159474808X (10 page)

ANAKIN

This doth but mean more action, less delay.

Do you think ’tis a problem? Surely not!

We sooner shall this awful war conclude.

OBI-WAN

Be cautious, Anakin, of Palpatine.

ANAKIN

Eh, wherefore cautious? What is it you mean?

OBI-WAN

He wills that thou shouldst meet him privately.

ANAKIN

But to what end?

OBI-WAN

—That secret he’d not tell.

ANAKIN

He kept the matter from the Council? Strange.

OBI-WAN

’Tis passing strange, this circumstance entire,

And maketh me uneasy in the height.

ANAKIN

I shall away to him to hear his words,

And shall report to you what he doth will.

OBI-WAN

Behold, he comes, and I shall hence away.

I put my faith in thee, brave Anakin.

[Exit Obi-Wan.

Enter
C
HANCELLOR
P
ALPATINE
.

PALPATINE

My friend, dear Anakin, I’d speak with thee.

Indeed, into thy confidence I come,

And hope thou shalt have cause to trust me, yea?

ANAKIN

My noble sir, you have my trust complete.

PALPATINE

The Chancellor doth need thine help, my son.

ANAKIN

What is’t you mean? How may I be of use?

PALPATINE

My future doth depend upon you, lad.

ANAKIN

So have you said, yet what the matter is

To me is yet unknown. Shall you reveal

The thing?—for still I do not understand.

PALPATINE

I would that thou becomest eyes and ears

And voice for our Republic, Anakin.

I hereby do appoint thee as mine own

Sole representative unto the Council.

ANAKIN

You would make me a Master? Can it be?

This honor that you proffer doth o’erwhelm.

The Council, though, its members do elect,

And shall accept appointment from no one,

Not even your esteem’d and noble self.

PALPATINE

I think they shall accept, for they need thee.

Indeed, thy pow’r is precious unto them:

Not for a billion credits would they see

Thee make departure from their merry band.

Shalt thou accept?

ANAKIN

—Where you lead, I shall serve.

[Exit Palpatine.

Enter
Y
ODA
, M
ACE
W
INDU
, K
I
-A
DI
-M
UNDI
other
MEMBERS OF THE
J
EDI
C
OUNCIL
,
and
O
BI
-W
AN
K
ENOBI
.

YODA

Dear, young Anakin,

The Council hath learn’d about

The chancellor’s choice.

Allow it we shall—

Palpatine’s strange appointment—

Yet not without pause.

Most disturbing ’tis

This move by the chancellor:

Unconventional.

ANAKIN

I understand, good Master Yoda, and

In part agree; his wish astonish’d me.

MACE

We do elect thee to the Council, yea,

But grant thee not the rank of Master yet,

For Palpatine—he the negotiator—

Shall not permitted be to force our hand.

ANAKIN

What did you say? How can this be?—say how!

’Tis monstrous and it hath no precedent.

You act not fairly—when has there e’er been

A Jedi on the Council who had not

The rank of Master yet achiev’d? ’Twas ne’er!

Such madness never was conceiv’d before.

MACE

We have done what was ask’d; seek not for extras.

Pray, sit thou down ere thou regret’st thy words.

ANAKIN

Forgive me, Master; I myself forgot.

OBI-WAN

[
aside:
] The youth’s reaction tells a tale entire:

He seeketh power, not the Council’s will.

KI-ADI

All the Republic’s systems, near and far,

Have been survey’d, but neither hide nor hair

Of Gen’ral Grievous hath discover’d been.

YODA

In the Outer Rim

Hideth General Grievous:

Sweep systems far-off.

OBI-WAN

The ships we have to spare are few enough.

KI-ADI

What of the Wookiees, by the droids attack’d?

What shall we do, this new threat to address?

MACE

’Tis critical we send a swift attack

Group, there to aid the Wookiees in their homes

Amidst the trees—lounge ’round and let them die

We certainly may not. ’Tis not our way.

OBI-WAN

Wise Master Windu speaketh sensibly:

Their system is too valuable to lose.

YODA

Go thither I shall,

For in the Wookiees’ graces

Good I do reside.

MACE

’Tis settl’d. Master Yoda shall a clone

Battalion take withal, unto the home

Of th’brave and kindly Wookiees on Kashyyyk.

The Force be ever with us all, my friends.

[Exeunt all except Obi-Wan and Anakin.

ANAKIN

I prithee, Master, what’s this gibberish?

To place me on the Jedi Council yet

Deny me rank of Master! Wherefore, eh?

Ne’er in the long and gallant history

Of Jedi Knights hath such as this been done.

It more than disappoints: it gives offense.

Methinks ’twould better for me be, mayhap,

If I did tell my sorrows to the stones,

Who, though they cannot answer my distress,

Yet in some sort are better than the Council,

For that they will not intercept my tale:

When I do weep, they humbly at my feet

Receive my tears and seem to weep with me;

And, were they but attirèd in grave weeds,

Coruscant could afford none like to these.

A stone is soft as wax, the Jedi harder,

A stone is silent and offendeth not,

Whilst Jedi by decrees doom me to shame.

OBI-WAN

O, Anakin, calm thy most anguish’d mind.

In truth, thou hast an honor vast been giv’n:

Mayhap ’tis true none e’er were on the Council

Lest they were also as a Master rank’d,

Yet it is true as well the Council ne’er

Hath let a one so young as thee be on’t.

This hath no precedent in either case.

Thou, Anakin, art far too close unto

The cunning chancellor. The Council doth

Reject his bold attempts to interfere

In Jedi matters. Hast thou eyes to see?

ANAKIN

Sir, by my troth, I never ask’d to be

Upon the Council.

OBI-WAN

—Yet ’twas thy desire.

Thy friendship with the chancellor hath brought

Thee dividends.

ANAKIN

—’Tis not the matter here.

OBI-WAN

Nay, nay, for truly ’tis the matter whole;

The Council hath accepted Palpatine’s

Appointment for one reason, one alone:

The chancellor doth place his trust in thee.

ANAKIN

What seed’s therein that bears the Council fruit?

OBI-WAN

Brave Anakin, I’d help thee as I may:

Thine interests are ever in mine heart.

I would not place thee in this grave position.

ANAKIN

And what, good sir, is this position, eh?

OBI-WAN

The Council wills that thou dost bring report

O’er all the dealings of the chancellor.

They would be of his movements well-inform’d.

ANAKIN

I am to prove a turncoat and become

A spy unto my friend the chancellor?

Such action’s treason.

OBI-WAN

—We are men at war.

’Tis treason none to make a sure defense.