Chapter 6 – Until It's Too Late

Anakin stood in the elevator that would take him to the Council, waiting for the doors to close. He wondered what the Council wanted from him. Apart from his last mission on Alderaan he couldn't think of anything. When the doors finally closed, the elevator slid, rapidly as it was, up the central tower of the temple. Anakin hadn't really liked the feeling before, but over time he'd gotten used to it. The tower was glassed on one side, allowing the young Jedi to see outside with ease. Ever since Palpatine took power, Coruscant seemed to have withered away. The war had left visible traces. Also on the big city planet.

As soon as the doors opened, he startled. He'd been too deep in thought; too glad he hadn't followed Palpatine down the path of the dark side. That would have had fatal consequences. If he only thought of Padmé, these consequences were so devastating that he entered the Council chamber without a second thought.

Around him he saw many well-known members of the Jedi Council: Obi-Wan, Shaak Ti, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Ki -Adi Mundi, Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin and the rest had either been killed or were on a mission, like Master Yoda for example. Anakin placed himself in the middle of the chamber and waited. Obi-Wan gave Anakin an odd look. Almost sad. What was going on?

After a while, Mace Windu spoke up and looked intently at the Jedi. Somehow, he seemed overconfident. Questions plagued Anakin. He felt a sudden pang in his heart. "Anakin, we didn't ask you here for no reason. There's something we need to tell you. I'll get straight to the point. It's about Senator Amidala ."

Now Anakin grew really worried. Had anything happened? But he had been with her not too long ago. In addition, the Council had asked for his presence beforehand. "Did something happen?"

"Indeed," Master Plo began. "Master Windu has been investigating Palpatine and..."

"...and Mace claims Senator Amidala is a spy of his." Kit Fisto quickly finished the sentence.

That hit home. Anakin looked around, flabbergasted. Did he get that right?! Padmé, his Padmé, the most wonderful wife in this galaxy, was supposed to be a spy for Emperor Palpatine, despite years of campaigning in the Senate for peace and an end to war? "That ... that's supposed to be a joke, right?!"

Mace grinned confidently. "No, young Skywalker, this is not a joke. I've done a lot of research and have come to this conclusion. Senator Amidala is one of Palpatine's minions, I have no doubt about that. And for your information, Master Fisto: I'm not claiming it, I know for sure."

Anakin found his anger against Windu rising. How dare he accuse Padmé of such a thing?! Seconds later he heard his own voice thundering through the chamber: "You are sorely mistaken! Padmé would never work for a dictator!" He practically screamed the words.

"It shocked me too, Skywalker, but I have proof."

Shocked, Anakin's gaze wandered to Obi-Wan, but he found no comfort in his old master. He hardly seemed composed himself. "Come on, Windu , tell me. If you have proof, then out with it!" Mace let the words trail off, then slowly reached into his robes, revealing a data-pad. He's playing for time, Anakin thought to himself. But why?

After a while, Mace Windu started explaining, "So point one: Senator Amidala and Palpatine are both from Naboo and knew each other before they got into politics. Point two: Amidala helped Palpatine rise to the position of Supreme Chancellor, and that's the most important of all points!"

When Mace paused, Anakin smirked. He knew that Padmé had helped Palpatine to rise as queen, but she had always resisted his police statistics and when he had become Emperor, she had blamed herself for a long time and hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a long time.

"Point Three: they have a very good 'relationship' with each other, but I'm sure we all already know that."

Anakin had heard Master Windu put extra emphasis on the word 'relationship'. Was he suggesting a relationship that was more than just friendship? "Master Windu, be honest, why would Padmé do that? She has always advocated for peace!"

Again, Mace took too long to answer the question. It was all just cover during the Clone Wars, he claimed. The hot-headed Jedi was sure: Windu wanted to buy time. But why? "I have one last question. What are you going to do with her now?" This time there was no answer. He looked around confused. His master looked at him anguished. Something went wrong here. That Windu accused Padmé anyway, but something else.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan finally tried to begin. "Master Windu has ... has ..." He trailed off. What did that mean? He looked around desperately.

"What did Windu do?! " Anakin got angry.

"I have issued an arrest warrant for her. She is being arrested for treason."

Anakin charged at Windu and let out a vicious scream. "YOU HAVE ARRESTED HER?!?!"

Before Anakin could reach Windu, Obi-Wan jumped up and stopped his former padawan from smacking Mace with his lightsaber. "Anakin, it's alright. Nothing reason to get upset."

Now Anakin really started to rage. "ALRIGHT?!?! MASTER THIS FOOL OF A JEDI JUST HAD MY WIFE ARRESTED FOR SOME EVIDENCE!!!" Suddenly he stopped. Everything became clear to him. Why was Windu wasting time? So Anakin himself wouldn't be with Padmé when they arrested her! Mace had known that he would have done anything to protect Padmé from the Jedi Guardians. He felt so stupid. "There will be a sincere aftermath, Master 'I know better and I can arrest the innocent easily'!" With that, he turned and stormed out of the Council chamber.

Mace Windu stayed behind with the rest of the members, amazed at Skywalker's daring to insult a Master. Only Obi-Wan couldn't help but grin.

Anakin sprinted down the hallways of the temple, trying to reach Padmé. After many unsuccessful attempts to contact her via commlink, he now tried the hologram. Lo and behold, it worked! "Anakin?" Little blue Padmé looked at him with big questioning eyes. "Is the council meeting over yet?"

"Padmé! Where are you?!"

"In the apartment, where else? Is everything alright, Ani? You look worried ..."

Anakin interrupted her. "I'll come as soon as I can. Just stay where you are and please don't leave the apartment!"

She nodded in surprise and wanted to continue. But she turned sideways as if she had heard a noise. Anakin saw her shocking eyes. "Anakin?! Help!" She screamed desperately for him as soon as gloved arms grabbed her. He heard something like, "In the name of the Jedi, we have orders to arrest you," then the connection dropped.

oOo

Padmé was just about to fold her clothes into a neat pile when she heard her holoprojector. She quickly activated it and saw her Anakin. "Anakin?" It had only been an hour and a half. Otherwise, the Council meetings always lasted much longer. "Is the council meeting over yet?" she asked her husband in surprise. She saw by his hologram that he was running. Was something wrong? When she heard his voice, she began to shiver.

"Padmé! Where are you?!"

Where should she be? Where she always was when he was gone. "In the apartment, where else? Is everything alright, Ani? You look worried ..."

Anakin interrupted her. Padmé could actually feel his panic. "I'll come as soon as I can. Just stay where you are and please don't leave the apartment!"

He was acting strange. Padmé was about to dig deeper when she suddenly heard a noise from the hallway. She turned sideways so she could look down the hallway and startled. Four Jedi Guardians were standing there, spotted her and came towards her. Padmé seized her last chance and yelled, "Anakin?! Help!"

Then one of the guards said: "In the name of the Jedi, we have orders to arrest you!" With the Force, the hologram was ripped from her and shattered into pieces.

Padmé tried to break away from the gloved guard and fled to the door. The four figures followed her. As she stormed out of the apartment, she bumped into someone and fell to the ground. As fast as she could, Padmé scrambled to her feet and saw Anakin already standing up and grabbing her hand. He pulled her up. The Jedi Guardians were already arresting Padmé, but Anakin protectively positioned himself in front of her.

"Master Skywalker, please move out of the way."

"You will not take Senator Amidala with you. Mace Windu's investigations are flawed!" Padmé peeked out from behind her husband.

"We don't care. As long as Master Yoda isn't here, he's in charge. And our orders are: Arrest Padmé Amidala for treason. Now get out of the way!"

But Anakin didn't move. One of the rear guards discreetly pressed his commlink. After further failed communications with the young Jedi, they activated their lightsabers. Just then, another unit of Jedi Guardians appeared at the end of the hall, with reinforcements from Shaak Ti and Obi-Wan.

As they got closer, Obi-Wan called out to his former Padawan. "Anakin be reasonable. I don't believe Windu very much either, but you mustn't oppose him. You can accompany Padmé."

"Sorry, Master Kenobi, but Senator Amidala is being taken to the lowest levels of the temple for interrogation. Only security personnel have free access there because the prison is also located there."

"What is going on here?" Now Padmé intervened personally.

"Senator, you are being arrested for treason. You are facing a trial for espionage against the Jedi."

Everyone looked to the young senator to see her reaction, but the 'political mask' gave nothing away. Padmé had always been good at suppressing her emotions. She still held on to Anakin with one hand. Who became more and more angry. "As long as I'm here, no one will harm her or come near her!" One could hear the confidence in his voice.

"Anakin, please don't make this any harder than it already is." Obi-Wan had always been the one who wanted to negotiate. But Anakin stood firm.

Then one of the guards suddenly drew a small pistol. Did they want to shoot Skywalker? He took aim and fired. Anakin couldn't react fast enough and slowly his eyes went black. He slid to the ground unconscious just in time to hear his wife's screams frantically calling for him and the cries for help as she was grabbed and dragged away ...