When the Sun Sets

Chapter 12 - Sidious

Author's Note: When the sun sets... :') *insert melancholy music here*

~ Amina Gila

Anakin Skywalker

"Do you feel it, too?" I can't help finally asking. The tenseness, the darkness, it's maddening.

And it's everywhere, permeating the air and even what's not – it's in the Force itself, in me. Something is wrong. Something is happening, and I think Windu made us leave for a reason, but I don't know what. I'm scared to know. What if Palpatine is right about the Jedi plotting betrayal? I don't know. I don't want to believe it, but I can't disregard it, either.

"I wish I could say I didn't," Aniya replies with a huff, climbing into the speeder beside me. "Just one more day of this, and I think I'll go crazy."

I can relate. The shear stress of this is exhausting and that coupled with the mess with the Council? It's unbearable. I can only hope the war ends today so we can just leave with Padme and Jaufre, but if we're being realistic, I know we have to stay until we're certain of a way to save her. And if we can't figure out about the Sith from Maul, I have no idea what we're going to do. It's not as though the Council would let us speak with Dooku.

But right now?

Our entire family is at stake. I don't know what to do. I don't know who to trust. Nothing is clear anymore, and I hate it.

The flight to the Senate is fast, and I don't want to come back here right now. It reminds me of what Palpatine was saying about Padme, and I can't deny the measure of truth to his fears. Maybe he's not wrong. Except I can't believe that.

But I can't stop thinking about what Palpatine said about the Dark Side, can't stop wondering if maybe I do need to go against everything Obi-Wan taught me and everything that's defined our lives so I can save everyone. All of them. I'm not too stupid to know that if something happened to me, it would destroy Aniya entirely.

What am I doing? I don't even know. I want to know how Palpatine could have heard about that if we never did. It may just be known far more than I thought, but the Jedi kept it from us. Something so important that could save everyone and –

What am I doing, what am I doing, whatamidoing –

Aniya's right. We are going crazy.

"You're right," I tell her softly, taking her flesh hand in mine as we walk through the Senate – the route to Palpatine's office is quite time-consuming. He's not near the entrance or anything. "We are going crazy."

"Are we?" she asks, tracing her thumb over the back of my hand. "Or are we just desperate?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything, anymore."

"I'm not quite sure what that says about me," she admits, "You've always been the sensible one, Ani."

I don't say anything else, and we stay together until we walk into Palpatine's office and refocus on the current goings on.

When we enter, he's sitting with his back facing us, looking at... something that catches my attention, though I know better than to pry. I don't know what it is, but it looks like the schematics for... something. And I think it's important. It's not my place, though. "Chancellor," I tell him, and he turns around to face us, "We just received a report from Master Kenobi. He has engaged General Krell."

"We can only hope Master Kenobi is up for the challenge," he replies almost sympathetically – he knows how stressful this is, after all. Sometimes, I think he's the only one who does.