Balance

Prologue

The sunset graced the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The scenery was beautiful, but the situation wasn't. Not in the slightest. Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight full of compassion was struggling an internal battle. His wife, Padmè Amidala's life was possibly at risk. Anakin had dreamt about her dying in his dreams. Normally, he might not take his dreams too seriously, but his mother had died because he had not listened to his visions soon enough. Anakin couldn't lose Padmè how he had lost his mother. He simply couldn't bear such a loss twice.

Chancellor Palpatine had revealed to Anakin that he was Sith Lord. The Sith were the sworn enemy of the Jedi, but Palpatine was a friend and mentor to Anakin, and he had told him of a way to save Padmè from certain death. The offer was so promising. Anakin had no one else. Ahsoka Tano, his old Padawan was on the planet Mandalor dealing with a rouge Sith called Maul. And his former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi was on a planet called Utapau dealing with General Grevious, a cyborg warrior that was trained in the Jedi arts.

Anakin had no one else to turn to except for Palpatine. He simply refused to sit there and let Padmè die. But what if his dreams were just dreams and not visions? And what would he have to do to save Padmè? He'd have to use the Dark Side, and he didn't wish to sell his soul. There was more to this offer than Anakin could even begin to process. It was too much for him alone.

He finally decided that he needed to go to the Senate Building. Anakin needed to save Padmè, and this was the only way that was obvious to him that made it possible to.

He was about to leave when Ahsoka entered the Council Chambers. Anakin's eyes widened. "A- Ahsoka? I... thought that you were on Mandalore," Anakin said. Ahsoka stepped forward, closing the space between them. She gave him a small and tired smile. "I captured Maul sooner than me and Bo-Katan had expected," she said, her voice as weak as her smile. Dealing with Maul had been quite a challenge for her, at merely seventeen, but she had done it. Anakin was so proud of her. She had come a long way since Christophsis.

"Also, Maul told me things about you... I had to see you as soon as possible."

Anakin was curious about what Maul had said. What could he have possibly told her that had her so worried? Did he know of Sidious' intentions somehow? Anakin honestly wouldn't put it past Maul.

"What did he tell you?" Anakin asked her, his brow furrowing.

Ahsoka sighed. She needed to tell Anakin of the possible danger he was in immediately. She didn't really believe what Maul had said, but if anything happened to Anakin because she didn't tell him, she would feel guilty forever. "He told me that Darth Sidious has been grooming you for the role of his apprentice," Ahsoka said. "Everything he said— I don't know how to feel about it just yet, but I want you to know that I'll help you through all of this. Whatever this even is."

Anakin was filled with turmoil. This whole situation was the farthest thing from ideal. "Ahsoka, I've discovered that the Chancellor is Darth Sidious," he said. "Master Windu and a few other Jedi went to... eliminate him, but he promised me something, and I don't know what to do."

Ahsoka gave him a look. "What did he promise you?" She asked.

Anakin sighed, his hands fidgeting at his sides. "There's something you should know first," he started hesitantly. He was really telling her this, wasn't he? It was fine. Anakin knew he could trust her with the following information. "Padmè and I have been married to each other since the start of the war," he told her. Ahsoka's eyes widened slightly. She had known there was something between Anakin and Padmè, but she had never suspected that it was that serious of a relationship.