There
is many things that Sheev Palpatine is and is not.

He
is a good actor but he’s not a good man.

He
is good at pretending to be benign and hides his desire for violence
and power beneath a grandfatherly exterior
he has long cultivated and made people trust.

He’s
also a conniving, power hungry but patient man with
a hunger for knowledge.

He
is also sure that he has the scope of Kenobi and Skywalker’s
ability and knows exactly how to twist both around.

Until
the latter comes gliding
into the Senate halls at Skywalker’s side, the blond looking
perturbed and obviously either does not know
what Kenobi is doing.

But
the man is gliding.

He’s
gliding past senator’s and aid’s with the ease of someone sure of
themselves, his hair waving lightly at the air passing around him as
he smiles humbly.

He
is gliding
and Sheev can’t hear the whirl of mechanics at use, the man is
wearing his normal boots if more neatly polished and there is not a
sign of the Force at use either.

Darth
Sidious thought he had the full scope of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s ability
but he has to rethink things, the spider crawling back into his net
as he watches Kenobi pause to speak with Senator Organa, the
alderaani prince
glancing down at Kenobi’s shoes often and looking equally
gobsmacked as everyone else.

If
Kenobi can do this with nary even a tickle of the Force… what else
can he do?

What
has Sidious missed with his focus on Skywalker and his ideas for the
galaxy to come under his own thumb?

What
has he missed with Kenobi, where is the line for his powers if he can
do this.

Sidious
is nothing if not patient.

He
will figure out this threat and until then… he can wait and he can
watch.

()()()

Pressing
her hand to her mouth, Padme watched Obi-Wan karking glide
through the hall at Bail’s side, the two speaking about some kind
of adventure they had together.

She
could faintly catch the words Zigoola and shoulder carrying as the
two continued further down the hall before she turned to look at
Anakin with wide eyes, the Jedi knight staring just as much back at
her as they remained hidden behind the pillars.

For
several seconds neither said anything until Padme weakly gestured
with her free hand the way Obi-Wan had gone, several aid’s and
senator’s still staring that way.

Anakin
just shrugged weakly, opened his mouth only to shut up when R2D2
bleeped in binary, the others face turning a bit sour. “Oh shut up
R2, that wasn’t funny. My master isn’t half machine.” He huffed
then shuddered a bit.

Padme
got why.

The
other was thinking about Grievous and all the encounters Jedi had
with him. Of course it would get to him a bit to imagine his very
beloved master as a half mechanic thing.

“I
still don’t understand what’s going on.” She mumbled, letting
her hand drop from her mouth.

Shrugging
weakly, Anakin rubbed the back of his neck. “Honestly? No one
does. The council all looked like gaping fish when he slid to his
chair and I don’t know how to ask him what the hell he’s doing.
There isn’t even a whisper of the Force as he moves about so I
don’t think it’s that?”
Anakin face was confused, maybe a bit outraged.

But
mostly just confused as the two turned to look the way Obi-Wan had
gone once more.

How
the hell was the Jedi doing that!?

And
what did it mean for everyone else if not even the Jedi council could
tell what Obi-Wan was doing.