"𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙜𝙤, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙢 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙢. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚."

Anakin stood at Master Windu's side with the holo table spread before them. Master Yoda, Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura, and Commander Cody appeared in holograms from their own battlefronts.

"Master Windu," Cody said. "May I interrupt?"

Anakin watched Cody intently. He was disappointed to see that Sil hadn't appeared to give the update on Utapau with Cody. They usually did things of this sort together. The dreams of her being killed in battle wracked Anakin's head day and night. Images of blaster fire passing through her left him feeling hopeless. He observed Cody for any signs of panic, loss, grief. He took in the commander's armor, making out what he could in the flickering blue light of the hologram to see if he had taken any serious hits. It was the best Anakin could do to guess the state Sil was in.

"General Kenobi has made contact with General Grievous, and we have begun our attack," Cody reported.

"Thank you, Commander," Master Windu acknowledged him and Cody left the meeting. Windu turned his attention to the Jedi next to him. "Anakin, deliver this report to the chancellor. His reaction will give us a clue to his intention."

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied. When he had initially been tasked with watching the chancellor, Anakin had been furious. However, he began to grow wary of Palpatine after trying to discuss the chips with him. The chancellor had been dodgy and gave no precise answers. On top of that, Anakin was constantly aware of the hatred Sil felt towards the Republic's leader.

Anakin walked into the chancellor's office, catching a brief glimpse of some files he was looking at. The chancellor quickly shut them off and turned around in his chair.

"Chancellor," Anakin greeted him. "We've just received a report from Master Kenobi. He has engaged General Grievous."

"We can only hope that Master Kenobi is up to the challenge," the chancellor mused.

Anakin had full faith in his former master to take care of the droid general, but Palpatine's words sent a flicker of doubt through him. What if something were to go wrong?

"I should be there with him," Anakin admitted glancing downwards. He walked slowly about the room.

"It's upsetting to me to see that the council doesn't seem to fully appreciate your talents," Palpatine noted. "Don't you wonder why they won't make you a Jedi Master?"

Anakin met his eyes for a moment. "I wish I knew," he said. "More and more I get the feeling that I'm being excluded from the council."

The anxiety of what could be happening on Utapau at this moment was eating away at Anakin. He could see it clearly in his head. Sil falling dead. He could prevent it. If only the council had let him go with Obi-Wan. Anakin stopped his pacing. He faced the chancellor.

"I know I can do more, but they're holding me back," Anakin said with restrained fury.

"They don't trust you, Anakin," the chancellor simply said. "They see your future. They know your power will be too strong to control." The chancellor stood up from his seat and walked with Anakin, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force."

The pair walked into another room. Anakin was struck by the chancellor's words. "How do you know the ways of the Force?"

"My mentor taught me everything about the Force," Palpatine explained in his soft, diplomatic tone. "Even the nature of the dark side."

This sparked suspicion in Anakin. He whipped his head around to look at the chancellor more clearly. "You know the dark side?" he asked accusingly.

"Anakin," Palpatine said calmly, trying to reason with him. "If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi."

Anakin stared at the chancellor in disbelief, but stayed silent. The chancellor continued.

"If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force," he said and the two started circling around the other, sharing increasingly intensifying gazes. "Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force and you will be able to save the one you love from certain death."

"What did you say?" Anakin tried to sound furious, but the slightest bit of curiosity mixed into his voice.

"Use my knowledge," Palpatine insisted. "I beg you."

"You're the Sith Lord," Anakin said igniting his lightsaber as he returned to his senses. He felt betrayed. The misgivings everyone had about Palpatine turned out to be true. Sil never liked him from the start. She had no idea how right she was. The chancellor was undoubtedly involved in the plot about the chips she was trying her best to uncover.

"I know what's been troubling you. Listen to me," Palpatine urged him. "Don't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council."

Anakin's thoughts churned. He couldn't understand why the chancellor had such interest in saving the person who was trying to foil his plots. Besides, the Sith were selfish.

"Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi," Palpatine said. "A life of significance, of conscience."

"Why are you helping me?" Anakin fired at him. "What do you want from me?"

"To unlock your true potential, Anakin," Palpatine replied calmly. "You can be the greatest of them all."

Anakin wasn't buying it. The night before, the chancellor told him to stop listening to Sil, that she would only take him down a dangerous path. Now he was trying to save her.

"She will not live through this battle, Anakin, and you will need my teachings to save her," Palpatine continued. "There is no stopping it."

Anakin breathed deeply and thought about the last moment he had shared with her before leaving for Utapau. While Anakin had been plagued with nightmares, she said that they would be alright. The difference was that one of them was under a Sith Lord's influence.

Palpatine could sense Anakin's thoughts. "Anakin, she will die."

He tightened his grip on his lightsaber and aimed at the chancellor more determinedly. "And I don't trust you with her."

Palpatine stood still with Anakin's lightsaber pointed at his back. The tension in the room was high.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"I would certainly like to," Anakin said staring dangerously at the chancellor.

"I know you would," Palpatine said darkly. "I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger."

Anakin could feel Palpatine's words inching ever further into his heart. He knew he had to leave before anymore temptation seeped through the cracks.

"I'm going to turn you over to the Jedi Council," Anakin declared and briskly left the room.

At this point, Palpatine could sense the strong conviction in Anakin. He knew Anakin wasn't coming back. Not unless something were to happen that would drive him desperate.

"If Skywalker will not join me, perhaps an unfortunate turn of events will make him see otherwise," Palpatine said to himself. He activated his holo transmitter.

"Commander Cody," he greeted the commander as his image flickered to life. "The time has come. Execute Order 66."

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