Chapter 27 - ch23 part 1

Chapter 23: Special Episode 4: Street Interview with Thorn, Archer, and SolNotes:Trigger Warning, I guess, kind of? There is some talk about sex in this chapter. No one has sex or anything, it's just discussed so mind thine tender eyes. Please and thank you!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text"Alright, guys, we're coming to you live on the streets of Coruscant for a very special Creche to Command episode!" a trooper with swirls on his helmet and notches in the fin said. He was standing next to another trooper in red, who just seemed tired.

"We're not live. This is pre-recorded," he sighed.

"We're live now though."

"That's not what that means." The trooper sighed and pinched his brow.

"Guys, introduce yourselves," a trooper behind the camera hissed.

"Hmm? Oh, right. I'm Archer. Behind the camera is Sol. And with us is the Corries' most personable commander, Commander Thorn." He removed his helmet and beamed at the camera.

Commander Thorn sighed again. "Are you sure I'm the most personable commander of the Corries?"

"Yup," Archer said, popping the 'p'.

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Like, there is no one else nicer than me that can do this?"

Archer turned to him. "Commander Stone only likes the baby Jedi. Commander Thire hisses at anyone who looks at him wrong and Commander Fox—"

"Is Commander Fox. Yeah, yeah. I get it," Commander Thorn sighed. "Seriously? Just me? I'm the only one personable enough to do this?"

"The bar's not that high," Sol said.

"The sooner you accept your fate, the sooner you can get this over with."

Commander Thorn groaned. "Fine. Okay. Yes." He turned back to the camera. "As many of you are aware, recently High General Kenobi of the 3rd system's army, 7th Sky Corps and 212th Attack Battalion, which includes 2nd Airborne Company, Ghost Company, and Foxtrot Group, addressed the Senate directly about their management—"

"Or mismanagement," Sol grumbled.

Commander Thorn continued on without addressing his comment. "Of the GAR."

The astute viewers recognized that by listing out the various battalions and units General Kenobi was a part of, Commander Thorn was effectively increasing General Kenobi's appeal to authority. He was put in charge of so many high-profile military groups. Surely he would know a thing or two about how to fight in a war.

Commander Thorn continued on. "The combined views from Fox Talks, R-SPAN, Wooley's live stream, and the views of the replay equal about…" He looked down at his datapad, eyes bugging out of his head. "Holy shit. Is this correct?"

"Yup. We had Tech run the numbers twice," Archer said, beaming.

"Alright, then. About 1,230,000,000,000,000,000. Or about 1.23 ten quadrillions of views. That's insane. I think that might be more than the entire population of the galaxy."

"The most replayed part is when General Kenobi yells at the Chancellor to call him General Kenobi instead of Master Kenboi," Sol said smugly.

"Isn't that great!" Archer beamed once more. "And, because so many people watched it, we thought it'd be a good idea to actually talk to people about their thoughts on the war, the GAR, the Jedi, the Senate. Anything really. Hence why we're taking to the streets! You have opinions, and we want to hear them."

Commander Thorn nodded. "Yes, good or bad, for or against, your opinions deserve to be heard. While you may not be out on the front lines like our brothers and the Jedi, you are still impacted by this war."

"Embargoes, budget cuts to social programs, occasionally having your home bombed if it's close enough to a hyper lane," Archer said, ticking off issues on his fingers.

Commander Thorn winced. "Yeah. That. But, first, before we talk to the citizens, a lot of people have specifically requested to know what Commander Representative Fox thought on the issue."

"I'm so excited! Let's go talk to him," Archer said.

The camera cut to the inside of Commander Fox's office, still piled high with energy drink cans and datapads. In fact, it looked almost exactly the same as when Ahsoka had interviewed him a few weeks ago.

"Sir, a minute of your time," Commander Thorn said.

"No, Cutthroat and Drillbit can't repurpose the droids we confiscated from the illegal droid fight club for our own ends," Commander Fox said, not even looking up from the datapad in front of him.

"That wasn't what we were going to ask," Archer said.

"No. You cannot use the new fuel Archer made to make our speeders go faster. I'm still not convinced it won't blow up immediately upon first use."

"It actually works really well," Archer sniffed.

"Commander, this isn't about any of that," Commander Thorn said.

Commander Fox finally looked up to glare at him. "Then what is it?"

"We wanted to know your opinion on General Kenobi's speech to the Senate the other day," Commander Thorn said.

Commander Fox said nothing for a full minute. Then, he turned to the camera. "If you don't marry that man. I will."

The audience didn't know who he was talking to, but he was clearly talking to someone specific and not just the audience as a whole. The forums lit up with speculations as to who this could be. Over half of them got it right, but they wouldn't know this until much, much later.

"What? No! You can't marry him! Not what we've done so much work," Archer cried.

Commander Fox's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? What work have you done? And what does this have to do with me marrying Kenobi?"

"Never mind, sir," Commander Thorn said, quickly pulling Commander Fox's attention back to him.

"How is he this dense? I thought she kissed him!" Sol hissed from behind the camera.

Woah! That was news. The forums would once more be lit up with speculations as to who kissed Commander Fox. Less than ten percent of them would be correct and they too wouldn't find out until much, much later.

"Commander," Commander Thorn said, loud enough to get the other troopers to shut up. "Is there anything else you'd like to say about the incident? Preferably something that doesn't make people speculate on General Kenobi's love life?"

Commander Fox shrugged. "I guess. I mean, when he first stepped out, I knew he was going to try to talk about what happened with Captain Rex's mission. But, I figured it was going to be another back-and-forth session where nothing gets resolved. If you're ever wondering why it seems like the Senate can never get anything done, it's because politicians are very good at arguing and it can be very hard to get them to stop."

He sat back in his chair. "But, that's not what Kenobi did. He shut down any arguments and took control of the Senate. I can see why he makes such a good negotiator. He managed to keep the conversation focused and forged ahead to his end goal. Mind you, I did almost have a heart attack several times—"

"Could be because of all the Chargers you drink," Commander Thorn muttered.

"But I can't argue with results," Commander Fox continued. "He started a conversation that should have been had a long time ago. Palpatine may be a good politician, but being a good politician and being a good commander-in-chief are two completely different skills. Everyone has blind spots and weaknesses. That's why we have people like General Kenobi leading the troops. Palpatine doesn't know how to best lead an army. That's not a bad thing or a reason to kick him out of office. Like I said, we all have blind spots. I know fuck-all about farming, for example. But he needs to understand that he has experts serving him that could end the war faster, cheaper, and with fewer casualties. If only he will listen."

The audience got the feeling that Fox wasn't saying everything he wanted to say. But, he had grown into quite the politician. He somehow managed to insult the Chancellor, insinuate that he was a failure as a leader, but also that he wasn't and he should be kept in office all at once. Impressive stuff.

"Well, there you have it. General Kenobi, if you're watching this, you have at least one marriage proposal," Archer said.

"Have you seen the forums? He's got more than one." Sol replied.

"That is true. And they're probably better catches than the Commander."

"Well, better than this commander at least. Another commander, on the other hand…" Sol trailed off.

"I will kill you where you stand if you do not get out of my office in the next five seconds," Commander Fox growled.

"Right, sir. Of course, sir. We'll let you get back to your duties, sir," Commander Thorn said, shoving Archer and Sol out the door if the shakiness of the camera was anything to go by.

The camera cut again to show them standing in one of the middle-class shopping districts in Coruscant. Many people were out and about, enjoying the midday sun to get some errands done, meet up with friends, take children to and from activities, and whatever else transpired on those busy streets.

They stopped a weequay male first.

"Sir, what do you think of the war and General Kenobi's assessment of the Senate the other day?" Commander Thorn asked.

The man sneered. "I think the Jedi are trying to pass the blame onto someone else. If they were better at their jobs, the war would be over. Blaming the Chancellor like that just proves that they don't want to take responsibility for their actions."

"Their jobs are peacekeepers, though. Not generals," Archer said.

"Yeah? And they didn't do a very good job at keeping the peace, now did they? I heard the Jedi actually started the war by invading Geonosis. They were out there living peacefully and the Jedi slaughtered them. Not very 'keepers of the peace' in my opinion."

Archer's smile tightened.

Commander Thorn seemed unphased by the man's thoughts. "So you don't think the Senate has any part to blame in how the war's been going?"

"You've seen those messages the Chancellor has to keep putting out," the man said, jerking his head to a billboard hanging in the sky that played one of the Chancellor's pleas for more emergency powers. "And now they got a bunch of clones working for them? Cloning's illegal but they get away with it because they're 'Jedi'. Sounds to me like they're gearing up for a rebellion. Mark my words, those clones are going to be used to overthrow the Republic."

"He does know we're clones, right?" Archer whispered to Commander Thorn.

"Without the clones, though, the citizens would have to get drafted. Would that be preferable to you?" Commander Thorn asked.

The man's face did a weird sort of spasm that suggested that he hadn't thought about that. "What happens when the war's over? All those clones are going to take our jobs!" Is what he finally ended up saying.

"So you think we should kill millions of people after the war is over?" Commander Thorn asked again.

"They're not people. They're clones."

"Strange. You're talking to two of them right now," Commander Thorn said, almost conversationally. As if he were making a mild assessment of the weather.

The man's face spasmed again. It was true that some species had trouble telling other species apart from one another so it was possible he didn't realize he had been talking to two clones. But they were also wearing their armor, armor that was only worn by clone troopers. Maybe he had cataracts and couldn't see very well.

"The Jedi are to blame for the war and it's their own incompetence that causes it to drag on," the man finally said. Again, not responding to Commander Thorn's other questions and observations. He shuffled away before Commander Thorn could ask him anything else.

"Alright. So, that's not a promising start," Archer said. "But the day's still young. Let's see if we can find someone else. Hopefully with a more positive opinion."

They did find a group of young teen girls on their datapads. They were eating ice cream and occasionally giggling with each other about whatever was on the pads.

"How about you girls? Any opinions on the war or General Kenobi's address to the Senate?" Archer asked.

One of the girls, a green twi'lek, looked up at him. "Oh! You're clone troopers. Like on Creche to Command."

"Yeah, we're actually filming a special episode right now."

"Really? And we get to be on it?" another said. She was human with curly blond hair. The rest of the girls looked up, curious and excited about what was happening.

"Er, your parents are going to have to fill out some forms giving permission for you to be in the video, but yeah," Commander Thorn explained.

"That's so cool! Everyone at school is going to be so jealous. Do you know Ahsoka? Is she as cool in real life as she is in the videos?"

"The coolest!" Archer said brightly.

"I think Barriss Offee is also really cool," a nervous-looking Mirialan girl said. "I can't wait to get tattoos like hers." Her fingers brushed against the bridge of her nose.

"Good to know you like the Jedi. Or, at least the padawans," Commander Thorn said. "But about the Senate and General Kenobi—"

"Oh, right! Your initial question. Sorry about that," the first girl said. "I think the Senate needs to do more to stop the war. Have they tried to negotiate a cease-fire at all?"

"Maybe the Separatists are the problem," the human said.

"But, Master Kenobi made it sound like the Senate is the problem. That they're making it harder for him to fight the war," the Mirialan girl said.

"Maybe it's both?" the twi'lek suggested. "There's got to be some Separatists that want this thing to end. But maybe they can't. Like how General Kenobi can't end the war because the Senate won't support him properly."

"Maybe then, the people who want to end the war should get together and discuss it without the Senate or the Separatist leadership involvement," the human girl said.

"Can they do that?" the Mirialan asked.

"Not really," Commander Thorn sighed. "But it'd sure be nice."

The twi'lek turned back to him. "Hey, is General Kenobi as handsome in real life as he is in the videos?"

Commander Thorn furrowed his brow. "How old are you again?"

"Fifteen," she answered.

"He's too old for you. Go look at boys your age."

"Oh, but he seems like such a proper gentleman! And the way he addressed the Senate was so hot. He'd probably take me out on a really nice date," she said dreamily.

"No, he wouldn't." The Mirialan said. "Because he's in love with—"

"We all know who you think he's in love with. I can still dream, though!"

"The evidence is right there!"

"Yes, yes," the human sighed. "We've sat through your presentations. They can be your OTP. Solene and I will keep writing self-inserts."

"And with that, I think we've officially lost the plot," Commander Thorn said. "Thank you, girls, for your time."

They said goodbye to the girls and went on to interview several more people.

"I'm so worried for Ahsoka," a mon calamari woman with a baby said. "She's about the same age as my oldest. I can't imagine him fighting in a war."

"We don't like it much either, sir," Commander Thorn said solemnly.

"And it sounds like she's not the only one out there. That one Mirialan girl. And that human boy… Cal? Was that his name? He's so young."

"Ironside and Gree are doing their best to look after them."

"I know, but still. I'm glad General Kenobi finally said something. I've always found it morally reprehensible that children are out on the battlefield in the first place. At first, I thought it was the Jedi's doing, but to hear that the Senate is the one pushing for this. I understand that war makes people do things they would never do under normal circumstances, but is the price of peace truly worth the lives of children?"

"To some people, yeah," Archer said.

She frowned. "The Senate should be doing more to keep those padawans off the front lines. I was all for the Jedi helping in this war, especially since I thought they had more experience with this sort of stuff. But, if they're being forced to take children to the front lines, something is seriously wrong with the Senate and I will be letting my representative know."

"Good on you," Archer said.

"Remember, you are allowed to call your senator and representative to voice your concerns," Commander Thorn said to the camera. "We'll include a link in the description so you have the best, most up-to-date contact information."

The woman nodded. "Good. And stay safe out there."

"Will do, sir."

The camera cut to the next group of interviewees.

"General Kenobi totally kicks ass!" A young Zabrak male said. He was very drunk and wasn't even attempting to hide the liquor bottle in his hand.

The rest of his equally drunk friends whooped and hollered in agreement with his statement.

"That whole thing was so much fun to watch, bro. I thought the Chancellor was going to cry!"

"Yeah! Cry! Cry! Cry! Cry!" His friends started chanting.

"It's not even mid-day. Why are you already drunk?" Commander Thorn groaned, pinching his brow between his fingers.

"We just finished university exams so we're celebrating!" the Zabrak said, grinning broadly and jumping up to hug Commander Thorn.

"Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!"

Archer nodded along, grinning from ear to ear; eyes bright as if he wanted to join the chanting too.

Commander Thorn managed to shove him off. "Any other enlightening and no doubt intelligent observations from the address?"

"Dude, bro, that speech General Kenobi gave was fucking rad! I used it as an example in my final exam. And I fucking crushed it, bro!"

"Good job!" Archer said, giving two thumbs up.

"What is your degree in again?" Commander Thorn asked, sounding so tired.

"Political Science! I'm going to be a senator, broski!"

"Yeah! You go, bro!" Archer said, pulling the guy into a big bear hug.

"Senator! Senator! Senator!"

"Force help us all," Commander Thorn sighed and pinched a brow.

"Yeah!"

Archer let go of the guy, who seemed to sober up slightly. His smile dropped a bit.

"Yeah, it was actually Commander Representative Fox that convinced me to change my major."

"Really?" Commander Thorn asked.

"Yeah. I was going into business. But then he was talking about making the galaxy a better place for his people. And I thought 'Yo, I got people too'. Like my mom, who couldn't afford her cancer treatment. Or my other mom, who was a refugee and had to work three crappy jobs at once just to put a roof over our heads. And I was like, 'I should be more like Representative Fox. I should make life better for my people too'. And I'm going to do that. The Senate is fucked up, man. But, if it's got people like Fox, Kenobi, and Amidala, not all hope is lost."

"That was surprisingly insightful," Commander Fox said.

The zabrak beamed. "I know bro! Bring it in. We're celebrating."

"I'd really rather not—okay." Commander Thorn let out an 'oof' as he was pulled into a massive group hug, that also included a very happy Archer. Even Sol got in on the hugging action if the weird camera angle was anything to go by.

The final interview of the day was with a Chiss shopkeeper and ice cream parlor owner. She handed Archer, Sol, and Commander Thorn ice cream Sundays, free of charge.

"The whole Senate is a mess," she said. "Has been for a long time. Ever since I was a little girl I remember my parents complaining about the corruption. People can blame the Jedi for not stopping the war all they want. But, at the end of the day, the Republic refused to let the Separatists leave. This whole issue is a case of compounding corruption. Master Kenobi rightfully called them out on their inadequacies as a government. They're supposed to be serving the people. I don't feel served though. In my opinion, this war is being fought because people like power. And they don't want to lose even a bit of it. I say both sides need to cut their losses and learn to co-exist peacefully. I hope that Master Kenobi's address to the Senate helped kick start a much-needed conversation. I know several of my friends who don't usually vote are going to do so in these upcoming elections."

"Good to hear it, sir," Commander Thorn said.

"And, for what it's worth, they need to figure out what they're going to do with you boys sooner rather than later. I know no one wants to talk about the clones, or the ethics surrounding them, but they're going to be in hot water if they can't figure it out soon."

"We agree. Commander Fox is doing his best," Archer said.

"But he's only one person and the Senate can have ulterior motives. I know. I know," she said. "You boys keeping out of trouble, though. Right?"

"As much as we can, sir." Commander Thorn said.

"Good. And you tell Commander Fox to come visit sometime. I got that toffee flavor back in that he likes. Actually, you heading back there?"

"We are." Commander Thorn affirmed.

"Here. Take this to him. He probably needs a good ice cream after all the work he's done." She handed him a small tub of toffee-flavored ice cream.

"Thank you, sir. We'll make sure this gets to him."

"And thanks for letting us know you're opinions," Archer added.

Commander Thorn and Archer turned back to the camera.

"We should probably wrap this up before this melts," Archer said. "But there you have it. A lot of different opinions out there, but mostly positive. Lana made a good point. Elections are coming up soon for many systems. If you don't like your leader and you're able to, vote."

"We've also included links to how to register, how to vote, and where polling places can be found," Commander Thorn added. "You'll not just be helping your own planet, but the galaxy as a whole. You might think that you're only one person and can't make much of a difference. But, General Kenobi is also only one person. And, well, you've seen the impact he's had."

"Commander Fox too! I mean, that one guy changed his major because of him."

"Not to mention Ahsoka and Commander Offee," Sol called from behind the camera.

"Exactly." Commander Thorn said. "Thank you for tuning into this special episode of Creche to Command."

"Catch you guys later!" Archer beamed and waved, the camera cutting to black. 

*****

Palpatine tried not to let his irritation bleed into the Force. Sitting in front of him was Barriss Offee. She wasn't the issue, though. In fact, he had wanted her to be here. He had called upon her specifically. He had plans for her. 

The issue was her commander, CC-1004, standing just behind her. He had his helmet on, painted because the clones didn't understand they were property and bred to all look the exact same. Interchangeable units of products. Nothing more, nothing less. But it wasn't the paint that was causing all of Palpatine's irritation. He couldn't read his expression, but he was radiating a very clear message into the Force. 

"Fucking try anything, Palpy-boy, and I will break your kneecaps, rip out your teeth one by one, rip off your arms, beat you to death with them, and then shove your broken, dead body out of the window and onto the street below where it will rot in the gutters and create such a stink that even the rats that feed on garbage won't go near your rotting, bloated corpse." 

It was so clear, in fact, that Palpatine had to wonder if CC-1004 suspected him of having access to the Force and was therefore using this form to threaten him knowing he didn't need to speak these words out loud. However, a quick scan showed that CC-1004 didn't seem to suspect Palpatine of being Darth Sidious or a Force user at all. Apparently, this was just how CC-1004 thought. Granted, Palpatine wasn't a mind reader, no Force user was, but the stronger the emotion, the clearer the message. And his emotions were  very strong. 

Still, Palpatine had a plan to execute. And no graphic depictions of his death at the hands of an insufferable clone was going to stop him. 

You see, he was at a bit of a loss as to what to do about Tano. He thought he had found the perfect solution in killing her favorite clones. It would make her so sad that she (and everyone else) would refuse to post anything else on that intolerable holosite. 

And it had worked!

When CT-7567 disappeared, they stopped posting. Granted, Kenobi was a bit of a pain to deal with. The man always was but Palpatine didn't anticipate him to care so much about clones that weren't under his direct chain of command. And he hadn't anticipated Anakin to be so attached to the clones as well, abandoning his mission to go search for them. A mission that, had it played out according to Palpatine's plans, would have made Anakin a hero to the people of Christophsis while driving a wedge between him and Windu, making him distrust the Jedi even more. But he could work with that. Anakin wasn't integral to his plans. If needed, Palpatine could kill him when the time came. And there was still time for him to get Anakin to where he needed to be. Especially now with that padawan too sad to post anything else and get in the way of his plans. 

And then, the clones popped back up! By some miracle of the Force, they had survived!

He didn't know how it was possible, but they did. And the second they came back, Palpatine's problems were back in full force, along with several new ones he had to deal with. 

Kenobi, the thorn in his side he could never remove no matter how hard he tried, was openly defying him now, unconcerned with how it made him or the Jedi order look. He wouldn't even send CT-7567 back for questioning when Palpatine demanded it! And he had made Palpatine look like a fool in front of the Senate and the galaxy as a whole. 

He tried to vent to Dooku about it. But the man merely shrugged and said, " What did you expect? He's correct. From the point of view of a Republic Citizen, you are a failure as a commander in chief." 

Then, the Coruscant Guard posted another video on Creche to Command. It was like they didn't even fear him anymore! They had the gall to interview people on the street to get their opinions on the matter at hand. And those opinions were not favorable towards Palpatine. He also learned that Kenobi's little address was one of the most viewed videos of all time on the holonet. He had hoped that given that it was politics and most people were bored out of their minds by it, it would have only gotten a couple thousand views, maybe only within the GAR and Jedi Order. 

But no. 

More views than the entire estimated sentient population of the galaxy!

Palpatine was working overtime to try and save face and recover from the scandal, which meant he had to put his work as Darth Sidious on hold. The plan wouldn't work if he was voted out of office! Luckily, no one seemed to be clamoring for an emergency vote to expel him from his position, but now that was a possibility. Now he may have lost his power and influence in a way that was irrecoverable in time for the grand plan to be executed. 

And it was all tied directly to Ahsoka Tano. 

Once more, he was offered proof that he needed to get rid of her and fast. Only, he was running out of ways to do it. Killing her didn't work. Killing the people she loved didn't work. So, now it was time for Plan C: having her convicted of a horrible crime. 

He was going to have her bomb the Jedi Temple. 

Only, she wasn't going to do it. She was so entrenched in the Light and had such a good support system with the clones and Kenobi and Koon and Skywalker and Amidala and a million other people she could go to if she needed help that she probably wouldn't fall in the next  century , much less on the compressed timeline Palpatine was working with. It had taken him a decade of constant interaction with Anakin to get him half as fallen as he had managed. And he had gotten Anakin at a time when he was vulnerable: newly removed from his mother, the mentor-figure he looked up to dead, and a newly knighted Kenobi who didn't know how or didn't have time to deal with his own trauma. Not to mention that because of Anakin's age and experience with the world outside of the Jedi order, Palpatine had more fears he could play on. Tano had none of that. She had grown up in the Temple. She was more than willing to lean on people when she needed help. And, torgrutas were pack species which meant that she was naturally inclined to seek out large groups of people when she was having trouble. 

In short, Palpatine was never going to get Tano to fall. 

But he still needed her gone. 

So, he adjusted the plan. 

Barriss Offee was a good candidate for what he needed. She was a perfectionist. She feared failing. She feared not upholding her duties properly and disappointing her master. She was older and had been exposed to more darkness than the Galaxy had to offer, especially before the war. There was more darkness in her. Less innocence. 

He could corrupt that. He could make her see the folly of the Jedi Order just as he did with Dooku. Then, she would bomb the temple, frame Tano, and then have Tano shoved into a prison where people would lose their faith in everything she stood for. They might even turn completely on the Jedi and Clones as a result. It was perfect. 

That should have been his first clue that there would be issues completing it. 

He initially reached out to Unduli requesting her padawan to advise him on the situation of the Padawan Commanders, citing Kenobi's impassioned speech as eye-opening proof that he needed to be doing more. 

Unduli agreed. But also said, "Under no circumstances is my sixteen-year-old Padawan going anywhere near the Senate building without myself or one of my men accompanying her." 

That was fair. There were a lot of unsavory people in the Senate. Palpatine agreed and tried to subtly suggest the Coruscant Guard could step in. But Unduli was firm. It was her men or nothing.

And that's why he was in the bind he was in today. 

Had the Coruscant Guard been allowed to accompany Offee, he could simply black them out and manipulate her to his heart's content. But, with CC-1004 standing there, glaring at him, there was no way that was happening. 

He didn't send the general GAR clones on blackout missions so if CC-1004 suddenly started missing hours of his life, specifically hours when he was supposed to be watching Offee and making sure she was safe, he would know something was up and report to Unduli. Unduli would likely order all manner of scans on his head and find the chips. And, under no circumstances, could those chips be found. 

He could manipulate CC-1004's emotions to convince him to leave the room, but that was out of the question as well. First of all, it was clear that CC-1004 hated him so much, that the amount of control and influence Palpatine would have to exert just to temper his anger would be too much. How could the man be so angry yet still so entrenched in the light? It didn't make sense! And even if Palpatine did have the time to convince CC-1004 not to kill him with the fancy pen on his desk, he had been given direct orders from his general to stay with Offee at all times. If he left, even if it seemed like his idea, Offee would likely recognize that something was up. And Palpatine couldn't risk that. 

But he had specifically requested Offee and if he were to back out now, it would also look suspicious. Which was why he was now stuck. Trying to figure out a way to talk to Offee and manipulate her into bombing the Temple and framing Ahsoka without looking suspicious. 

He had been prepared for it to take some time, but he wasn't sure if he could even do it without tipping off Offee, Unduli, CC-1004, or all three. 

Maybe Dooku was right. Maybe they should just execute Order 66 and deal with the fallout. People already hated him. Might as well speed things along. 

"You wished to speak to me, Chancellor?" she asked, pulling him from his thoughts and back to the task at hand. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap and she radiated the serene, calm, control that most Jedi Masters radiated. If she made it out of this war with her hold on the Light Side intact, she would make a good Jedi. 

"Hmm. Oh, yes. Terribly sorry. There's so much on my mind, my dear." 

Was it just him or did CC-1004 actually growl at him? 

He did!

He just growled at him!

What gives? Kenobi called people 'my dear' all the time! How come he got away with it but Palpatine couldn't? The clones clearly had double standards. It was insulting. 

He chose to ignore the clone and continued. "It has been brought to my attention that a lot is going on with the Jedi that I was previously unaware of." 

Doubt pushed its way forward in the clone's mind. He didn't move, though. Didn't flinch. He was like a statue behind Offee. A menacing statue that would come to life and kill him the second Palpatine so much as blinked. 

He pushed forward. "I wanted to speak to you specifically as a padawan to see where I might be of some assistance. This war is awful and I would hate to be the cause of any more suffering." 

This time, CC-1004 didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was actively growling at Palpatine. The nerve of that clone! He'd kill the welp but Unduli would just replace him with an equally difficult clone. Palpatine had forgotten that not all clones feared him the way the Coruscant Guard did. And this seemed to be regular behavior for him since Offee didn't so much as bat an eye. Palpatine forced himself to ignore the clone. He'd make sure that when Order 66 came, CC-1004 would be the one to pull the trigger on Offee and Unduli. An extra bit of torture as punishment for his insubordination. For now, he had to focus on Offee and getting her to fall. Or, at least, be disillusioned with the Jedi enough to bomb the temple and frame Tano. 

"Oh, I'm not sure I'm qualified for that," Offee said, shifting in her seat. 

An in! Perfect. She delivered what Palpatine needed on a silver platter. 

"Oh, but I've read your service record. You are an exceptional padawan. Does your Master not tell you? Dreadful that you feel so unappreciated despite your amazing work." 

CC-1004 did not flinch, but Palpatine was walking on thin ice. Say one more bad thing about Unduli, and the pen might just find a way to get lodged in his jugular. Damn clone, making this even harder.

 "Oh, no, it's not that!" Offee quickly said. "My master regularly lets me know when I've done a good job. It's just… I'm not much of a consultant, I'm afraid. You should talk to someone who has a better handle on how to balance the needs of the Jedi with the needs of the war. Perhaps Ahsoka would be a better person to ask? I'm more of an academic and healer anyways." 

Palpatine tried to smile reassuringly. He was certain it came out more like a grimace. "Ah, yes. Miss Tano—" 

"Commander Tano," CC-1004 corrected sharply. It was the first thing he had said all meeting. 

"Yes. Pardon. Commander Tano was a candidate. However, she's so busy with her holoseries and I'd hate to put more on her plate. Besides, with her currently on the front lines, communication can be so spotty. I figured while you were here, it would be better. We can, at the very least, get the conversation going Miss—ah, I mean, Commander Offee. Anything you can think of will be helpful. And don't worry about not balancing the war with the Jedi. The Senate will work to provide the necessary balance as they see fit. Anything you think of will be helpful. And I hope to talk with more padawans as they come through." 

Offee brightened, wrapping herself up in the Light side like a warm blanket. Not the emotions he wanted her to be feeling. 

"Oh, well, in that case…" She looked thoughtful for a moment. "It would be better for the padawans, particularly those under the age of majority for their species, to be put on aid missions or smaller missions with smaller companies and less intense battles and stakes. I know it can be difficult and potentially dangerous to have companies split from battalions like that. But when you have people as young as Cal and Caleb on the front lines, it is equally as dangerous. I know the troopers can be distracted trying to keep the children alive. Right, Gree?" She looked at the clone behind her. 

"Cadets shouldn't be on the battlefield," CC-1004 stated. Or, more like growled. 

Offee nodded and turned back to him. "I'm not sure how we could accomplish keeping the younger padawans out of the main battles, though." She brightened considerably. "I know who you can talk to. Master Kenobi! He has experience with war and would likely have many ideas on how to properly keep the padawans safe. And he and Commander Cody could help you come up with a structure that fits within the current GAR to have a company that is specific to the padawans." 

Palpatine's smile tightened. "I will certainly bring it up the next time we meet to discuss the war. I have a feeling General Kenobi and I will have a great many things to discuss about the war and the structure of the GAR." 

Offee beamed and nodded. "Good. I know he's not a padawan, but I do think he would be a better person to ask than myself. I'll ask around, though. See if any of the other padawans have suggestions. I'm sure Cal would simply request we get less coursework or something." She laughed. "Thank you for taking this seriously. Is there anything else I can help you with?" 

"No, my dear." 

CC-1004 growled at him again. Palpatine was too tired to be offended. 

He continued. "I will be in contact. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me." 

He let one of his aides lead them out the door. Once he was alone, he sighed and slumped back in his chair, massaging his brow. One-on-one discussions weren't going to work, that much was clear. But no matter. There were other ways to manipulate a person. 

Dreams were an easy one. Her shields were strong but he could start small and slip in. Then, as she became more entrenched in her nightmares, he could whittle away the light using fear as his axe until there was nothing left. 

She seemed attached to CC-1004. He could use that. With CT-7567's near death so fresh in her mind, she would likely fear losing the clone. And even Kenobi's address to the Senate might help. It was clear the clones were being mistreated. 

 Yes, he could see it now. He could use the clones' mistreatment and their deaths to instill fear in her. Then, once that fear had properly planted itself in her mind, he could twist it until she only saw the Jedi as the architects of the deaths of the people she loved. 

Yes, he could do that. 

He would have to be patient, but he could see it now. Tano, behind bars. The citizens of the Republic, betrayed by someone they trusted so thoroughly. Tensions running high. Skywalker, distraught over the loss of his Padawan. Kenobi, no longer a shining beacon due to his disgraced lineage. Everyone pointing fingers. Fear and distrust running rampant. 

This was another setback, but it would all work out in his favor. 

*****

Dormé sat on the bench at the busy spaceport. She was dressed simply, with browns and beige made of poorer quality than what she was used to on Coruscant, the rough wool irritating her skin. But such were the sacrifices she was required to make if she didn't want to stand out. She had a book in her hands, though she wasn't reading it. It was merely so that people didn't think she was watching them. Most wouldn't notice, so busy with their own thoughts and problems she could follow them home and they would be none the wiser. But there were people out there who would notice. Some were trained, like her, to be aware of every eye that saw them. Others were simply suspicious of anyone who stared just a little too long. Those were the ones that she most had to look out for. People who were suspicious were also often desperate and willing to do whatever it took to get away from the perceived threat. 

She was watching, though she didn't need to be. The man she was here to meet would be recognizable enough on his own. Still, years of training as a handmaiden and serving under Padme made it impossible for her to go to any crowded venue without watching for possible threats. Even when Padme was nowhere near her, it was something she could never turn off. 

Sometimes it was annoying. Sometimes Dormé wanted to go to a lovely park and sit and read a book without wondering if the woman three paces to her left was a potential assassin. Usually, though, she appreciated the skills. There were so many people unaware of what was going on around them. So many threats lurking in the dark corners and hidden alleyways. How anyone walked through life without even half the awareness that Dormé had was beyond her. How any of them had managed to survive to adulthood without getting murdered was also beyond her. However, she supposed ordinary people did not have to worry much about assassins. 

"Aw, you didn't have to come all the way to the port to meet me." Commander Wolffe leaned over her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"Really?" she said softly, closing her book and tucking it into her simple cloth tote. "Was the kiss necessary?" 

"You are supposed to be my sweetheart, coming to meet up after months of being apart," Wolffe said, coming around the bench to sit beside her. He threw an arm over her shoulder and leaned in so he could whisper into her ear. "Besides—" 

She shivered as she felt his hot breath ghost over her skin. 

"Admiral is watching me and I don't want him recognizing you or being suspicious as to why I'm meeting up with you. Two lovers meeting up after months apart is an easier story to sell." 

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I doubt he'd recognize me. I'm perfectly average looking for a human woman." 

Commander Wolffe leaned back and grinned. "Come now. A handmaiden of Padme Amidala is anything but average looking." He stood and pulled her to her feet. He wasn't dressed in his armor, but his bridge greys, likely easier to move around in and more comfortable. But also easier to get stabbed or shot in. 

She couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks. "Is the flirting really necessary? I don't need to be flattered by you, Commander." 

He didn't let go of her hand as he led her through the crowded and dirty city. "I'm led to believe that people in relationships do, in fact, flirt with each other. We want to sell the ruse, don't we? And call me Wolffe. Unless you're into that sort of relationship." He grinned at her once more; predatory and sharp. 

She didn't back down. She was a predator too and could meet him beat for beat; step for step; bite for bite. "If I were into that sort of thing, you wouldn't be the Commander. I promise you that, Wolffe." 

His grin widened. "Come on. It's just up here, not far from the port." 

She didn't know where he was taking her. He refused to give details over the comms, which made sense if he suspected a higher-ranking officer was watching him; waiting for him to do something. Her training didn't like that. Her training was yelling at her; scolding her for wandering around an unknown city with a man she barely knew who had apparently done something to make his commanding officers suspicious of his movements. Now that was a recipe to get assassinated. Or kidnapped and tortured for information. Or kidnapped and ransomed off. 

She ignored those thoughts. She had things she needed to discuss with Wolffe. Besides, there was something intrinsically trustworthy about him. For some reason, she trusted him to drag her through the scummy underbelly of a crowded spaceport more than she'd trust half the senators Padme worked with. At least, she was confident Wolffe would keep his hands to himself unless absolutely necessary for the ruse. Other than the kiss on the cheek, he had done his best to touch her as little as possible while still keeping up appearances. Even when his arm was around her shoulders, he rested it on the bench behind them instead of her actual body. 

It was kind of sweet. 

Maybe Wolffe was a bit sweeter than she suspected. 

That thought quickly disappeared as they stopped in front of a hotel. She glared at him. "Really? A by-the-hour love hotel? That's where you'd take a sweetheart?" 

Wolffe chuckled and handed the droid some credits. "Sorry, sweetheart. I'm a little pressed for time and credits. While you no doubt deserve the best this place has to offer, I can't exactly afford a full night at a regular hotel. Besides, I'm taking you to a nicer one." 

They followed the droid inside. It was clean, at least. If not a bit barren and lacking in personality or décor. She supposed that was part of the charm. A 'get in, get out' type of place. Efficient. Sterile. 

"Is that so?" 

"Yeah. This one only has listening devices in the rooms. No cameras," he said. 

"How thoughtful." 

"Please, enjoy your stay," the droid said, opening the door and gesturing for them to step inside. The room was just as spartan as the front desk area. It only had a bed, a tub, and a couch in the room. There wasn't even a window or a place to use the bathroom. She supposed the normal clientele to this sort of place would be in and out before they needed to use the bathroom. Still, it would have been nice. 

Wolffe all but shoved the droid out the door, shutting it behind him and locking it up tight. Then, he started setting up a jammer that looped in pre-recorded audio to the listening devices in the vents. 

"What are you playing for them?" Dormé asked.

Wolffe shot her an unimpressed look. "What do you think I'm playing to trick the listening devices at a love hotel that we're not up to anything shady?"

"Ah." Her cheeks flushed once more. "Sex noises."

He nodded. "Sex noises. Hope you don't mind. You're going to sound a bit more high-pitched."

"And where exactly did these 'sex noises' come from?" She crossed her arms and looked at him.

"Please, I'm not that depraved. I just got it from some porn. Mind you, it's hard to find one that doesn't have stupid music playing in the background. I think I managed well enough, though. The admiral doesn't like to think of me having sex, so this should make him plenty uncomfortable."

"And you enjoy making people uncomfortable?" She looked around for a place to sit, weighing her options between couch, bed, and bathtub. In the end, there was only one option. She didn't want to think about what had happened on those cushions prior to their entrance. She'd bathe later. It was fine.

"People who are following me around, yeah. You?"

"I tailor my response to the situation at hand, Commander. I'm sure you know all about that."

"Don't I ever." He sat down next to her. "So, what was so important that you had to talk to me in person and not over comms?"

She suppressed another shiver. The couch was small. Small enough that they were pressed together. Thigh to thigh. Shoulder to shoulder.

Wolffe was a very attractive man. All the troopers were. There was no shame in admitting that. There was a reason 'hottest trooper' polls were a regular staple of the holonet. And Wolffe was no exception.

Dormé was not ashamed to admit that he could light a fire in her belly. The scar on his eye certainly didn't hurt either. She was, like many people, of the opinion that a well-placed scar on a man's face helped enhance the rugged, roguish good looks already present. She wasn't even put off by his milky-white prosthetic eye. And, while she had never seen Wolffe shirtless, she had seen other troopers shirtless or stripped down to their blacks while they escorted her and Padme around for missions. Tight ship quarters hardly offered privacy. She had to assume that Wolffe's body was very similar. And the way his bridge greys hugged his shoulders, just a little tight around the upper chest and torso but looser around the waist, suggested that her theory held weight. 

She could picture it now. Abs that were chiseled from stone. Broad shoulders. Thick arms. Thicker thighs. Curly hair just aching for her to run her fingers through.

So, yes, she found Wolffe to be a very attractive man. It was strange because she arguably spent more time around members of the Coruscant Guard, yet it was Wolffe she thought of most often, even if they hardly interacted.

She wasn't opposed to the idea of having a fling with him. And she was pretty sure he'd be open to the idea as well. The only problem was that she got the feeling that Wolffe sometimes used sex to get something from someone. There were probably people he truly did just sleep with simply because he thought they were attractive. And, while she would like to believe that she would be in the latter category, she was not naïve.

Her position as a handmaiden to Padme Amidala, along with being one of her closest confidants, made her a target. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to get close to Padme by getting closer to her first. She refused to neglect her duties because Wolffe had a lovely smile and a strong jaw and a body that was designed to make anyone attracted to the male form swoon.

Besides, despite the flirting and their current position, she was not here to see what Wolffe looked like with his shirt off.

"Miko has asked me for espionage tips," Dormé said casually, judging Wolffe's reaction.

"Miko? I don't think I know a Miko," he responded, equally as casual. Equally as observant to see what her reaction was.

"She's an escort that has several high-ranking members of the GAR."

"Ah! Yes, Miko! Did you know she's also in college to become a sentience rights lawyer? Smart girl," Wolffe said, grinning at her.

Dormé rolled her eyes. "I'm not judging a sex worker for being a sex worker. I'm trying to figure out what the hell you've gotten them involved in. Because it's not just Miko. Free Taa's two girls are also sneaking around. And I hear them talking. Believe it or not, I can blend into the shadows when I need to." She decided to just come right out and say it. If she wanted information from Wolffe, she was going to have to spell it out. Otherwise, he could answer her questions without technically answering her questions. She didn't have time to play those sorts of games.

"Who says I've gotten them involved in anything?" Wolffe asked. If he had his way, he could drag this conversation on for hours until he had to go. It was likely a part of the training he had to complete. If he could withstand torturous interrogation techniques, he could withstand Dormé.

"Because you're friends with a lot of them. And they're not going to start spying on their clientele without someone asking them to. So, unless Miko is being threatened, which she didn't sound like she was, then that means you asked them to do something. What is it?"

"Why do you want to know? Unless Amidala starts sleeping around, you don't have to worry." Wolffe shrugged.

"Because it clearly involves the Senate. And Padme is on the Senate. And apparently, you're not as slick as you think you are because you've got admirals watching you."

"Maybe I'm just paranoid. Or maybe I've started smuggling drugs."

"Wolffe, I'm being serious."

"So am I."

"So, tell me what it actually is."

He studied her for a bit, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not going to tell you. Just drop it, Dormé. It's got nothing to do with Amidala. And I'm not doing anything that might hurt her."

She was not going to drop it. Wolffe may think that he had everything under control, but Dormé wasn't so sure. And Padme liked to get caught up in a lot of things. If she let this go on, then things could get worse. They could get more dangerous.

"Why won't you trust me on this? I can help."

"Because I know your type." He replied.

"I don't think you do."

"I do. Because you and I are exactly the same. Or close enough anyways."

She crossed her arms. "How so?"

"We put our duties above everything else. My duty is to the Republic and keeping it safe from the Seppies. Your duty is to Amidala and keeping her safe. If I tell you, you're going to tell Amidala. Because that's your job, to keep her informed of threats towards her life. And then Amidala is going to tell Skywalker and he's going get involved. Or maybe she won't tell Skywalker, get involved, which will involve him anyway. And, as soon as he's involved, the Chancellor gets involved. And I cannot let that happen. You're not going to go against orders or your mission to keep Amidala safe. Drop it. My job is to protect the people of the Republic, that includes her. You have my word."

Dormé sat back, stunned by his confession and the level of trust he showed just in admitting that it had something to do with the Chancellor. He had a point. He had several points and clearly knew her better than she knew him. And that meant he wasn't going to budge. But she had to get him to budge. Something this big, potentially involving the Chancellor, that was bigger than what Wolffe could deal with. He needed help. The workers needed help.

She stood up and started pacing the room, trying to think of a way to convince Wolffe to let her in. If they were exactly the same, as he clearly thought they were, then there must be a way to convince him to let her help.

Then, she figured it out. She turned and planted her hands on either side of Wolffe, leaning close so he had to lean back. They were practically nose to nose. 

"You're right. I am just like you." She didn't break eye contact.

"Um, yeah? I know."

"Which means you should know that I can do things without involving Padme if need be. After all, aren't you doing that exact thing? You're keeping Master Koon out of it. Right?"

"I… well…"

"And you're hiding from the admirals."

"That's true, but—"

"I didn't tell Padme I was coming here. Or any of the other handmaidens. I didn't tell her Miko approached me or that the other sex workers are clearly looking for something. And I didn't do that for the same reason you're not telling the Jedi. Because if something really is going on here, we need to be sure who we can and can't trust. You're right, if Padme gets involved, that will involve Anakin eventually. Which is why I didn't tell her and came here on my own. So if we really are as similar as you think we are, then cut the act and trust me. Because if you're willing to sneak around to find the answers you need, I am too."

Wolffe was silent for a few seconds and then grinned. "My apologies. I think I misjudged you."

Dormé let out a triumphant 'hmph' and sat back down. She was pleased she managed to impress Wolffe. "Does that mean you'll trust me and tell me what is going on?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, hell. Yeah, I will. Because I need help. We need help. Mind you, Cody and Fox are going to kill me for getting you involved, but I'm stuck. My girls are stuck. Commanding officers suspect that something is up and are watching me more closely. And, since you're usually on Coruscant, you might have a better chance of actually getting shit done. Plus, as you pointed out earlier, you're good at blending in when you need to."

"Sounds serious."

"It is." He sighed again. "Alright, stick with me. This is going to require some explanation and it's going to sound like I'm going off on a weird tangent. First, do you know about Creche to Command?"

Dormé furrowed her brows. "Um, the holoseries by Ahsoka Tano?" Huh. Given how much Wolffe was pressing for secrecy and not involving Padme, she was expecting something more. Something dangerous. Something that might change the tides of war. Not a cute little holoseries that was relatively positively received by that galaxy as a whole. She was confused about what that had to do with Miko or why Wolffe's admirals would care but decided to sit back and listen.

"Yeah, that's the one. A while back, like one of the first episodes, Bly managed to use it to secure an allyship with Jonda."

"I remember that," Dormé said. "He and Master, I mean General Secura were dispatched to convince a neutral system to join. Something no other envoy managed to do."

"Yeah, well, he did it by showing the leader's granddaughter the series. The granddaughter loved it. The leader realized the troopers weren't being mistreated, or, at least, as mistreated as she assumed, so she tossed her hat in with us."

"I see." She never did get the reasoning behind Jonda's sudden switch of allegiance and never really thought that much about it in the first place. Several systems had switched sides since the start of the war. "And what does this have to do with Miko?"

"I'm getting there. Patience." Wolffe batted a hand at her. "Palpatine was told why Jonda switched sides and the first thing he did was ask to shut it down."

Her brow furrowed. "What? Why? If it helped us gain an ally, why would he not use that to his advantage? Not that I think he should. Ahsoka should feel free to put whatever content she wants out there, regardless of whether or not it helps the war effort."

Wolffe grinned at her, a gleam of mischief in his eyes. "Exactly. Of course, after the Jedi pushed back, he changed his tune and asked to use it for propaganda. Only for them to push back again and deny him."

"Makes sense. She's already a child soldier. There's no need to also force her to produce propaganda."

"Good to know you're less corrupt than most politicians."

"I'm not a politician."

"That's what they all say. Anyways, that's the end of that conversation, right? Only, a few months later, Cad Bane attempts to assassinate Ahsoka Tano on the battlefield."

Dormé's heart dropped when she realized what Wolffe was implying. "Hang on, you think Palpatine wanted to kill her? But why? Isn't Dooku the most likely suspect?"

He shrugged. "You'd think that. After all, her series is helping garner support for the war on the Republic side. Jonda joined after watching it. And people are feeling more favorable to a cute kid than an ugly old man. That reminds me, I need to show you her baby pictures. She was adorable. Anyways, it makes sense he would want her dead."

"Only, you don't think that he did?"

"Nope. Or, at least, I think Palpatine had more to do with it. Maybe Dooku did hire Cad Bane, even though he has Ventress and Grievous who he can send after Ahsoka for free. But how Palpatine acted in the events leading up to the incident is suspicious. He separated her from General Skywalker. He refused to let General Kenobi send Cody to help out. He pulled WIndu from the planet before it had been cleared to send him to a skirmish on the other end of the galaxy. And, get this, the skirmish in question was so small in scale, Ahsoka should have been the one to deal with it instead. And, to make matters even more damning, the 501st never received their full medical rations during their resupply. Just one of those things would be suspicious, but not inherently damning. After all, General Kenobi did a fantastic job at pointing out just how inept Palpatine is at being a commander-in-chief. But to have all those things happen on the day Cad Bane just so happens to be there to kill her when this appeared to have been a last-minute decision that he couldn't have possibly known about in advance?" 

"He hired Bane to kill Ahsoka Tano." Dormé breathed, the fully, horrifying scope of the issue snapping into clarity now.

He nodded. "Of course, we have no proof. But we're working on getting it."

"And you're using Miko and the other sex workers to get it. But, Palpatine isn't known to use any of their services, though."

"Yeah, well, you see, the thing about rot is once you start digging, you tend to find a whole lot more of it. We have reason to believe Tarkin is working on some secret project using funds embezzled from the budget. Fox and Blitz did some digging into the numbers. They're not adding up. I'm hoping that one of my girls can find the right person to give me the codes so that we can see what's going on. Conspiracies like this take people to run. Lots of people. Eventually, one of them has got to think with their dick instead of their head."

Dormé understood now what he was trying to do. "And that's why you've recruited half the sex workers in Coruscant to help you out."

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. But, as you've pointed out. They're not exactly trained in this. They keep hitting dead ends. They don't know the questions they need to ask to get the information they need to know."

He sat back on the couch, watching her. Studying her. "So, Dormé, are you still inclined to help me even after hearing how treasonous my brothers and I are being? I need someone to help train them and look out for them."

It wasn't even a question in her mind that she'd help. Padme was constantly talking about just how corrupt and awful the Senate was. How it struggled to pass even mildly useful bills. How many senators favored money and power over helping their people. If they wanted to make change, they needed to dig out the root of the problem. And, if what Wolffe was saying was true, that root was Palpatine.

Dormé's feelings on Palpatine were… mixed, to say the least. Like many people, she had a much better opinion of him once she spent some time around the man rather than away from him. But, perhaps it was because she wasn't technically important, she felt like he ignored her more than most. He lavished attention on Padme, especially when she was being particularly vocal about something or he wanted support, but Dormé was always in the background. That was no issue for her. She preferred to watch from the shadows than be in the limelight. It helped her do her job better, but she couldn't help but feel that something off about Palpatine. 

There was something about him that screamed to her that he was dangerous. Perhaps that's why she took Wolffe's serious accusations so easily. Something was wrong with that man. And she didn't appreciate Padme being caught in his crosshairs. Or Anakin, even if her feelings towards Anakin were also mixed. Padme liked the guy, so for her sake, Dormé tried to keep him out of trouble. She was only mildly successful. 

"I want access to everything you have so far. I need to make sure you're not leaving information out or twisting it to fit your end goals," she said. 

Wolffe shrugged. "Deal. I'll have my friends even report directly to you so you hear from them. But, you need to make sure Fox, Cody, or myself also gets the information. I don't want you twisting any information either. And, eventually, I will find out so you better not lie." 

She shivered at his threat. He'd go through with it. She had no doubt about that. Just like she'd hunt him down if he hurt Padme. He was right. They were very similar to each other. 

"I expect nothing less," she said. "Now then, I believe our hour is almost up. Want to walk me back to the spaceport?" 

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to have to put up with me any longer than you have to," he said. 

Dormé looked him in the eyes. "We are supposed to be sweethearts. What sort of romantic partner lets his sweetheart walk to a dangerous spaceport all by herself?" 

Wolffe grinned. "You've got a point there." He stood and offered her his arm. "Though we both know you are anything but a damsel." 

She took it and they walked out the door. "We don't want your admiral thinking that, though." 

"Very true." 

They walked through the busy streets of the city, chatting about nothing much at all. To the untrained observer, they did very much look like a couple. Nearing the port, Wolffe slipped something into her pocket. 

"Can't leave without the comm codes," he whispered in her ear. 

She shivered and tucked a lock of hair back that had fallen. "Of course. You didn't think I had forgotten about that, did you?" 

"Anything's possible." 

"Not when you're a professional like me." 

"I'll have to remember that. For later." 

When they got to the port, Dormé noticed an admiral standing there. Alarms were immediately raised in her head. He didn't blend in with the crowd very well and he was too obviously looking for something. Or someone. 

She pulled Wolffe to a small alcove near a more crowded portion of the port; the crowds working to partially obscure them from his view. 

"I think your admiral is looking for you. Your sex noises clearly didn't make him uncomfortable enough." 

Wolffe's eyes flicked up to a reflective surface and spotted the admiral in question. "Shit. That's one of the ones we're watching. He doesn't see me or my brothers as humans and he's close with Palpatine. I'll have to get you a full list."

"And you think he's specifically watching you to make sure you're not up to exactly what you are up to?" 

"I don't want to sound narcissistic, but yeah. I think that's exactly his purpose here." 

Dormé bit her lip. They needed to sell this ruse, then. Now more than ever.

"Well, then, let's make him uncomfortable."

Wolffe looked at her quizzically. But, she simply pulled him out from the alcove so they were within the admiral's line of sight. When she was sure he had caught them and was now watching them, she acted. She spun around and pulled Wolffe into quite possibly the filthiest kiss she had ever given someone.

The kiss was downright pornographic with how far down his throat she had shoved her tongue.

Wolffe let out a noise of surprise but then responded eagerly. He pulled her close and groped her backside to really sell the illusion that they were two lovers about to part for who knows how many months. She had been right. His hair was nice to run her fingers through.

After what had to be a solid five minutes of making out in the middle of the port (along with one woman loudly exclaiming that it was inappropriate, a man asking them to get a room, and more than a few wolf whistles), Wolffe gently pulled away. He was grinning from ear to ear. 

"I think you've succeeded in making him uncomfortable." 

She flushed and attempted to straighten out her hair, now tangled and messy from Wolffe's hands. "Well, if this were real, then I wouldn't be sure when I'd see you next. And I'd want to memorize everything about you." 

His grin widened. "If this were real, I'd be doing the same thing." He leaned down and kissed her cheek once more. "Be safe. If things get too hot, you can back out. I won't be mad." 

She kissed his cheek as well. "I'm in this now. I'm not backing out. You be safe too. You have allies you can rely on." 

"And I plan on relying on all of them." He gave her one last peck before hurrying off to where he needed to meet up with the rest of his brothers. 

Dorme readjusted herself and then walked to her transport back to Coruscant. Once in the air, she received a message. 

Wolffe: Thanks for the kiss. Admiral hasn't been able to look me in the eye since. It's fun trying to force him to. 

Dorme: I aim to please. 

Wolffe: I love to hear it. 

*****

Anakin paced around the room, trying to calm his nerves as the holocall connected. He could do this. He had planned out what he was going to say and everything. All he had to do was follow the script and he'd be fine. 

Pretty much everyone he knew had torn into him about the way he handled Rex's disappearance. Obi-Wan. Windu. Cody. Padme. But it was Rex himself who really made him see things differently. 

"I didn't need you chasing after me," Rex said, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't quite glaring at Anakin, though it was close. 

"You were alive. I was trying to find you." 

"And I repeat, sir. I didn't need you chasing after me. I needed you here, looking after Ahsoka and my brothers. Instead, you made Ponds do it. I like the guy, but he's not the general, you are." 

Rex was probably the only one who didn't yell at Anakin for being stupid, but his words cut the deepest. Because he was right. Ahsoka and the other men needed him. Anakin didn't think about that. He could only think about getting Rex back as soon as possible. And he knew Ahsoka suffered because of it, even if she claimed otherwise. 

So, he made a mistake. He was willing to admit that. But what he didn't know was how to move forward with it. He had apologized to Rex and Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, and even to Windu and Ponds, but none of them seemed to believe him. Maybe because Anakin didn't believe his words himself. 

It wasn't that he was trying to neglect Ahsoka or his duties. But sometimes it was so hard to tell what the right path was. Rex and the others were still alive. And Obi-Wan had sent out dozens of search parties for them. So why was that okay but Anakin's search efforts weren't? How was he expected to choose between saving people? 

He thought about calling Obi-Wan to talk through this with him now that he had some time to think and felt calmer, but his master had been so disappointed in him the last time they spoke he didn't think he could bear hearing another lecture. Ahsoka was out of the question. He was supposed to be teaching her, not the other way around. He thought about maybe talking it over with Rex but also felt that he might be a bit biased. 

He also thought about going to Palpatine about the problem. He had in the past. Palpatine was always willing to lend an ear and let Anakin rant without judgment. But lately, their interactions felt off. He couldn't quite place what had changed, but something had changed. Maybe Palpatine was simply busy with the war. Or maybe Anakin had done something to offend him. But he seemed almost distracted. And therefore his advice wasn't as good. Besides, sometimes he was very critical of the Jedi Order. Anakin didn't need him to be in this instance. He had made a mistake. He needed to know how to fix it. And he got the feeling Palpatine wouldn't be able to help him. 

In the end, he meditated on it and got the answer as to whom he should call. 

"Knight Skywalker, to what do I owe the pleasure," Master Plo's deep, calming, even voice rumbled throughout his chamber. 

"Master Plo, hi. How are you?" Anakin asked, the speech he had practiced going right out of his head. Now, his mind was only filled with static. What even were words, honestly? 

Master Plo observed him for a second. It was strange how expressive his face could be with so much of it covered up. 

"I am fine. Though I do not believe you called to discuss my well-being." 

"Right. Right. I just thought Commander Wolffe might want an update on Rex. I know they're close. Not as close as Cody and Rex, but still close." He winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth. An update on Rex for Wolffe? Really? That was what he was going with? 

Once more, he was observed. "Commander Wolffe does not require an update on Captain Rex. Given that he has just spent the last thirty minutes yelling at him. I was unaware my commander knew so many curse words in so many different languages. Now, please. We are both busy. I very much doubt you called me to give an update on your captain." 

Anakin winced. "Right. Sorry." Just rip off the bandage. Be honest. He could do this. "I needed to talk to someone. And I know what you're going to say. "You should be talking about this with Ob-Wan, your master" but—" 

"Knight Skywalker," Master Plo gently admonished. "Please do not pretend like you can read my mind. Despite what the general public thinks, Jedi are not mind readers. To act like you can will only cause hurt. You are not in my mind. Do not make assumptions based on your own insecurities." 

Anakin winced once more. Master Plo had a way of scolding someone without sounding harsh about it. He didn't know how the man did it but it was amazing. 

"Sorry, you're right. I did think about going to Obi-Wan, but…" 

"Sometimes, we fear talking with the people who know us best. We do not wish to disappoint them. In my experience, this was the main reason I avoided talks with my master. Is this similar to what you're experiencing?" 

Anakin nodded. "Yeah. Something like that. I know he would probably have good advice and whatnot, but he's already so disappointed in me. I don't know if we can talk right now without one or both of us getting upset. How'd you know?" 

Master Plo chuckled. "Believe it or not, I was once a youngling too. I know all about disappointed masters." 

"I highly doubt that. You seem like the perfect Jedi. You and Obi-Wan," he muttered. 

"No one is the perfect Jedi. We all have weaknesses and flaws. We are sentient creatures after all." He once again admonished gently. "Is that what this is about? You do not feel as though you are the perfect Jedi?" 

He sighed. "Kind of. It's about what happened with Rex and Ahsoka. I know I made a mistake leaving Ahsoka with Ponds to go look for Rex myself. But I also don't want to leave people if they're alive. Rex and the others were alive. Shouldn't I have done everything in my power to save them?" 

"A good question. This is not the first time you have gone to save someone close to you. Your mother on Tatooine. Your master on Geonosis. You went to these places despite having other duties. Perhaps your attachments are getting in the way of your duties." 

"How can you say that?" Anakin asked. He started to feel anger rising in him. It always came back to attachments and how he should just ignore his feelings for the sake of some greater mission or purpose or whatever. He had had this argument with Obi-Wan so many times. And he hated that now Master Plo was going to have the same argument with him. 

Master Plo would give some speech about the greater good. Then Anakin would ask how he could possibly ignore suffering. And then Master Plo would say he wasn't ignoring it, they all had duties. And back and forth until one of them hung up frustrated. Great, just what he needed. He came here for help and now he was going to get admonished for it. 

"If I can save someone, then how can I stand by and let them get hurt? Attachments or no, I should do everything in my power to help people." 

Master Plo didn't say anything for a minute. It irritated Anakin to no end, but he decided not to say anything as well. If Master Plo wanted to give him the silent treatment, then he could give it right back. And he would until someone would just come right out and say that saving people didn't matter.

"Perhaps your view on attachments is skewed," Master Plo finally said. 

Anakin stepped back, shocked. So shocked he didn't even have it in him to argue. 

Master Plo didn't seem to notice or mind, plowing right ahead with his thoughts. "It is a hard thing for most Jedi to grasp. Many of us struggle with the balance. Master Kenobi struggles with it as well. His complex history and how Qui-Gon taught him are probably reasons. However, some people can also be more attached to others. Innate temperament, as well as past experiences and your reading of the Jedi code, can vary the understanding of attachments." 

Those were not the words Anakin was expecting. He expected lectures. He expected beratements. He expected speeches about how attachments went against the Jedi Code and blah blah blah. He still couldn't find the words to respond to Master Plo, much less argue with him. 

"The topic of attachments is much debated within the Order as to what actually constitutes an attachment. Dictionary definitions are of no help. If you would like to be technical, I am attached to Ahsoka. To my commander. To my master. My friends who are both Jedi and not. My padawans. I had a pet fish back at the temple I was very fond of. Maybe even attached to. The point is, Knight Skywalker, I care deeply for all these beings. And every Jedi, at least, every good Jedi, has similar attachments." 

Anakin finally got his mind to work. "Then why is it okay for you to have them but not for me?" His head started to spin the way it always did when things started to get contradictory. 

"You can have attachments, Knight Skywalker. But, as with all things, there is a balance that must be had. A line between unhealthy and healthy that cannot be crossed. You have to find that balance. As a Jedi Knight, you have a duty to the galaxy and that duty must come first. That is why trying to find Captain Rex was a mistake. You abandoned your padawan and your mission to do so." 

"But Obi-Wan—" 

"Master Kenobi did not abandon his mission. He sent excess troops or coordinated with volunteers who had no mission to search. You did not. That is the difference."

That… yeah. That made sense. Obi-Wan still completed his mission. Anakin left Ahsoka to do something completely unrelated. If Ponds and Windu weren't there to help her out, she would have been all alone. 

He sighed and sat down heavy on the bed. "I don't know if I can ignore people like that, though. When Obi-Wan was going to be executed, I was afraid the Jedi Council would be too slow to act." He realized what he had said and his eyes widened. "Not that I'm critiquing the council or anything!" 

Master Plo simply laughed. "Knight Skywalker, please, you are not the only one that critiques the council. No organization is perfect and we all have things we'd like to change. I believe Master Kenobi, Vos, and Eerin have… oh, what do they call them? Oh yes, 'bitch sessions' about how the council runs the order." 

Anakin's eyes nearly popped out of his head. 

"And I have, and this will have to stay between us you understand, I have heard Master Windu, on more than one occasion, refer to Master Yoda as 'a little green troll too senile to tie his shoes much less run the Jedi council'." 

Anakin laughed at that. "Seriously?" 

Master Plo put a finger to his face mask. "Strictly between us, you understand?" 

"Yes, Master, I understand." 

"Good, what I'm trying to say is that critique is natural and healthy. Now, back to the matter at hand, what would you have done if Senator Amidala had died in your attempts to save Master Kenobi?" 

"Oh, I hadn't even thought of that." 

He nodded. "Exactly the point. I will readily admit that if I had to choose between saving Captain Rex and saving Commander Wolffe, I would choose Commander Wolffe easily. I don't dislike Captain Rex, but I am not attached to him like I am to Commander Wolffe. But, if saving Commander Wolffe would result in a failed mission or more lives lost, then it is my duty, no matter how hard it may be, to carry out my mission even at the expense of his life." 

"How can you make that decision, though?" 

"Not lightly," Master Plo said gravely. "Though, perhaps this is indicative that the path of Jedi Master is not for you." 

A bolt of panic shot through Anakin. "No! I want to be a Jedi. And Obi-Wan would be so disappointed. And—" 

"Peace, Knight Skywalker," Master Plo said. "I did not mean to frighten you. And, while you will have to speak to Master Kenobi yourself, I do not think he'd be disappointed in you leaving. He himself left for a period when the Jedi order did not support his path. Many of us do leave. Some of us come back. Some of us do not. It is not a mark of failure. It is a mark of strength. Any good master will see that. Besides, there are more paths for a member of the Jedi Order to walk than that of a master. But perhaps that is another conversation to be had at a later date. I would strongly suggest you speak to a mind healer. In fact, I am going to set up an appointment for you right now. It is clear that there is much troubling you. You might benefit from speaking to someone besides Master Kenobi about these issues." 

"I don't think I need a mind healer," Anakin said. 

"Everyone could use someone to talk to on occasion. I know my commander finds them very useful. Every Jedi I know has made use of one at some point or another. Do not let your pride stop you from getting help." Another mild admonishment. 

"Thank you, master," Anakin said. Sometimes he felt like Master Plo and his mom would have gotten along very well. Which was one of the reasons he turned to him in the first place. 

More importantly, he was surprised at how well this conversation had gone. The last time he had spoken with the Chancellor, he got the feeling he would be in more trouble. He always felt that the Jedi wouldn't understand what he was feeling. That they would try to drain him of all his emotions. That they would be disappointed if he tried to critique them. But here he was, being told that it was okay if he wanted to leave the Order, that attachments weren't necessarily a bad thing, and that everyone had opinions from time to time. Where had he gotten the idea that the Jedi would kick him out if he wasn't perfect? 

He wanted to say Palpatine. But, that couldn't be right. Could it? Palpatine only ever helped him. Only ever provided a place for him to speak freely without fear of getting reprimanded. Had he? Now that Anakin was talking to Master Plo, he wasn't so sure. With Master Plo, he felt supported and heard. Now that he was thinking back on his time with Palpatine he felt…