Two weeks had passed since they began discovering Palpatine's factories across the universe. The situation was bleak. Now that they knew Palpatine controlled both the Republic and the Separatists, they understood where all the funds to build the largest navy they could have imagined were coming from. They had sabotaged many of them, but they kept reappearing. Obi-Wan and Anakin were considering telling the Council, but they feared that this new ally of Palpatine, the one Han had mentioned, might even be a member. They couldn't trust anyone, not yet. They also hadn't been able to locate the mysterious man who had saved them on Mustafar, but they found it strange that Luke wasn't even trying to investigate.
"Luke," Leia said, entering the room they shared in the temple. Padmé had suggested they stay with her, but they insisted the Jedi would be suspicious, especially given the twins' resemblance to their parents.
"Is something wrong?" Luke asked gently, seemingly lost in thought.
"You know who that guy is, right?" Leia asked, and Luke looked at her in surprise.
"Why do you think that?"
"I'm your twin. I can feel you've been different since that day, Luke. You have to say who it is. I know you know," Leia said, hugging her brother.
"I promise I'll tell you as soon as I'm sure," Luke said, kissing his brother's hair.
"What's wrong?" Han asked, entering the room.
"It's nothing," Leia smiled, and Han gave her a quick kiss.
"Aren't you afraid of Dad anymore?" Luke asked, teasing Han.
"Nobody saw me come in," Han smiled, sitting on the bed and hugging Leia. "Besides, he doesn't want to kill me. That's enough for me."
"You have a lot of self-confidence," Leia smiled.
"You love me like this," Han smiled, and Luke rolled his eyes.
"You know it," Leia said.
They continued talking for several minutes, but there was no way Luke would confess who that person was.
Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Anakin were meditating in the gardens of the Jedi Temple.
"What's troubling you, Master?" Ahsoka asked.
"I think Luke knows who the man who saved us on Mustafar is."
"Have you tried asking him?" Obi-Wan asked.
"It's not that simple."
"Are you kidding?" "Just push him a little and he'll talk," Ahsoka joked. "It's just like talking to you."
"Are you saying I can't keep a secret under pressure?" Anakin asked, offended.
"I'm just saying you and Luke are easy to read," Ahsoka said. "Once someone gets to know you."
"That's not true," Anakin growled.
"Remember that time the HoloNews said Padmé and Senator Organa were having an affair?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Oh, I do," Ahsoka said, laughing. "He flew back to Coruscant so fast we thought we were traveling faster than light."
"He was just in a hurry to get there," Anakin said irritably, remembering the HoloNews situation. How could anyone even think his Padmé and Senator Organa could be having an affair? It was stupid.
"You made a seven-hour flight in just two," Obi-Wan said, and Ahsoka smiled.
"Do you remember when you scolded me for taking Padmé to see her Separatist friend?" Ahsoka asked, laughing.
"Because you weren't authorized to do so. You fraternized with the enemy."
"But I think you were upset because you thought someone else had accompanied us."
"You imagine things," Anakin said, annoyed.
"Have you heard from Lux Bonteri again?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at Ahsoka, and Anakin raised an eyebrow.
"No," Ahsoka replied, blushing.
"Was he the one who kissed the girl in front of you?" Anakin asked, and Ahsoka lowered her gaze, then silently withdrew. Anakin didn't apologize.
"Is he the one who kissed the girl in front of you?" "You don't have to be so hard on her," Obi-Wan commented.
"First he hurt her with that 'lethal guard' thing, then he kissed a girl right in front of her. Do you know how much it affected her? She was lucky she was able to tell me after I insisted so much," Anakin said, remembering how depressed Ahsoka had been.
"The girl died. I think she was depressed about that," Obi-Wan recalled.
"Anyway, I don't want her to suffer, and I won't let anyone make her suffer," Anakin said, and Obi-Wan smiled.
Anakin searched the temple for Han but couldn't find him anywhere. Obi-Wan was waiting for them at the council.
"Leia, have you seen your idiot boyfriend?" Anakin asked, entering the twins' room and finding Luke asleep and Han kissing Leia.
"Here he is," Leia replied, blushing.
"I was just coming out to look for you," Han said, standing up as fast as his will to live would allow.
"Come on," Anakin said, grabbing Han by the collar and pushing him out of Leia's room.
Anakin reached the council, pushing Han. Everyone stared at the scene with frowns, except for Obi-Wan, who was trying not to laugh.
"Here's the information," Han said, handing it to Master Windu.
"Here's the information." They observed the information on a holopad and realized this was bigger than they had thought.
"We're talking about a betrayal by the Senate," said Master Windu.
"We weren't wrong; the Senate is conspiring against us," commented Master Yoda.
"Are you saying the clones are prepared to kill us?" asked Master Mundi.
"It seems so," Obi-Wan commented. "This is serious, very serious."
"In light of this, it is important that we know the future," Yoda said, looking directly at Anakin.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Han asked, and all the masters seemed to hesitate.
"The dark side has limited our ability to see what is happening in the galaxy," Master Windu admitted. "We have no other choice. It is our wish to let those who have come to help from the future do so in the way they see fit, but I fear this is getting out of hand."
"I will discuss this with them," Anakin said, leaving the room, followed by Han.
"What has happened to Skywalker?" Mace Windu asked.
"That's none of our business," Master Yoda said, and Mace Windu nodded, not very pleased.
"I must go," said Obi-Wan.
Master Yoda asked him to tell Anakin that he needed to see him, and Obi-Wan caught up with Anakin not long after.
"What do you plan to do, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, sounding nervous for the first time.
"I don't know, Master," said Anakin, who seemed genuinely worried.
"Yoda needs to speak with you. I think you need to see him before making a decision," suggested Obi-Wan, and Anakin nodded.
Anakin sighed nervously before entering Master Yoda's chamber.
"Did you summon me, Master?" Anakin asked, and Yoda gestured for him to sit.
"You don't want to put your family in danger," Yoda said, looking at him with a smile, but Anakin was frozen, barely able to speak at that moment.
"The Force is timeless, that's why your children are here now. Have you forgotten that Master Kenobi and I sent them here?" Yoda asked, laughing at Anakin's surprised expression.
"Master, how did you know? You weren't supposed to tell anyone. How?" Anakin asked, more stammering than speaking.
"I have been meditating. The Force has given me interesting visions of the future," Yoda smiled.
"Will I be banished?" Anakin asked, trying to accept his fate.
"I have known since the day the twins arrived," Yoda said, and Anakin fell silent, staring at the ground. It was the end.
"Does the Council know?"
"They must know. I have searched my memories of the future," Yoda said, and Anakin remembered that Anakin had done the same with him.
" "Leia, Leia did something similar with me, to search through Vader's memories," Anakin said, and Yoda nodded.
"Vader is a powerful enemy, but that future has vanished," Yoda said, and Anakin smiled hopefully.
"Has she seen him too? Is what Yoda says true?" Anakin asked hopefully. Was he no longer going to become Vader?
"Is he really going to become Vader?" "It's true, yes, you won't become Vader, but Palpatine will have a powerful ally," said Yoda.
"Do you know who he is, Master?" asked Anakin.
"I cannot say, for in the distant future that will happen. Time has changed us too much. Trying to stop him now will only make it more likely," said Yoda.
"A long time?" asked Anakin.
"It is important to stop Palpatine now. That will only be the first battle," explained Yoda.
"Do you mean that future depends on whether we defeat him now?" asked Anakin.
"The future is uncertain, but we cannot prevent the Empire if we don't stop it now," explained Yoda, and Anakin nodded.
"I will tell the truth, Master. Will I be expelled?" asked Anakin, feeling nostalgic.
"You may be surprised when you tell the truth," said Yoda, striking him with his staff.
"Hey, why was that?" asked Anakin, surprised.
"Similar, father and son," smiled Yoda, and Anakin withdrew, confused. From the room, he needed to speak with his children and they needed to call Padmé.
Two hours later they were gathered in the temple gardens. Padmé arrived with Ahsoka, who had left to give them more privacy.
"Do you think this will be the best option, Ani?" Padmé asked. This could certainly mean his expulsion.
"Master Yoda already knows. I think he always knew."
"How did he find out?" Luke asked.
"The same way Leia delved into my memories," Anakin replied.
"I think it will be a good idea," Leia suggested. "We're almost at the end of this battle. The factories keep appearing, and the Jedi are losing strength to the dark side."
"Whatever your decision, I will support you," Padmé said, smiling.
"We'll go speak with the council right now," Anakin smiled. He would no longer hide. Everyone would know about his marriage, and whatever the decision, he would be happy to face it alongside his family.
Padme hugged and kissed him, not caring if anyone saw them, and many did. At first, several seemed surprised and ignored them, but they couldn't possibly understand what that simple image meant.