𝗙𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 | anakin skywalker

✰ 80: the galactic empire

"I know we're not who you were expecting to see," Akya's voice boomed throughout the room.  Shouting slowly died down, but quiet chatter continued.  "Especially not this late at night.  But we have something urgent to tell you, and you all deserve to know the truth."  She paused for a moment, looking for how to explain this to these people. She decided to begin simply.

"I am Jedi Padawan Akya Sagral," she introduced.  "My Master is Obi-Wan Kenobi.  This is Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker."

"Traitors!" someone from up above them shouted.

"Down with the Jedi!" another senator outraged.

"We are not the traitors," said Akya.  "But we can tell you who is.  All of it— the Clone Wars, the Republic, the Separatists, every order given to each side, even the Empire, it was all orchestrated by one man— your Emperor."

At this, the people got angry.  They were no longer annoyed, simply tired, or upset to see Jedi— they were aggravated by the fact that they could even suggest such a thing.  Such a horrible accusation.

"Emperor Palpatine was a Sith Lord," Akya said, increasing her volume over the shouts of the senators.  "He was playing a very long game, and he planned to take the entire galaxy.  Sith only want one thing— power.  It is the only thing that they feel will make them happy.  Palpatine, or as he was called, Darth Sidious, was the Sith Lord we had been looking for the entire time.  He pulled the strings of the Clone Wars from both sides.  He killed Jedi Master Mace Windu.  He gave the order for the Clones to kill the Jedi. The Republic did not win the Clone Wars, nor did the Separatists.  Sidious did."

"Where's your proof?" a senator called.  "If you Jedi had been around him all this time, wouldn't you have sensed the darkness or what it is you call it?  I've never seen any signs that the Emperor is a bad person."

"We have evidence that Palpatine was indeed a Sith Lord."  There were whispers for a moment, then another senator spoke up.

"Why do you say 'was' a Sith Lord?  Is he no longer?"

Akya and Anakin glanced at each other.  Her husband gave her a short nod, then she turned back to the audience around her. The senators seemed to stare right through her, waiting for their answer.

"The Emperor is dead," she said.  The chatter increased in volume.  "If we were to end this... to bring back peace to the galaxy, he had to die.  He was killing innocents.  Blaming the Jedi for actions they were not responsible for. The only traitor in our current situation is the Emperor.  Not the Jedi, not the Senate, not the Separatists. Emperor Palpatine begun all of this, and to end it, he had to die."

"It was over!" one of the senators shouted.  "The Clone Wars were finished, and we were rebuilding into the first Galactic Empire!"

"The Empire was only the beginning!" said Anakin loudly, stepping forward with confidence that Akya had not seen from him in a very long time. "He was going to phase out the senate, and begin placing his own loyal servants in charge of every planet in the Empire.  With both the Separatists and the Republic under his rule, he would be unstoppable. He would continue searching for power, because this is what Sith do.  They seek power, and destroy thousands in the process. And they don't ever stop."

"We still haven't seen any proof!" said the senator that had asked for it in the first place.  "Our Emperor is dead, and we still have no concrete evidence that any of your empty words are true."

"What we have for you today is only the beginning," explained Akya, as Anakin inserted the data into the main computer to show them the recording. "We will continue to search, so that we can make this right."  As she finished her sentence, the hologram began to play for the entire Senate.  They watched in disbelief as their Emperor lit up a lightsaber and made the first move toward three Jedi.  The recorders on the cameras weren't as great for video, so the only sounds you could hear were the clashing of lightsabers. They watched him use the Force to his advantage, pushing them aside as if they were nothing.  The Senate watched the recording in near silence as he knocked out Ahsoka, then Obi-Wan, all with a sinister smile on his face.

"He had plans for all of this," said Akya, signaling Anakin to stop the playback.  She did not want the Senate to watch she and Anakin kill the Sith Lord, nor to know who had finally done it in the end. "The Clone War was a long and elaborate plot to bring the death of the Jedi, whether through direct fighting or through the betrayal of the clones, whose brains were hard wired to turn on the Jedi once Palpatine gave the order.  There was nothing we could have done to prevent any of it."

The senate whispered amongst themselves, but said nothing to the two Jedi.  The energy in the room was tense.  Everyone seemed to have questions yet no one seemed to know exactly what to ask.  Akya couldn't hear any of what they said to each other, as their whispers were so many, she was overwhelmed with what to pay attention to. The irrefutable evidence had overwhelmed them, too, and with this sudden truth revealed, something they were never supposed to find out, they weren't sure what the next course of action was supposed to be.  The Jedi were dead.  They had no protectors. The Emperor was dead.  They had no leader.  Would the clones follow their orders?  Would they continue building the Empire?

"I can sense you are all confused," said Akya, finally speaking up after many minutes of leaving the Senate be.  "I am, too.  The Jedi Order has been eradicated.  Anakin and I are two of very few that are left.  My suggestion to you is to use this emergency meeting to nominate a new Emperor, Chancellor, whatever you would like to call this position, or select something temporary.  I only have one piece of advice: make the right choice."

"Thank you for your time," said Anakin, bowing slightly.  "Best of luck to all of you."

They left the senators with this, their chatter growing louder as the center stage lowered and dropped the two Jedi off in the Chancellor's chambers.  They left the Senate building without a word, and arrived to find Rex sitting outside the ship, keeping watch for the night.

"How did it go?" was all he asked. 

"I suppose we'll see in the morning," said Akya.

Rex nodded.  "Get some rest," he said. "Both of you."

"Thanks, Rex," added Anakin.  The Captain nodded to them both again, and the couple headed inside, each taking a place on a bunk inside the ship's quarters. Both of them closed their eyes, pretending to be fast asleep— though neither Akya nor Anakin got a wink of rest that night.

a.n.:

i did my best with this one guys. hopefully it's serious enough.

ohhh we are getting to the end. only 4 chapters left after this. 

I love you. don't forget to vote ♡ 

Molly