HP:Lost and longing

Chancellor Palpatine was having a meeting with several Senators via holonet. He was speaking with three representatives who were seeking reassurances on a tax bill related to the war.

It was one of many measures he had lined up to pass prior to his ascension to Emperor

It would allow him as Emperor to, when pressed by adversaries he couldn't simply kill or make disappear, assure others that he had by no means raised taxes or introduced new curbs on liberties over what they had enjoyed under the previous corrupt and useless regime.

He would in fact roll back these measures slightly if possible in some cases. What was left unsaid in the meeting was that the tax hike was over 100% more than what was actually needed at present.

Long experience had him keep his friendly and open demeanor with ease, as he discussed the most recent tax proposal. Through long practice and experience, no trace of his true feelings as he spoke with the subhumans leaked through.

Palpatine had little trouble keeping his demeanor friendly, he had been very pleased for several days now. He worried about tipping his hand too much with the Jedi. But after the recent fiasco regarding the Jedi traitor, one publicly broadcast across the Republic, along with reports of bounties being placed on the head of Jedi and several timely complaints from various business interests in Hutt space, he had been able to move up his plan to further cement his control over Anakin Skywalker.

Expressing to the Jedi Council that it was a way for him to stay aware of the things happening and that he represented the people's interests had been the tipping point. He was aware that Master Yoda and Master Windu both were very displeased at the interference, but that they also agreed to his request. No doubt to keep a closer eye on him, the Jedi were so easy to read when they tried to manipulate things.

They couldn't have acted any more favorably for Palpatine if he had scripted it himself. They had allowed Anakin as a Chancellor's representative, but had been very petty in denying him the simple respect of being called a Master. Palpatine barely had to nudge events and they were driving the boy away from them and into his control.

It was that same experience that had him quickly terminate the entire transmission with the press of a button before he let the shock show on his face as the Force suddenly swarmed over him, with an angry roar, briefly breaking every hold he had on the techniques that kept him hidden from the eyes of the Jedi while simultaneously blinding them from their own senses.

He had no concern for the meeting, nor of the effects it would have on his short-term list of goals to accomplish. He would simply blame an equipment malfunction later. His hands braced on the desk as he felt the Force continue to not only wash over him, but bombard him in almost a tangible attack. Somewhere, someone had utilized the Force in a massively complex and undeniably powerful manner.

He had never felt something like this in his life. The amount of power that had just shot through him left his entire body numb as he re-established his own protections that kept him hidden from the senses of the Jedi. It was as if the entire Force was roaring with vigor.

There was a new player on the board.

Someone who did not serve the dark side.

Someone who previously had not been foreseen by his sight at any point before now.

Someone who had not been taken into account when his plans to dominate the Galaxy had been made.

It was a spiritual, emotional, and metaphorical bomb that had gone off in the Force.

By the way the tremors affected him personally, it showed Palpatine that this new player had made a move on the board, and had likely taken a number of his own pieces down without his knowledge they were even vulnerable in the first place.

His own Master would've called this failure to anticipate, see, and account for this eventuality as weakness. If there was anything he hated, it was weakness. Weakness had to be purged by the fires of the Dark Side, turning the cleansing into a victory for himself. The problem though, loathe as he was to admit it, was that he had no idea where to begin.

But he had never, in his life felt the Force move on such a vast scale and had no idea just how it was accomplished.

Palpatine knew that somehow, the very nature of the Force had just shifted on its axis, even if he didn't understand how or what the implications were. At least not yet.

He would need to find out who and what had caused this and he needed to know immediately.

Mace Windu was meditating alone in one of the darkened meditation rooms. As he so often found himself doing, he had been trying to feel the currents of the Force for any glimpse, however brief, it might give him of the paths of the future.

Learning that Aayla Secura and Ahsoka Tano of all people were able to experience a true Force vision, when none of the other members of the Order sans Master Yoda were capable of such a thing anymore had been a massive blow to his ego.

Still, it was a bit of hope that they could push back the Darkness that threatened to overwhelm his brothers and sisters a bit more every day.

He just needed to remain vigilant, and prepare himself for whenever the Force did manage to find a way for him to pierce the shroud that blanketed his senses. All of a sudden that shroud he tried to pierce with such futility was abruptly jerked back, and Mace abruptly found himself staring a bright and overwhelming light that swamped over him and overwhelmed his senses in moments.

It was such a shock to his system, that he cried out as it overwhelmed him.

He had never experienced anything like it and the last thought he had before he lost consciousness was that someone had done something to the Force, and it had fundamentally changed.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was standing with Master Plo Koon and Anakin Skywalker. They were currently on one of the command vessels en route to Rothana. An emergency signal had come in saying the planet was under attack by Separatists forces. Most concerning was that the attack was being led by The Invisible Hand, General Grievous' personal command ship.

It had interrupted their original mission which was to support the effort to once more retake the hyperspace trade routes near Sullust. They had made minimal progress in the area, though the Separatists hadn't reinforced their forces there much either.

They had been forced to divert their course to Rothana with all haste. They had been close to Rothana and were simply in transit when they had gotten the message. But even at top speed though their position was nearly an hour and a half. The three Jedi were discussing strategy on their counter offensive with one of the clone troopers, when they were interrupted by the sudden attack in the region. Though it was fair to say Obi-Wan and Plo Koon were talking. Anakin was barely paying attention. Obi-Wan knew his former padawan was still frustrated and more than a little resentful of the Council, given what he had viewed as his recent humiliation.

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