Anakin finds himself in binders, seated in a chair in a... questioning room, he suspects, across from Dooku. He doesn't really know what he thinks about this. It's hard to tell whether this is a set-up, a trap. "I'm impressed you found time to see me so fast," Dooku replies, dryly. "This is an unexpected situation, and not an opportunity we can afford to miss."
"What?" Anakin queries, "You plan to take out Sidious now?"
"Soon," he replies, "We will first need to ensure he cannot stop us."
It's obvious enough that Dooku and Sidious are planning to betray one another. It's less clear, though, who's telling the truth, if either of them are. This requires a level of secrecy and backstabbing that Anakin has always loathed. Jedi encourage honesty. Anakin does, too, and he thought everyone else was the same, until... he didn't.
"What is it you intend to do?" Anakin inquires, leaning forwards. At the very least, he must know this.
"We will gather the information we need," he replies, withdrawing two devices and putting them on the table. "They will record what you need. One transmits to the other."
Anakin's eyes narrow. "I know what you are playing at," he accuses, "You will try giving me the information I need, then you will turn it over to Sidious as a reason to eliminate me? Out of fear of me replacing you."
He looks mildly amused. Anakin holds his ground unflinchingly, even if talking to Dooku is hard. Dooku hasn't... hurt him yet this time, short of when they were fighting, but that doesn't erase the memories. "I have no fear of you 'replacing' me, Skywalker," he replies, "You lack the skillful leadership required for my role. You are too young for it."
He can't help that the still-child inside him protests vehemently, lashing out. "Try me," he retorts instead. He is not young. He might be only twenty, perhaps barely twenty, he doesn't know his date of birth – his mother was too sick when he was born, and on Nal Hutta all time blurs together. It's a place in the gutter, far cut off from the outside, apart from the normal galactic calendar, because everything is different with Hutt's longer lifespans – but he isn't young. He has seen far more of the galaxy than most people ever could. He's done things that no other Jedi has. Things he doesn't even understand.
"I know what you are capable of well enough, Skywalker," Dooku replies, "Sidious has told me everything about you."
"Why? So, you can help turn me?" That actually makes far more sense than Anakin wants to think about, how Dooku tortured him every chance he had. Of course, he did. Pain fuels the Dark Side.
"I fear my master is losing sight of the Plan," he continues, "I know enough of you to know you would never do the same."
Why is he even surprised about that? "You both want me," Anakin deduces.
"I recognize an asset when I see it," he replies, "I have seen your power."
"You fear it," Anakin says – he has felt that, too, the slight prickle of unease. "How could you hope to control me, if I embrace the Dark Side?"
"I know everything about you. I know your attachments are your greatest weakness."
He tenses instantly at the implied threat against his family. It's instinctive even if he doesn't mean to do it. That, of course, is what the Sith is talking about.
It takes a ridiculous amount of effort to forcibly relax himself. "I am loyal to the Jedi and the Republic," Anakin replies. "That will never change."
"You must know how the Jedi have fallen from the path they claim to cling to, but that is not why I have brought you here."
"Then what is?" he asks, "I'm not stupid, Dooku. I can see how easily this could backfire on us. Both on me and the Jedi as a whole."
"You know how to find the evidence you need," he answers, refusing to give ground. Of course, he won't. He's at risk, too. "As a Jedi, you know when to take risks."
Anakin looks away. Desperately, he wishes that he had someone to tell him what to do. It feels like he's starting to lose sight of what's right versus wrong. It is true – so many times, the Jedi have done things that Anakin questions, but he hasn't been able to ask, because... he has no one to ask. And it's not his place to question the Council.
But more and more, it feels like Barriss is right, and that fact is... unsettling. He doesn't want to believe the Jedi could do anything wrong.
Either way, that doesn't mean Anakin will betray them. He has Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, and even if he no longer believes in the Council, he has them, and he will never leave them. Obi-Wan needs him to... well, everything, because Anakin has saved his life so frequently, and he's Ahsoka's master.
Wouldn't it be better if he wasn't, though?
But he knows how this could be traced back to the Jedi, and Anakin would readily take the fall for it if something went wrong, because it would really be his fault for stupidly trusting a Sith, but this is... different. All he can do is reach into the Force and ask.
The answer comes back almost instantly, a firm and definite yes.
He has to do this. Sidious must be stopped. At least they can stop him, even if Anakin can't stop Dooku yet, and he's not collaborating with the Sith. He's just using them. They're using each other, most likely. If he can give everything to the Council at once, they will know what to do.
Hopefully.
"Alright," he says with a nod. "I will do it."
Dooku doesn't look gloating. It's difficult to tell with him, because his expression is so impassive – Anakin has mastered that look himself – but he can still sense the Count's emotions. He's satisfied, but with a Sith, that could mean any one of a million things, so Anakin doesn't find it too reassuring.
Anakin doesn't ask anything else. He doubts Dooku would tell him anything, and he doesn't even know what he could ask. He would never get a truthful answer.
They take him to a prison cell after, and he just waits there, trying not to let his anxiety overcome him. He knows the risk this is, but he needs to, somehow, make this so that no one can blame the Jedi for it. It's risky, and Anakin has never been able to understand mind-games. He's always been as honest as he can be. Honesty is part of being a Jedi. Or at least Anakin was always under the impression it was. He couldn't tell them of Padme, obviously. That's... different. He wants to, though. He would have, too, except Padme doesn't want anyone to know. Anakin is starting not to care anymore. He just doesn't want to do this alone.
He never has a choice of that, though. It's all been decided for him, and he's not entirely sure he believes what the Father said about his destiny still being his own. If it is, it certainly doesn't seem like it.
***
Anakin is not much appreciative of how Dooku escaped anyway, though it was probably necessary. They didn't crash-land on Vanquor, anyway, which Anakin thinks is a plus. That was a nightmare last time, and this is, at least, significantly different from before. They didn't nearly capture Dooku last time. Anakin suspects it was intentional that the Separatists led them there, because he doubts Dooku would ever do something of this nature as a mistake. The Count is clever. Anakin has to grudgingly admit that much.
Obi-Wan isn't happy about it either, but he's rarely happy about anything, so Anakin is entirely unfazed by his annoyance. That's normal, but it's when he has to talk to the Council that it's not normal. It's never normal anymore, and he wishes more than anything that Obi-Wan hadn't told them, even if he knows before he'd always wished they already knew. Anakin can't tell if they forget or if they simply don't care that Anakin can clearly feel their every shift of emotions into the Force. He has always felt it, and that only makes him feel even more useless than he already does. He knows they're disappointed. They don't even have to try pretending they're not. It's pointless, so he doesn't know why they even attempt to put on a show. He can feel their stares. Their distrust, disappointment, and wariness.
He does what he always does when he has to deal with authority – disappearing into the emotionless part of his mind, so all he feels is nothing at all, where he can feel nothing and can focus on the topic at hand.
Which right now, is how he let Dooku escape.
No, no one says that, but he can read between the lines.
Why does it always have to be me, he wants to demand, but he says nothing.
Everyone knows Obi-Wan was there, too. Instead, they think it's Anakin's fault. Which it is – he didn't have his heart to it. He didn't want to shoot down Dooku. He doesn't want to fight anymore at all, out of fear of it leading him to the Dark Side.
Of it making him what Barriss and Dooku became, of being everything the Jedi are meant to destroy.
Anakin is quite accustomed to keeping his voice flat and diplomatic when he's at the Temple. He always does it – always – except with Ahsoka sometimes, when they're alone and when he feels like he can be open and free. He grew more... alive with Obi-Wan after his Knighting, too, but that feels entirely fake now.
Anakin hasn't been much pursuing it, if he's being fair. He doesn't entirely know why. It's just... being around Obi-Wan often makes him feel like he can't breathe, and his master's presence is just... smothering.
But that aside, he knows what he has to do. He's just afraid of how it will go, because of course, Palpatine will be asking to see him again soon, and that's when Anakin needs to, somehow, do what Dooku gave him the ability to.
And yes, he is terrified that he'll end up just like Ahsoka. It could easily go downhill, and what would Sidious do if he knew what Anakin was doing?
Would Palpatine figure out and... what would he do if he did? That is one thing Anakin doesn't want to know the answer to, but he's certain he'll find out.
It also feels like a betrayal to do this. Palpatine never did anything to hurt him, but... it's the Jedi way, and Anakin cannot forsake that, no matter how badly it hurts.
(It's what Obi-Wan would want, isn't it? Why does everything lead back to Obi-Wan?)
To say he's nervous when he finally gets to see Palpatine again later that day would be an understatement. He's downright terrified. Sidious knows everything about him, and there's nothing Anakin can do if he... tries to hurt him.
Not without committing treason.
Which he is already doing.
He's betraying a friendship, a... everything, but the everything was fake from the other end anyway, so why does it hurt so much? Why does it feel like...
He can only try not to think about it too hard, because he can't get distracted. He can't lose sight of the endgame.
Ahsoka. This is for Ahsoka. And Rex. And all the clones. He can't forget that.
The initial part of the conversation with Palpatine goes over easily enough, though it feels far more fake than Anakin has ever thought possible – it reminds him of trying to interact with Obi-Wan after the Festival of Light, when Anakin couldn't bear to look him in the eyes without having a breakdown, when he just needed... distance. (Did he make Ahsoka feel that way? Is that why she left him? Then again, he's repeating all of Obi-Wan's mistakes anyway. Why not that, too?)
Getting the device on is easy enough, but the problem is hiding it from a Sith who likely knows to watch out for such things.
It makes Anakin wonder if this was a trap, because the... everything about it points in that direction. It feels like he's just playing right into their hands.
"Was this a part of your plan?" Anakin finally demands, "Dooku escaping? Gunray? All of it?" He's probably being too straightforward, but he needs to know.
"Everything is part of a plan, Anakin," he replies. "Whether we understand it or not."
He's being careful with what he says, of course. He couldn't have reached it here if he was careless. "Of course," Anakin says, trying to keep his expression as blank as possible.
He can sense Sidious's eyes on him, anyway. "You appear... upset."
Anakin swallows. "It's nothing. And it... doesn't matter right now."
"Doesn't it?" Palpatine muses. Anakin can't read the intent look on his face, but it's unnerving to be looked at like that. It feels like he's just an object to be studied. He feels like that most of the time anyway, though.
"No." He says it as firmly as he can, but that doesn't help how his hand is almost shaking and how he feels so cold suddenly.
"I have known you long enough to know when you are lying." Sidious still sounds like himself, and Anakin couldn't wish more desperately that he didn't. "You can always speak the truth with me, my boy."
"As though you haven't betrayed me, too?" Anakin shoots back accusingly.
"I would never betray you, Anakin."
Anakin glares at him, as if that'd be enough to make himself feel better about this. It's hard to interact with him, because every time Anakin sees him, he remembers how he should've acted on it already. He doesn't answer, because there's nothing more he can say that he hasn't already.
"Or is it... that you intend to betray me?" he muses.
He does his best not to outwardly react, but Sidious is standing far too close to him, and it feels like his heart is being enclosed with ice for the fear suddenly shooting through him. "I don't – I don't betray," he argues, but it sounds pointless, feels like a lie, because he did that to Ahsoka, his very own padawan.
"Both of us can play this game, Anakin Skywalker."
His heart skips a beat, but Anakin stubbornly stands his ground, refusing to back down. He can't. Too much is at stake. I'm doing this for you, Ahsoka, he thinks desperately, the same way he had done everything for her, and always will, but it feels pointless now, knowing that... he will never have her in exchange for... everything. But he won't ask it of her, because it doesn't matter anyway – she's his padawan, his little sister, and he'll do anything for her. Always and forever.
He doesn't react. He doesn't say anything. This is Sidious's game now, and it's best to let him play it.
The silence drags on, and he wishes Sidious would say something, anything, to break it. "What would you hope to gain by committing treason?" he asks finally, voice almost deceptively soft. Anakin knows better than to fall for it.
"I know you have been lying to us," he answers slowly, voice measured. "You betrayed the Republic. I'm doing my duty."
"There is nothing you can do to stop it, Anakin. You know what this will end in, and you will be... mine."
The way he says it sends a shiver through him, and Anakin forcibly stops himself from taking a step back. He knows how this will end already. "You may control everything, or believe you do," he responds instead, lowly, unable to help the anger slipping into his voice now, "But I have something you don't and never will."
"Truly?" he inquires, almost amused.
"You may have all the strength of the Dark, but I have the Force, and you will never know it's real power." Under any other circumstances, he'd have left then. He can't do that now though – this is the Chancellor, and he wouldn't dare leave before being dismissed.
Sidious's expression is an almost-smirk. "We'll see," he says, much too smugly.
***
"You think you know what I have planned, do you, Anakin?" he murmurs, amused, knowing full well the boy is far out of hearing range. He's confident, too much so, and Sidious knows what this may require. He also knows how far it may go, and the dangers it will involve, but seeing as Anakin had not joined him when he should have – as he suspected would happen – it has come to this.
He would rather it not become... messy if it doesn't have to be, but that will be entirely up to his future-apprentice.
He also suspected Dooku may try to use this against him. His... apprentice is, as he always suspected, losing sight of the future. He will never lose sight of their plan, of the Empire, but he, as Sidious suspected will happen, has lost sight of his place.
It would be a good time to remind him again, soon. He needs to deal with Skywalker first. He has allowed this to go on long enough, and now, the risks are starting to outweigh the benefits.
***
Over her time as a padawan, Ahsoka has formed something of a friendship with Barriss. They don't have time, and nor do Jedi make a point of maintaining contact, but they still talk on occasion. Ahsoka drops by to visit her in the healer's wing after she's brought back to the Temple. Ventress did a bit of a toll on her. It's nothing that won't heal, but Ahsoka still finds herself worrying.
That fact alone is nearly enough for her to hear Master Kenobi's "a Jedi does not fear, my young padawan," and feel the annoyance that follows, because no, she shouldn't be afraid for those things, but she can't control it. Anakin makes it sound so easy, but it's nothing like that. It's difficult, especially right now.
Anakin hasn't let her go out to the fronts since they argued, and Ahsoka has no idea what was wrong exactly, anyway. All she does know is that it's annoying, and it makes her feel far younger than she is. She's a Jedi padawan. She doesn't need to have someone constantly watching over her.
It's after the conversation with Barriss that Ahsoka returns to her apartment and sees Anakin for the first time in quite a while. He's visibly upset about something. She doesn't really know what to say to him, just this once. "I'm glad you made it back in one piece," is the first thing she can think of to say.
Anakin glances up at her, still not loosening his white-knuckled grip on his datapad. "It's good to see you again, Snips."
"Nice of you to say that after leaving me here for weeks," she shoots back.
Anakin sighs. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka. I didn't.... think. I... panicked when I saw it happen."
Ahsoka had been afraid herself, if only for a moment, but she hadn't slowed down, because she knew she couldn't. She doesn't know what to think about that, still. He had upset her, and Master Kenobi does make her feel inadequate. She didn't expect her other master to take it like that, though. "You can't hover over me," she grumbles.
"I know." There's an awkward pause of silence. She misses him. She misses the fire, the passion, everything. Ahsoka doesn't quite know how to say it, though. Being around Anakin makes her feel an odd sense of wholeness. Something about that changed after... her dreams of the future stopped. It wasn't hard to figure out that's what they were from the bits and pieces she'd been able to figure out.
"I don't know how to... balance it," her master admits at last, "I worry for you. Constantly. I am your master, but... it's not the Jedi way." He finally turns to look her in the eyes for the first time. "I didn't mean to make you feel as though you were not enough. You always have been. You could never... be anything short of that. Not to me."
She doesn't know what to say. "We have a duty," she says instead, finally.
"You're still learning. We are always learning, but you're just a padawan. You are not ready to be on your own yet."
She should be able to handle it, though. She's a Jedi. She's about to tell him just that when Anakin starts talking again.
"Last time, I had Rex and the boys help with your training," he says, "I... can do that. If you can defeat them, you'll be ready for almost anything on the battlefield."
Ahsoka eyes him. "Sounds fun," she ventures finally.
"You hated it," he says, visibly suppressing a smile, "But it paid off. If you train for something more than droids, droids will be easy. Not in an illusionary sense."
She nods. That... makes sense, but she's mildly wary about what it is her master has planned. "I'm ready."
When he smiles, there's a visible pain in his eyes. "Of course, you are. You always are." For now, she can just be grateful they have time to be together. She can't understand why she has the unsettling feeling that this might be the last time they're together in... quite some time.
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