time they talked, though, which is also unusual. He hadn't been able to get anything clear out of the Council about him either without arousing suspicion, and he... can sense that something in that regard is not as it should be. Something happened and changed, and he cannot be certain of what, but it's at a danger of destroying everything he's been working towards.

***

This, this is what they've been waiting for. They have everything they were looking for. It's not enough, nearly enough, but they can work with it. Sidious will, Obi-Wan suspects, find a way to use it against them, but Anakin's device worked wonders on gathering information.

They have a recording of a meeting with the Sith. That alone is clear proof that Palpatine is committing treason.

They're giving the information they have to the few Senators they trust to deal with the political aspect. It's something the Jedi cannot get involved in, and now, the Council is gathered in a meeting to discuss the situation. Anakin, of course, is present as well.

"We can trust Senator Amidala," Anakin tells them, "And Senator Organa. Mon Mothma, as well, I believe – it is difficult to say who changed now and in the future."

"We can trust their judgement, then," Master Windu declares. "They will know who they can rely on."

Anakin nods, eyes downcast. He's always like that – submissive, and it's always disturbing to see. Obi-Wan still remembers, and misses, a time when Anakin was always willing to fight. It came and went so fast, and Obi-Wan has no idea how or why it changed. He never lived through it like Anakin did. He can't ignore the dark part of his mind questioning what will happen if he loses Anakin altogether, not just the version of him that Obi-Wan knew.

"In the meantime, we must observe how events will play out. Give the signal now to deactivate the clones' inhibitor chips. We will watch Sidious to see what move he makes."

This, Obi-Wan can only hope will end well.

He goes with Anakin to broadcast the signal – yes, there will be some clones who don't pick it up, but the numbers will be minimal. Either way, it will take Sidious's most dangerous army from him.