It was deathly silent in the Jedi Council Chamber.
Anakin blankly stared onto the wall, his face void of any visible emotion. Memories of the future now having been ingrained into his mind in the present. Memories of him making decisions that defied the very person he was. If Padme had known, she would not have wanted him to be this way, and perhaps even stop him from what he was doing.
And yet, his fear of losing her, only caused him to lose everything he had cared about.
What have I done, Mom?, his face became grim, the standing form of his mother looking down at him momentarily flashed into his mind, heartbroken as she is disappointed him. He only wanted to be stronger so he could save everyone, to keep them away from the fate that befell her. But the opposite had happened, and he paid the price for it. In both body and spirit.
You have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be.
You were the Chosen One!
Because of you, I did survive. And not only that, I was able to lead the others to survive as well.
My master will never be as vile as you!
I won't let you give up your future for me.
Stop! Come back! I love you!
He shook his head, trying to mentally unhear those words that were directed from the people who cared about him the most. How much he meant for them, and he only returned it by becoming the very being they feared. And how he had taken everything away from them by siding with Palpatine. How he had deprived Luke and his daughter the parents they would have loved. All because of one man...
Palpatine...remembering that name was enough for Anakin's blood to boil. The man had played him like a fiddle, a puppet in his grand scheme. All the words of friendship, encouragement and even as a mentor, were all but blatant lies for him.
While the Jedi were neither perfect nor they are fully committed to the principles they had vowed to live by, they were preferable to a tyrant who sees everyone as his pawns and used the very foundations of the Republic to suit his own ends. For all his recklessness and abrasiveness, Anakin would want nothing more but to march into the Chancellor's office and sear his neck with the blade of his lightsaber.
But for now, all he is concerned about, is the present. At the other side of the Chamber, Padme was being taken care off by Masters Unduli and Ti, doing what they could with what they have to make sure she does not get into a pre-mature labor. After everything she had witnessed, it had certainly took a toll onto her and Anakin's concern for his wife had grown to incredible heights, but he is not willing to come closer to her, fearing what would happen if he did.
Master Kit Fisto breathed out a dejected sight as he approached to two female masters tending to Padme. "How is she?"
"We're doing the best we can to stabilize her", Luminara said to the Nautolan Master, wiping the remaining sweat off from the Senator after performing a few techniques that she had used to teach her former Padawan. "As far as I could do, she would have to rest for now"
"Shouldn't we bring her to the medical bay then?"
"Not when the possibility of Sidious gaining wind of this, is possible", Master Ti interjected. "We certainly will not let him get his hands to Luke or his twin. But I have requested a few Padawans to bring in a few medical supplies for the Senator."
Anakin, for the first time in a long while, felt relieved of hearing her words. He gathered his courage and approached Padme, lightly caressing her hair fondly as he smiled at her. The three Masters who were watching, could see how much she had meant to him and remained silent. Anakin then looked at them, sighing as he knew he had to come clean of what he had been doing.
"I suppose you have something to say, now that you all know that I have broken the Code?"
Master Fisto lightly chuckled at that, to the confusion of the Jedi Knight. "Skywalker, given your record as a rule-breaker in the Order, it would be a matter of time that you would do something like this"
"But what I did was different", Anakin reasoned out, trying to know why Master Fisto didn't hold him in any contempt in what he had done. "I broken the very code that defined a Jedi"
"Master Qui-Gon broke the code in numerous occasions, and yet he had still proven to be one of the best among us", the Nautolan replied. "Yes, you may have broken the code, for three years that is. And yet you have proven yourself time and time again in your service in both the Jedi and of the Republic, even if you did. The fact that you concealed your marriage to the Council and of the Republic, is quite astounding."
Anakin couldn't help but let out a small smile, but faded into uncertainty, shifting his attention to the other Council Members, including Obi-Wan speaking amongst themselves regarding what they have bear witnessed. It had erupted into a series of debates regarding their next move regarding Palpatine. Most were still recovering from the horrifying ordeal in knowing what will happen to them in due time, and many of the usually conservative and serene outlooks were shaken, trying to lay their trust in the Force for a solution.
"Great care, we must take. Allow Sidious to see through weakness, he must not", Yoda cautioned the Council members in front of him. "A future not set in motion, worry we shall not"
But a few of the Council members could not comprehend the Grandmaster's words "But...this could have been a trick made by the Sith...", Saesee Tiin spoke, completely in at unease after seeing himself and Kollar being struck down by Sidious in a matter of seconds. "To instill doubt and confusion amidst our ranks until they saw the perfect time to strike"
"I do not think even the Sith would have the capacity to send these tapes as a means to cause any confusion to our cause", Depa reasoned out, her mind constantly reminding her what could have happened to her Padawan following his escape from Order 66. "Especially when it is too intricately detailed, in my opinion"
Windu spoke up next. "Now that we have known the truth, then perhaps we should prepare for what Sidious had been planning. Any delay would mean severe consequences for the galaxy"
Many of those in the Council were more than willing to act if the Sith could be stopped, but Obi-Wan, Yoda and a few others weren't so sure themselves. Not when any wrong move would garner suspicion from Sidious and potentially jeopardizing the one chance they have to stop him.
"If we are to stop Darth Sidious, we must first sever the most integral parts of his plans", Plo Koon spoke up, mentally trying to brush off the memory of the 104th shooting him down at Cato Neimodia. "Which is why Master Ti and I and will go to Kamino and try and find a way to override the chips installed in the entire Clone army. And get answers from Lama Su and Nala Se"
Ahsoka snapped out of her grieving along with Rex upon hearing Plo Koon's urgent declaration, and she is more than willing to join him if it may be. But then, Master Mundi spoke. "But we have to deal with what he has in the Republic first...before we could find a way to convince the Separatists that they are being used by him as well"
"I highly doubt those of the Separatists will believe in anything on what the Jedi nor the Republic has to say", Obi-Wan skeptically replied. "Not when the Republic's corrupted institutions in both the Senate and government is still used as their justification"
The Korun Master agreed with Obi-Wan's points but he added. "Sidious has them by his thumb, and given his own popularity with the masses. And to openly accuse him of any misgiving will only give them the slightest hint of treason that will only give him all the more reasons to the people why the Jedi should not be trusted"
Kit Fisto sighed in frustration as he walked over to the circle. "But what could we do? Palpatine had been planning this for years, and we certainly cannot abandon the Republic either"
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