"It is upsetting to me that the Council doesn't seem to fully appreciate your talents," Palpatine murmurs, as he and Anakin cross the office, "Don't you wonder why they won't make you a Jedi Master?"
He does, and it frustrates him to no end. It feels like a blatant way of rubbing in his face that he's different for some inexplicable reason that they never bother to explain, that he doesn't deserve the same treatment that everyone else gets, and he doesn't understand why. He knows the Council only tries to do their best, that they have a reason for what they do, but he doesn't understand. Or maybe it's just a way of reminding him that he doesn't belong on the Council, as if he didn't already know that. He doesn't even want to be there.
"I wish I knew," Anakin replies, quietly, "More and more I get the feeling I'm being excluded from the Council." Even though he's supposed to be on it. It's not like he wants this, but he can't refuse Palpatine – not if something as serious as he claims is really happening, though he doesn't know that he entirely believes it. He doesn't know what to believe anymore. "I know there's things about the Force they aren't telling me."
Perhaps even a way to make sure Padme won't die? That his child – no, he can't even let himself go there.
"They don't trust you, Anakin," Palpatine replies sympathetically, resting a hand on his shoulder, "They see your future. You must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you know the subtleties of the Force."
It takes a moment for his words to catch up to Anakin, and he freezes, spinning around to face him. "You know the ways of the Force?" How is that even possible?
"My mentor taught me everything about the ways of the Force," he responds almost carelessly, "Even the nature of the Dark Side."
Anakin's breath catches in his throat, denial screaming through him. No, it's impossible. It can't be –
Palpatine knows the Dark Side, and suddenly, everything the Council and Obi-Wan have been telling him floods his mind again. And that means – No, that's impossible. "You know the Dark Side?" he asks, faintly.
"Only through me will you be able to achieve a power than greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the Dark Side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death."
"What did you say?" he demands sharply. This cannot be happening. It – it – but what else could he be saying?
"Use my knowledge. I beg you."
He knows it in that moment, even if he can't even begin to process the implications of it. It doesn't even make sense. How could the man he always considered a friend, a mentor, be a Sith?!
"You're the Sith Lord!" Anakin accuses, whipping out his lightsaber on instinct, pointing it at him. Darth Sidious, the Sith who was manipulating the Senate, who was involved in starting the entire war in the first place – or so the Council suspects.
Palpatine turns away, seeming unconcerned. In truth, he doesn't have anything to be concerned about, not from Anakin. He couldn't attack him – even if it wouldn't be treason to do so. He can't even comprehend the implications of it, or the magnitude of this betrayal, but way inside, he knows he could never hurt him, even if he shouldn't be feeling like this, because Palpatine is a Sith, and...
"I know what has been troubling you," the Sith replies, "Listen to me. Don't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council. Remember what they did to Ahsoka."
His breathing hitches, and he tightens his grip on his lightsaber hilt. "That has nothing to do with this," Anakin retorts, although maybe it does. He doesn't know. He doesn't know anything anymore, because the one person he always knew would help him is a Sith, and –
"It does," Palpatine counters, "They cast her out as soon as they thought they had a reason to, without looking into the evidence. What makes you believe they would not do the same to you?"
All his fears over the undercover mission he was given surge to the surface again. Were they really setting him up to take the fall for it if it was necessary? In truth, he knows they would. They should, probably, because why would they let the whole Order be accused of treason instead of just sacrificing one person for the greater good?
"This isn't about me," Anakin grits out, because that much is true. It's not and has no reason to be. He's not that important. The Council should be willing to sacrifice him for the greater good, but...
He only feels more lost and confused now than ever, and he doesn't know what to do. He should take this to the Council, but they'll... they'll want to kill Palpatine. Maybe they should. He's the Sith. But the thought of him dying... It floods him with an unclenching fear. He's still his friend, and – But that doesn't make this betrayal hurt any less. And he's still angry about it.
"Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi," Palpatine presses, ignoring his comment, "A life of significance, of conscience."
"You're wrong," Anakin denies, though he knows it's a lie. Of course, he has. And he almost has it. But if he doesn't do something, he could lose everything. Padme, his child – and he and Ahsoka would be all alone. His wife would be dead, Ahsoka's mother would be dead, and he can't let her go through that. He dares not let himself consider the rest of t.
"Are you going to kill me?" Palpatine queries, still facing his back to him.
"I would certainly like to," he snaps, though it's a lie. He couldn't. If he's really Sidious, who started the war intentionally, who did all of this to the galaxy, he would more than deserve it, but –
"I know you would," he purrs, "I can feel your anger. It gives you focus. Makes you stronger."
Anakin finally steps back, deactivating his blade. "I'm going to turn you into the Jedi Council," he decides, turning away.
"Of course, you should," Palpatine replies, "But you're not sure of their intentions, are you? What if I am right, and they are plotting to take over the Republic?"
"I will quickly discover the truth of all this," he declares, firmly. Hopefully. It feels like he has no idea what side he should even be on here. His Jedi training says to kill Palpatine, to immediately turn him over, but there's so much else going on here. It isn't that simple.
"You have great wisdom Anakin," Palpatine continues, "Know the power of the Dark Side. The power to save Padme. I know both you and Ahsoka fear this. Only I can help you save her."
He falters, again, fear and dread clawing at him. He doesn't know what to do anymore. If he tells the Jedi, they'll kill Palpatine, or at least they probably will.
"I'm not going anywhere," Palpatine says, moving to take a seat back at his desk, "You have time to decide what you will do. Perhaps you will reconsider and join me, to help bring peace to the galaxy. To learn the power to save your wife."
Anakin turns away abruptly, heading for the door. He doesn't know what to do anymore. He should take this to the Council, but maybe... What else can he do?
He could talk to Ahsoka, maybe. She might be able to help him figure out what to do. Ahsoka is worried about Padme too, so she'll take that into consideration.
Yes, he'll go talk to her first and take it from there.
Anakin can only hope this won't prove to be a terrible mistake.
***
Ahsoka doesn't know why she can't shake the feeling that something is very wrong. Something just feels off, and it's coming from her bond with Anakin. He feels... His emotions are actually raging too much to put a label on it.
Any questions she has about whether or not he's okay end the moment Anakin steps into the room. He looks pale and shaken, and she can feel as much screaming into the Force around him.
"Anakin? What happened?" she asks urgently, practical flying to his side.
"I..." He sounds shaken too, like he doesn't even know where to start.
What could have happened? A million doubts and concerns flit through Ahsoka's mind, but she tries to quell her own rising fear until she knows what happened.
"The Council sent me to tell Palpatine that Obi-Wan engaged Grievous," Anakin answers, shakily. "And he – he told me that he's a Sith."
Wait –
Wait –
"What?!" she hisses, eyes going wide. "How could Palpatine be a Sith?"
"I don't know," he replies, shaking his head, "I... don't know what to do."
"You need to tell the Council," Ahsoka asserts, "If he's a Sith, we have to stop him."
"But stop him from what?" Anakin objects, "We don't know if he's Sidious. He implied it, but..."
"We should still warn the Council, at least."
"I don't know what they'll do. Palpatine told me..." He hesitates.
"Told you what?" she asks, frowning.
"That they're intending to take over the Republic. That they..."
"You believe him?" Her first instinct is to immediately deny it, because why would the Jedi do that? But – but then she remembers the mission they had Anakin do. Of course, it's because they were suspicious about Palpatine, which turned out to be for a very legitimate reason, but...
"I know there's things they won't tell me, even though I'm on the Council," Anakin replies, quietly, "I don't want to believe it, but..."
"I don't know what to say," Ahsoka admits, shaking her head. Her trust is the Council was long since shaken, and she doesn't trust them anymore now than she did before. But something like this? And Palpatine is a Sith, likely the one behind the war. He's a traitor.
"And there's something else," Anakin declares, quietly, "Palpatine said he... could teach me how to save Padme."
Ahsoka's breath catches in her throat. "What? How does he know?"
"He can always tell when something is bothering me," Anakin explains.
"Now I see why," she says, darkly, "But he's a Sith. Why would he help you?"
"He's my friend Ahsoka," Anakin asserts, "I know he's a Sith, but he... I don't think he was lying."
Ahsoka frowns, the fear raging inside of her almost all consuming at this point. Would Palpatine really help them? He's a Sith, and that immediately screams 'enemy', but Anakin does have a point. Still, she knows better than to even think she could trust Palpatine at this point. (But can she trust the Council either? It would be so easy for Anakin to be accused of treason, and she knows the Order would be perfectly fine with letting him take the fall for it, just like they did with her.)
"Why don't we wait until Obi-Wan returns?" Ahsoka suggests, finally, "We can take the news to him, after he gets back." She hardly trusts Obi-Wan either, but she needs a little more time to think about this. It's not as if there's much the Jedi can do instantly anyway, since Palpatine is the Chancellor, Sith or not. They could arrest him, but...
She can only hope this is the right thing to do.
***
Padme's screams fill the air, and Ahsoka instantly knows with an overwhelming surge of dread what's happening. She jerks awake with a start, heart pounding, only to see Anakin hovering right next to her, expression pinched.
She blinks in surprise, pushing herself up. "Master?"
"I need to go," Anakin replies, looking almost panicked. "Palpatine talked to me through the Force. The Jedi – they're going to kill him."
"What?" she yelps, flying out of bed so fast she knocks her blanket onto the floor. "How did they find out?!" They decided to deal with everything in the morning, because nothing could go that wrong tonight, could it? Ahsoka is honestly surprised she even managed to fall asleep, though, because of the sense of overwhelming dread she can feel in the air. It's only worse now because of that nightmare.
"I don't know, but I have to go."
She doesn't know if Anakin means to stop them from killing Palpatine or to help them arrest him. She doesn't stop to ask. They need to do something, because they can't just sit back and watch. "I'm coming," Ahsoka decide, darting out her bedroom door before he can argue.
They're about to go after a Sith. If Palpatine is fighting the Jedi, he needs to be stopped, and they could definitely use their help. But what does he mean they're trying to kill him? That's not legal. It's treason – even if perfectly understandable. It's suicide for the Order.
She doesn't stop to ponder it as they run through the halls for Palpatine's apartment which is on the top floor. He's at home for the night, of course, since it's after midnight already.
The door isn't locked, and they race right into the room without waiting. She doesn't know how many Jedi are here or anything, but further into the apartment, they can hear the sound of clashing lightsabers.
They dart further inside, not taking the time to look over the signs of a fight, as they follow the noise.
They stop in the doorway to see Palpatine and Windu engaged in a furious duel in the middle of the room. She can't believe this is really happening. Sidious moves with deadly precision, and she can feel the darkness pouring off him, but Windu easily keeps up. Still, it's not a duel she wants to interfere in. Although she is surprised he's the one here, unless there's more on the way or – or somewhere she didn't see. Her heart is pounding too hard to even think straight right now.
The duel continues furiously, and Palpatine slips for the briefest second. Windu kicks him back, sending the lightsaber flying from his hands. He stalks closer, lightsaber leveled in front of him, and Palpatine scrambles away, backing against the wall. "You are under arrest, my lord," Windu spits, mockingly.
"Anakin!" Palpatine calls, "I told you it would come to this. The Jedi are taking over." Taking over? Is that what he claims stopping the Sith is?
"The oppression of the Sith will never return," Windu growls, "Your plot to gain control of the Republic is over. You have lost."
"No, you will die," Palpatine snarls, lightning shooting from his fingers striking Windu's lightsaber. Ahsoka looks desperately between them and Anakin, heart pounding. They should do something, but she doesn't know what. But it's terrifying to see Sidious in all his Sithly glory. "He's a traitor, Anakin!"
"Don't listen to him," Windu shouts.
Palpatine continues to shoot lightning, and the deflecting current strikes him, deforming his face. "Help me! Don't let him kill me. I can't hold out any longer." His lightning attack ceases only moments later.
"You Sith disease," Windu hisses, "I'm going to end this once and for all." He raises his lightsaber, ready to kill him.
In cold blood.
Defenseless.
True, a Sith Lord is never truly defenseless, but this... Ahsoka doesn't know what to think. Once she might have been willing to accept anything the Council did, but not anymore. They violate their own principles when it suits them. Maybe this is justice, but not like this. Like this, it's wrong. By the Jedi's own principles, and the very head of the Order is willing to break it anyway because it suits him.
Just like when they threw her out of the Order.
"You can't kill him, Master," Anakin argues, "He must stand trial."
"He has control of the Senate and the Courts. He is too dangerous to be kept alive."
"He's a prisoner," Ahsoka reminds, eyes narrowed.
"It's not the Jedi way," Anakin protests, but Windu isn't listening. He steps closer, raising the lightsaber.
Maybe this is the right thing to do, Ahsoka doesn't know, but it doesn't change that it violates every principle the Jedi have. And it's treason.
And... the images of Padme swim before her eyes again. Would Palpatine really help them? Really, how would the Dark Side save anyone? But –
Her mind is whirling in circles, frantically trying to figure out what to do, and then everything happens so fast. WIndu slashes down, straight for Palpatine's head, and Anakin flies into motion with a cry of "no!", igniting his blade and swinging for Windu, cutting right through his wrist. Palpatine's previously panicked expression suddenly turns into glee as Windu stumbles back, eyes wide with shock and pain. A blast of lightning bursts from the Sith's hands, pouring into the Jedi Master, flinging across the room, and Ahsoka feels and smells it as he's electrocuted to death.
She's too frozen in horror to move.
Force, Anakin, what did he just do? What have they gotten themselves into? They just... he just –
Anakin staggers back, and Ahsoka doesn't think she's ever seen him looking this stricken and full of self-loathing. "What have I done?" he chokes out, stepping back unsteadily. She could ask herself the same question, and now –
Her heart hammers wildly as she watches the Sith Lord stand up.
He's right, though. The Jedi were committing treason.
Not that it was wrong, but it was still illegal.
And the only reason her and Anakin aren't complicit and liable to be executed for it is because of what Anakin just did.
But now they're here alone with a Sith who could do Force knows what to them, someone they should be trying to arrest, (someone who also might help them though she highly doubts it) and...
"You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin," Sidious replies, approaching them. His eyes are on Anakin, but Ahsoka knows he's watching her with far more suspicion. "Learn to use the Dark Side of the Force."
Anakin glances for a fleeting moment at Ahsoka, a look of desperation and horror in his eyes – because, she realizes with growing dread after this, how can either of them go back to the Jedi? Anakin attacked a Jedi Master, while she stood and did nothing. And she could never turn on him even now because she knows why he did it – before he slowly lowers himself to his knees in front of Sidious. "I will do whatever you ask," he says, shakily.
"Goooood," Sidious purrs.
"Just – help me save Padme's life," he whispers, and she doesn't think she's ever heard him sound this scared before. Personally, she doesn't think she ever has been either.
Anakin is... pledging himself to a Sith.
She should stop this. She should –
But what would she do?
She knows why he's doing it, and she doesn't know how she could tell him to stop.
Even if she could, doing it right in front of Sidious would warrant instant death for both, and she knows it. That doesn't make it any less horrifying as they both turn their backs on what they always believed in. "The power to stop death has only been achieved by one, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret."
"I pledge myself to your teachings. To the ways of the Sith," Anakin murmurs.
"Good," Palpatine gloats, "A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Vader."
Vader.
The name hangs in the air, and all Ahsoka can still continue to do is stand there staring, frozen. What should she do? All her instincts say to kill Sidious, but she can't. She's not that suicidal, and besides... to do that would mean turning against Anakin too. Maybe.
"Rise," he instructs, turning away, eyes finally falling on Ahsoka. She stares back at him with her head held high, refusing to show any of the fear clawing at her.
"The Jedi have committed treason," Sidious declares, "And you, Tano, do you stand with your former master?"
Her mouth feels dry, and she thinks she's about to choke on her own words. He's asking for her to declare her loyalty to him, or to turn her back on Anakin. (On her father/brother, and... the rest of her family. Really.) It's a choice in that moment, between them and the Order that threw her aside. Her values and... what matters to her most. This is a terrible, terrible mistake and she knows it, but she can't stop the word escapes her lips. "Yes."
"Good," he gloats, turning back to Anakin, "Because the Council did not trust you, my young apprentice, I believe you are the only Jedi with no knowledge of this plot. When the Jedi learn what has transpired here, they will kill us, along with all the Senators."
That... seems a little extreme, doesn't it?
But Windu was just trying to kill Palpatine.
Somehow, she thinks bringing that up to his face would only get them both killed.
"I agree. Their next move will be against the Senate," Anakin concurs.
"Every single Jedi, including your friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, is now an enemy of the Republic," Palpatine continues.
Anakin looks away. "I understand, Master."
"All of them couldn't have known about it," Ahsoka objects, daring to speak up for the first time, "If they were planning to commit treason, they – they wouldn't have let it out of the Council."
She almost regrets speaking up when Sidious' cold eyes settle on her. "Even if they all did not know, they will stand by the Council's cause as soon as they learn about it," he replies, "The Jedi are nothing if not relentless. Unless all of them are destroyed, it will be civil war without end."
Her blood runs cold at the words. No, no, no. He can't be asking this. He can't be – he can't be asking them to turn on the Jedi, to destroy them. This... this is never what she thought would happen, and she knows it isn't what Anakin expected either.
Something suddenly catches Ahsoka's attention. Nearby movement. Someone is coming.
Anakin's head is the first to snap to the door, and his eyes widen, a look of unclenching fear filling his face.
Though in that moment, Ahsoka doesn't know if it's for or of the person standing in the doorway.
Obi-Wan.
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