. . . . . . . . . . . "Padm\u00E9 headed through the Temple, not seeing anyone, her focus on her own thoughts. How could it be that so much had happened in so little time? Was it only yesterday afternoon that she and Anakin had emerged from the Invisible Hand with Obi-Wan? It seemed a lifetime ago, what with Obi-Wan confiding his worries about Anakin and seeing Danta and Bail Organa that morning. So intent on her thoughts she almost walked into C-3PO as the protocol droid came around the corner with his short, stumpy counterpart. \u201COh, Mistress Padm\u00E9!\u201D The droid made a worried gesture with his hands. \u201CI do hope you are unhurt.\u201D \u201CI\u2019m fine, Threepio,\u201D Padm\u00E9 said with a smile. \u201CNo harm done.\u201D \u201COne has to be sure,\u201D Threepio said with another flourish. \u201CI do consider myself to be quite clumsy, and perhaps that is why Master Anakin has left me here.\u201D Padm\u00E9 grinned again, Anakin had told her the real reason he had left Threepio at the Temple was that the droid constantly got on his nerves at the worst moments. Yet C-3PO did have his merits, some of which were being employed for Jedi intelligence purposes. He was considerably more presentable than when Anakin had brought him back from Tatooine. His dented metal body now shone with a gold hue that was almost blinding. \u201CDo you find you\u2019re duties here satisfying, Threepio?\u201D Padm\u00E9 asked conversationally. \u201CWell, that is a matter of taste, Miss Padm\u00E9,\u201D confided the droid. \u201CMy primary functions are in protocol and etiquette, but it seems they are somewhat secondary to the other measures I find myself employed in. It has been better since you arrived,\u201D Threepio added, \u201CArtoo and I, as well as several other droids and intelligence officers, have been extracting data from the Invisible Hand.\u201D \u201CThat\u2019s wonderful,\u201D Padm\u00E9 said, and she meant it as it could only help the war effort, but Threepio took the compliment personally. \u201COh, thank you Miss Padm\u00E9,\u201D trilled the protocol droid. \u201CIt does give me pleasure to know that my efforts are not wasted. And I must say\u2014\u201D Artoo took this moment to chirp a comment that caused Threepio to stop short. Padm\u00E9 had to stifle a laugh, sometimes the little astromech could be very astute. \u201CWhat is it Artoo?\u201D demanded Threepio. Artoo mumbled something and beeped softly. \u201COh, oh yes.\u201D Threepio turned from his counterpart to look at Padm\u00E9. \u201CI must tell you that Master Anakin is looking for you. He seemed quite anxious to find you this morning.\u201D \u201CWas he?\u201D This was of no surprise to Padm\u00E9. \u201CDo you know where he is?\u201D \u201CI\u2019m not quite sure,\u201D Threepio replied. \u201CI saw him earlier but he pushed past me without another word, which seemed quite odd as I heard that he was given a position on the Jedi Council.\u201D What? This was a complete surprise to Padm\u00E9. Yet why is Anakin so upset about it? she asked herself as the protocol droid continued talking, but it seems a little sudden\u2026 Padm\u00E9 quickly interrupted him. \u201CUm, Threepio?\u201D \u201CYes, Miss Padm\u00E9?\u201D \u201CWhich way did he go?\u201D \u201CThat way.\u201D Threepio gestured. \u201CThank you.\u201D \u201CYou\u2019re perfectly welcome, Miss Padm\u00E9.\u201D But she had already gone. She found Anakin in the map room, examining a holographic readout of Tatooine. He didn\u2019t say anything when she came in, merely scanned through the various items of data and muttering how life used to be so much simpler. \u201CAnakin?\u201D Padm\u00E9 approached him. \u201CThreepio told me how you\u2019re on the Council now. That\u2019s amazing, I'm so proud and Obi-Wan must be too.\u201D \u201CObi-Wan is like the rest of them,\u201D Anakin murmured. \u201CSorry?\u201D Anakin slid down onto the floor, Padm\u00E9 sat next to him. \u201CAnakin, what\u2019s wrong?\u201D she asked. \u201CI may be on the Council, but\u2026\u201D he looked up at her, \u201Cthey refused to accept me as a Jedi Master.\u201D \u201CBut why?\u201D This had never occurred before in the Order. Surely there were reasons\u2026 \u201CI\u2019m only on there because of Palpatine, Padm\u00E9,\u201D he explained to her. \u201CHe said he wanted me to be the voice of the Republic on the Council, help them do the right things but they refuse to recognise me.\u201D \u201CAnakin you must have patience,\u201D Padm\u00E9 advised. \u201CIn time they will recognise your skills. But before that you\u2019ve got to ask why you are on the Council at all.\u201D \u201CBut I know that,\u201D Anakin told her. \u201CPalpatine said\u2014\u201D \u201CI know what Palpatine said,\u201D Padm\u00E9 interrupted. \u201CBut why has he chosen you?\u201D \u201CBecause he trusts me,\u201D Anakin retorted. \u201CAnd those on the Council don\u2019t.\u201D Padm\u00E9 realised that she was getting nowhere and wondered why Obi-Wan had approached her at all. But she wasn't done yet. \u201CAnakin, try and see this from Obi-Wan\u2019s point of view,\u201D Padm\u00E9 pleaded, she had managed to do this before so there was no harm in doing so again. \u201COn one hand there\u2019s the war where Grievous stands in the way of the end, on the other hand you\u2019ve got Palpatine with his stringent security measures that go against everything the Republic and the Jedi Order stand for.\u201D She paused. \u201CAnd then there\u2019s the Jedi right in the middle of it all trying to hold everything together.\u201D She glanced up at Anakin. \u201CWould I be right in guessing that Obi-Wan didn\u2019t want to put you in this position?\u201D \u201CYes,\u201D replied Anakin, \u201Cbut how did you know?\u201D \u201CBecause he would rather you stayed out of it all and has no choice but to go along,\u201D Padm\u00E9 told him with a dry smile. \u201CSo where does that leave me?\u201D Anakin demanded. For a moment Anakin was silent. \u201CAnakin, I don\u2019t know exactly what Obi-Wan asked you to do and I'm not going to ask,\u201D she said. \u201CBut whatever it is, he would never have asked you to do it if he knew it would turn out bad for you in the end.\u201D \u201CBut the Chancellor befriended me\u2014\u201D Anakin protested but Padm\u00E9 cut him off. \u201CI know, Anakin,\u201D she said as she got to her feet. \u201CAnd maybe that\u2019s why Obi-Wan didn\u2019t want to ask you to do this. But the fact is he has and there is another reason for it other than the one you think.\u201D She left him then to ponder these words, not looking back. In another part of the Temple, Obi-Wan, Mace, Yoda and Nju sat in discussion. From where they were, quite high in one of the spires beneath the Council chamber, they could see the steady thrum of air traffic pass by. Obi-Wan normally found this calming, but not today. \u201CAnakin did not take to his assignment with much enthusiasm,\u201D he said. \u201CToo much under the sway of the Chancellor, he is,\u201D observed Yoda. \u201CYou weren't there,\u201D Obi-Wan argued. \u201CYou didn\u2019t see his face. I think we\u2019ve done a terrible thing.\u201D \u201CWe don\u2019t always have a right answer,\u201D countered Nju gently. \u201CSometimes there isn\u2019t a right answer.\u201D \u201CSometimes we have to be answers,\u201D Mace added. \u201CKnow how important your friendship with young Anakin is, I do,\u201D murmured Yoda. \u201CBut allow such attachments to pass out of life, a Jedi must.\u201D Obi-Wan gave a long sigh. \u201CI suppose,\u201D he said resignedly. \u201CHe is the Chosen One, after all. The prophecy says that he was to bring balance to the Force, but\u2026\u201D Obi-Wan\u2019s voice trailed off, all he could think of was Anakin\u2019s face. \u201CYes, always in motion the future is,\u201D stated Yoda. \u201CAnd the prophecy, misread it could have been.\u201D \u201CAnd we still don\u2019t know what bringing balance to the Force might mean,\u201D Nju reminded them. \u201CWe have no way of anticipating this or knowing what it might involve.\u201D \u201CAn infinite mystery is the Force,\u201D agreed Yoda. \u201CThe more we learn the more we discover how much we do not know.\u201D There was another moment of silence. \u201CI should have argued more strongly in Council, today,\u201D Obi-Wan said, yet knowing his words were hollow. \u201CMuch anger there is in young Anakin,\u201D Yoda remarked. \u201CToo much pride in his powers.\u201D \u201CIt's very dangerous, putting them together,\u201D noted Mace. \u201CI don't think the boy can handle it. I don't trust him.\u201D \u201CHe'll be all right,\u201D Obi-Wan reassured. \u201CI trust him with my life.\u201D \u201CI wish I did,\u201D said Windu. \u201CBut that is precisely the problem,\u201D Obi-Wan complained. \u201CFor Anakin, there is nothing more important than friendship. He is the most loyal man I have ever met, loyal beyond all reason. Despite all that I have tried to teach him about how sacrifices are at the heart of being a Jedi, it is never something that I think he will understand.\u201D \u201CI thought you had confidence in his abilities,\u201D Nju said. \u201CI do, I do,\u201D Obi-Wan replied. \u201CHe will not let me down. He never has. The problem is,\u201D here he fell silent again, remembering Anakin's face, \u201Cthat after what we have done to him today I don\u2019t think he\u2019ll ever trust us again. And,\u201D he added cautiously, \u201CI\u2019m not entirely sure he should.\u201D"@en . . . . . "Revenge of the Sith (AU)/Chapter 12"@en . . . "Padm\u00E9 headed through the Temple, not seeing anyone, her focus on her own thoughts. How could it be that so much had happened in so little time? Was it only yesterday afternoon that she and Anakin had emerged from the Invisible Hand with Obi-Wan? It seemed a lifetime ago, what with Obi-Wan confiding his worries about Anakin and seeing Danta and Bail Organa that morning. So intent on her thoughts she almost walked into C-3PO as the protocol droid came around the corner with his short, stumpy counterpart. \u201CI\u2019m fine, Threepio,\u201D Padm\u00E9 said with a smile. \u201CNo harm done.\u201D \u201CYes, Miss Padm\u00E9?\u201D \u201CThank you.\u201D"@en . . . . . . .