Anakin walked down the halls of the Senate Building, easily navigating the semi-busy walkways (there must be a session today) and hoping he didn't look as stiff as he felt. They'd decided that it would be too suspicious if he was escorted this time, and so he'd come over to the building with the rest of his fellow Ambassador initiates.

It had been a nerve-wracking ride. They'd arrived on time and had all exchanged friendly nods and well wishes before breaking off to head to their respective assignments. Anakin hoped his smiles, nods and words hadn't looked too false.

Right now, he was focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and breathing. He was also going over the information that he'd made up about the "new" slave owner who had been on the run from a core world.

Sornta Rekiv (a combination of two officers he'd had under him... before he'd killed them, although he tried not to think of that). Anakin, as a slave, wouldn't know what planet he came from, simply that it was a core world as the guy had supposedly spoken of that a couple of times.

When he and his mother had first been 'won' by him, he'd seemed like a kindly old-man, perhaps new to Tatooine's culture. He'd liked to try and play Anakin against his mother by using what seemed like kind words at the time, but he'd taken great pleasure in emotionally torturing them. It had only been later, after he'd changed, that it had taken a turn to physical beatings. Then he'd lost both of them betting to Watto.

It was a simple story that left a lot of room for interpretation and embellishment, which meant that he could add in any details taken from his time under Palpatine that he needed to make the story more detailed.

He was deciding what exactly he should start with or how he should present the data he needed to get across when someone calling his name brought him up short. He blinked and turned, seeing a familiar, smiling face come towards him.

"Senator Antilles," he said with a slight bow and a small, relieved smile as the man walked up to him, followed by another familiar face. Anakin tried not to stare at a very young Bail Organa, but it was not easy.

"I heard that you were sick last week," the Senator said with a bow of his own and a worried expression. Anakin wondered just where he'd heard that from. As far as he knew, the Senator didn't have a Jedi Ambassador this shuffling.

Still, Anakin simply waved it off, hoping he projected a casual air believably. "It wasn't anything very serious. It seems I have a mild allergy to some nuts that has developed recently. The healers simply wanted to keep me overnight to make sure it didn't get worse, but it was not remotely dangerous."

"That's good to hear. The Chancellor seemed rather worried about you."

Anakin tried to hang onto his calm smile, but he had to consciously relax his body. Well, that answered his previous question about where the Senator had gotten his information.

"That... is kind of him," he forced out. Fortunately, Antilles didn't know him well enough to see Anakin's unease. At least, if he did sense anything of it, he didn't say anything.

"Well," the older man said with his own smile as he gestured to Organa. "This is my son-in-law, Bail Organa. He will be taking over my duties as Viceroy when I retire at the end of the year. He is also to be our new Senator." He then turned towards the man he'd just introduced. "Bail, this is Jedi Initiate Anakin Skywalker."

Bail's smile was easy and warm as he reached out a hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Initiate Skywalker."

Anakin knew his daughter had been happy – or at least well loved – with the Organas as her adopted parents. It had been easy to see how devoted she'd been to their ideals and how much she'd enjoyed being around them when she'd been in the senate. That didn't stop Anakin from feeling uneasy. If anything, it made him feel worse simply because this man had been a good father when Anakin hadn't been. When Anakin couldn't have been, to be honest. It hurt.

Still, this man had done as fine a job as anyone could ask for, and he'd kept Leia safe for the first part of her life (before sending her into the rancor-den that was Imperial Politics – Anakin wasn't sure he could ever forgive him for that). Part of him still didn't want to acknowledge the man in front of him, but he forced that down, trying to focus on the positives.

"The same to you, Senator Organa. Or is it Viceroy?"

"When I'm here, Senator. When I'm back home on Alderaan, Viceroy, but I'll answer to either," he said with a raised eyebrow, looking a little incredulous. Maybe this had all come upon him quickly? He seemed a little overwhelmed. That didn't make sense with what Anakin knew about the Organas (and the Antilles), but he also couldn't say that figuring their dynamics out was a priority at this point.

"I'm sorry I missed your assignment to us," Organa said as he straightened, looking down at Anakin and yet he didn't seem condescending. He spoke to Anakin like he would another Senator.

Funny, the more he found out about the man who had raised his daughter, the more upstanding he seemed... and the more Anakin disliked him. Yeah, he'd definitely have to analyze this whole convoluted mess of emotion later. And somehow, he knew this was the last thing he needed before going up to speak with Sidious.

Palpatine. He had to think of him as Palpatine or he might slip up.

He brought himself back to the comment Organa had made and nodded, putting on a smile he hoped looked more real than it felt and tried to act like a child. "I as well," he said. "I did enjoy my time under Senator Antilles. I learned a lot." That sounded childish, right?

"You flatter me, Anakin," Antilles said with a grin of his own. "If you learned anything, it was only because you were attentive and hard-working. I know I've told you before that you'll go far as a Jedi – or anything you want to do, really."

Organa looked taken back, switching his gaze between his father-in-law and Anakin before it settled on the latter.

"Forgive me, but you don't want to be a Jedi?" He sounded rather confused. Anakin supposed he could understand that. The Jedi were an elite order of people with legendary powers. Why wouldn't someone want to be a part of it?

Involuntarily, Anakin found himself relaxing around the man. He appreciated his open nature and straight-forward attitude, if nothing else. Didn't mean he had to like it. "I came to the temple later in my life than my fellow initiates. Honestly, I was lucky to get in at all. I almost didn't. As such, I... don't agree with some of the creeds and doctrine of the Jedi." Or, well, all of it. Alright, that wasn't quite true, but Anakin knew he still had a lot of resentment towards the Order and their teachings.

"Such as?" Organa asked, looking genuinely interested. Anakin wasn't sure he wanted to get into that with this man in particular, especially not here in the open hallway. So he looked at his chrono.

"I don't believe it is something I have time to discuss," he said, gesturing to the timepiece. "If I am not on my way soon, I will be late to the Chancellor's office."

Organa and Antilles looked sympathetic. "Yes, of course," the former said with an understanding nod. "But if you find you have time in the future, I would love to hear your thoughts."

That frustrating dichotomy of feeling both grateful and resentful rose within him, reminding him of how he'd initially felt about Obi-Wan when returning to the past. He tried to focus on the positive again. After all, focus determined reality.

"I thank you, Senator Organa," Anakin said with another small bow.

"Well, we'll let you go," Antilles said. "But know you are welcome to come by our offices at any time."

That, Anakin felt far more sure about accepting as he bowed to Antilles too. "Thank you, Senator Antilles. Thank you for introducing me to your son-in-law."

"Our pleasure," Antilles returned the bow before turning to his companion. "Shall we, Bail?"

"Of course, Bail," Organa returned, looking amused. Anakin got the impression that their shared first name was some kind of inside joke. They turned and began to walk down the hallway again. Anakin watched them with a troubled expression for a couple of seconds before shaking the encounter from his head. He didn't have the time or mental capacity to focus on that. He'd need all of his faculties to go up against Palpatine.

So he took a deep breath and began to go over the information he'd have to 'let slip' to Palpatine again as he continued on his way towards the Chancellor's office.

xXx

"Ah, Anakin," Palpatine's friendly voice almost made the time-traveler cringe, turn and walk away. Almost. "Come in, come in, my boy."

Ignoring the sandstorm in his stomach, Anakin stepped as confidently as he could inside the Chancellor's large office. That was one thing he would not change as far as he was concerned. Showing any weakness in front of this man was like dumping blood into a gundark nest.

"Your secretary said you wanted to see me... sir?" he said with a raised chin, staring straight ahead.

"My boy, you don't have to be so formal with me."

Yeah, he wouldn't fall for that. "You're the Chancellor, sir."

"True, but I'm also just a man." Bantha poodoo.

Still, it might sell his charade better if he pretended to relax a little. He thought about how that might go and immediately shot the thought down. He knew Palpatine wouldn't show his colors this early, but he still had memories of the nasty games his former master would play and how painful those games would ultimately end up being.

And wasn't this just a long game to him?

"It wouldn't be... proper, sir." Ugh, he sounded like Obi-Wan. Or Cody. Or half the Emperor's sycophants. He repressed a shudder.

Palpatine frowned. "Well, I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable," he said, almost hesitantly. Then that smile was back. "In any case, have a seat. I'd like to get to know you a little more, Anakin."

The time-traveler's arms stayed behind his back as he walked forward and sat in the seat he'd taken before. Only then did he move them to rest comfortably on his lap.

"There. I'm terribly glad that you aren't still sick after having to miss last week." Why did he look so genuinely concerned? How did he look so genuinely concerned?

Anakin resisted standing up and bowing, instead just nodding his head deeply. "My apologies, sir. It seems I've developed an allergy to some nuts."

"My. I hope it wasn't serious." The fact that he still looked so utterly sincere when he said that unnerved Anakin more than him cackling like the Emperor he remembered. He reached into his pocket for the stress ball, ignoring how Palpatine's eyes flicked towards the movement. Thankfully, the man didn't comment on that. Instead, he fixed his 'kindly' gaze back on the initiate.

"I thought the Temple screened for allergies when they brought their children in."

The time-traveler nodded shortly. "They do, sir."

"And yet they didn't catch this? Well, I suppose even Jedi are only sapient and even they cannot be perfect all the time."

So, Girth had been right. It was so small. Just the slightest throw-away comment that, given the context, shouldn't mean anything. It might actually seem gracious to anyone else. But Anakin had been around Sidious long enough to know what that comment was and how he actually meant it. He'd seen similar phrases used on Senators and other representatives as well as Palpatine's own court to subtly plant seeds and get what he wanted. This comment should mean nothing in the long run, but for Palpatine, it was his first foray into undermining the Jedi Order in Anakin's mind. He'd find a way to come back to it later, whether it be in that very conversation, or five years from now.

How did he keep it all straight?

The former apprentice grit his teeth and bypassed the stress ball for his container of mints. He palmed one as he spoke. "It's a recent development and likely wouldn't have come up in my yearly exam."

"Ah, yes, I see. Well, I'm glad it wasn't life-threatening. That could have been disastrous."

What did he want them to do? A full screening every month on the off chance that someone would develop a random allergy? The halls of healing were busy enough as it was. Well, they always seemed busy, what with saving people's lives and then watching them afterwards to make sure they didn't (escape) re-injure themselves. And studying. Anakin didn't even want to know how many extra classes it took to become a healer. He'd seen the first-year course load just after he'd become a padawan and had quickly vetoed the idea. He'd barely been able to stand traditional classes as it was.

"Fortunately," Anakin said, "the crechemasters caught the symptoms early and got me the help I needed as quickly as possible. The Order's healers are very well trained."

Palpatine smiled indulgently. "I'm sure they are.

"So, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Anakin took a moment to slip the mint into his mouth. He relaxed marginally when Palpatine didn't call him out on it and wondered how long that would last. The sensation of taste did a lot to keep him grounded and he felt himself unwind just a bit more. Not that he wasn't still on edge.

"What more would you like to know?" he asked. Hadn't they gone through the 'get to know you' routine last time?

"I learned a little of your history previously, but I don't know much about you, and I like to get to know the people who work under me in even the smallest capacity."

How was he so good at this?! Seriously? HOW?!

Anakin sucked hard on his mint and took a deep breath. "What exactly did you... have in mind?" he asked, unused to probing for clarification from this man.

"How about hobbies? What do you like to do for fun?"

The time-traveler blinked, wondering how he should answer that. Should this be one of the 'weaknesses' he put forward, or should he go with something more honest? He didn't like that idea at all... but Master Yoda had said that some honesty would be necessary. And he had a difficult time hiding things as it was, he knew, so keeping his untruths to a minimum seemed like a good idea, even if he did not want to give Palpatine any more cards to play. Just one, perhaps? Droids or racing? Hmm...

"I like to build things," he said slowly.

"Oh? What kinds of things?"

"Droids, ships, speeders... things like that." He hoped he looked excited. Palpatine's continual kind face seemed to get on his nerves far more than his 'enjoying sadistic activities' face. He hated how whenever the Emperor had used this kinder face (disfigured as it had been), he'd always followed up with something truly nasty to whoever he'd been speaking to. Anakin still found himself bracing for pain, even though he knew it wouldn't (shouldn't...) be coming.

"Mechanics, then? Well, that sounds delightful. Have you built anything recently?"

Well, his arm extensions and stilts... not much else though. "Um, no, sir."

The undercover Sith showed a concerned frown, which only made Anakin tense more. He forced himself to relax again. It only partially worked.

"Whyever not? Do you not have the parts? I'm sure I could get some scraps from the Senate's old droids if you'd like to take them."

And the bribes started. He really did have the same MO. He just delivered his poison with a friendly grin and tried to seem more generous than he should be. As the Emperor, he'd simply put on a farce that fooled precisely no one even as it displayed his power over people – but it had been the same in all too many ways.

"Oh, it isn't the parts, sir, I simply don't have time with my studies."

Palpatine blinked. "Your studies? And you have no free time? I didn't realize the Jedi worked their younglings so hard."

Anakin heard the too hard underneath that sentence. Another seed Palpatine wanted to plant. He swallowed and forced himself not to grit his teeth.

"Well, I am from the outer rim, and with my circumstances, I didn't... get the best education." It was difficult to dumb himself down to a childish level, even now (and especially in front of this man). He was pretty sure he didn't come off as an 'outer rim slave' with his way of speaking, even after two years of trying to use more simplistic words and sentence structures. "Besides, I came into the temple at least four years later than my nearest agemate. If I am to continue to catch up, I have to work hard."

"That doesn't mean you should have no time to yourself."

He was about to protest again, but something that sounded much like Qui-gon's voice drifted across his mind. 'Present it as a weakness.' This really wasn't something that bothered him. He was using his extra time just as he wanted to, and while he still didn't feel he had enough, he also knew that that was no fault of the Jedi.

This was something he was strong against that he could present as a weakness.

So he tried to remember how his younger self would have reacted to that. "I... guess you have a point," he conceded, trying to sound frustrated. It wasn't difficult.

"It's settled, then. I'll get those droid parts for you."

Anakin felt his stomach drop. He wanted nothing from Sidious. "As a Jedi, sir, I'm not allowed to accept large gifts."

"This isn't a large gift, I assure you."

Kriff! How was he supposed to handle this?!

"I'm afraid that the Jedi Council might see it that way," he almost blurted out hurriedly.

And there came the man's stubborn, dis-believing face. He hadn't seen that one in a while...

"Surely a couple of small broken droids – or even just one – wouldn't be worth notice?"

Blast! He should have gone with the racing after all. Saying 'no' to this man went beyond uncomfortable and into panic-inducing territory. His hand found his stress ball and he focused for a moment on breathing and releasing everything he could to the Force.

"Anakin?" He was failing! He should have listened to Girth. Again.

"Anakin?"

If he didn't answer soon... He could imagine the pain and the torture. He clamped down on his emotions as hard as he could.

"Anakin?!"

He managed to look up at the Sith-in-disguise. Yet again, he looked genuinely worried. Ha.

"Whatever is the matter, my boy?"

And there it all went. All his hard work, up in smoke. Because...

Wait...

No...

No, he could save this.

This was his chance.

"I'm... sorry, sir," he managed to force out. "One of my... former masters would try to give me things. Then he'd just... take them away, or it would be something utterly useless... It was one of the nicer forms of... abuse he used." Which was true enough, if difficult to say. Anakin wished he knew better regarding where the line of giving too much truth away was. And why did he feel he needed to relearn it with every 'master'... even his former one the second time around?

As frustrating as this whole charade was, he had to admit that he did rather enjoy seeing his former master backpedal.

"Oh, he sounds truly dreadful."

The irony. Anakin almost had to force a smile down. Almost. Girth had been very right about how amusing just seeing his former master try and distance himself from, well, himself, was.

"He... was."

"Is that why you were so nervous about me? Because of him? Do I... remind you of him?"

That was a dangerous question, and Anakin would have to answer it just right. So he took a deep breath and drew up his cover story.

"He was the first core-worlder I met. I don't know where he was from, but he wasn't used to life on Tatooine – although he adapted quickly enough." And there may have been a bit too much bitterness in that for his liking. Palpatine had always been far too good at adapting.

He took another breath, this one softer, calmer, more subtle as he repeated the first line of the Jedi code in his mind. There is no emotion, there is peace.

Yeah, that wasn't helping him right now.

Of course, it never really had, had it?

Stupid Jedi teachings.

He pushed all those thoughts aside and hurried on.

"I don't think he came looking for me... or mom. Not initially. He just wanted a servant and he won us, gambling. At first he seemed much nicer than any master I'd ever heard of. He even tried to be my friend. He taught me how to read and write basic, and speak it better than anyone else, but then..." Anakin couldn't stop a shudder.

He took a deep breath. Yeah, that was enough of that.

So he looked up at the Sith Master, who watched him with a blank face. "It isn't just you." Lies. But a necessary one. "I... feel this way about older masters at the temple too."

Palpatine frowned, looking genuinely puzzled. "Why would the Jedi assign you to me if you had such traumas?"

That could be actual confusion, or he could be trying to sew discord regarding the Jedi Order again. Or he could be suspicious. Or all of the above. The man didn't realize he was preaching to the choir, apparently.

"I'd... gotten better. I'm trying to get over it because it's an irrational fear." Which was both true and untrue. Not every man in the universe was Sidious. Thank the Force. Fear of Sidious seemed more along the line of common sense, though.

"That doesn't seem irrational to me at all." Anakin blinked, a little taken back at Palpatine's words. Then he balled his fists. Another staple of this man's mode of operation; telling people exactly what they want to hear before twisting it somehow. "I'm surprised your Jedi Masters would think it irrational. You had some difficult trials in the past. That's not something that simply heals overnight."

He would know, with how much trauma he induced in others. And Anakin never said it was the Jedi who had given him that idea, but Palpatine had assumed it – almost to the point of pushing the subject with how much righteous anger he'd delivered the words... In all honesty, Anakin didn't see a point of dissuading him of the notion.

He knew Palpatine would try and drive a wedge between the new initiate and the other Jedi as he had the first time... a wedge that was, in all honesty, already there. He'd likely try to disabuse the little initiate of the fallacies of the Jedi Order, not realizing that Anakin already knew – intimately – of their weaknesses. That could be a perceived weakness of his that wasn't really there, but he'd have to play it up a little.

What would he have said the first time?

"Really?" he finally asked. His younger self would have looked for validation and reassurance, so that's what he brought to the forefront.

The Chancellor looked indignant. "Of course! There is a reason why you feel that way and it's completely valid – to be expected even. I just hope that I can prove to you that I am nothing like this uncouth pretender from your past."

The irony was so strong, Anakin had to keep back a snort of amusement. Palpatine must have seen it and interpreted it as an agreement or tentative hope, because he smiled warmly.

"Why don't you stop by one of the cafes on the lower levels and pick up a treat on your rounds today?" he said as he slid a datapad over the desk. "If being here is really that uncomfortable, I won't hold you long." Anakin went to protest, but Palpatine held up a hand. "Don't consider this a gift, but a reward. In this instance, you will have earned it."

Trying not to seem too relieved (to just get out of there, kriff the 'treat'), Anakin reached over and took the data pad with its list of errands and read through them.

"When do you need this done by?" he asked crisply, then internally winced. Old habits die hard. He'd fallen back into the 'enforcer' roll so easily, and it felt so natural. Of course it would, that's what Palpatine wanted.

"Oh, take your time, my boy." He almost couldn't hide the cringe at the prospective Emperor's term of endearment that time. 'Take your time' from the Emperor meant that there wasn't a way for Vader to avoid punishment – only prolong the time before said punishment would come.

Anakin nodded and stood, then bowed before turning to leave. He forced himself to walk slowly but determinedly, stiffening when Palpatine called his name.

"Before you go, is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

The former slave took a moment to brace himself before he turned back around. "Sir?" he asked.

"Well, I'd like to hope we can be friends, hence why I asked after you. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

Anakin blinked and tried not to tense. No, there wasn't anything he'd like to ask this son of a bantha, but...

Reluctantly, he thought back on their conversation and opened his mouth.

"What do you like to do... for fun, sir?" He had to at least put up a token effort. That isn't outside of Palpatine's expectations, he was sure.

The smile the politician sent Anakin was almost radiant. (And one day, Anakin would figure out how he faked the expression so kriffing well.) "Well, this job is rather time consuming, as I'm sure an intelligent boy like you can imagine. I don't get many days off, but I do rather enjoy going to the operas and ballets featured from different cultures around the universe."

Anakin had known that. It had been something the man had enjoyed even in the future, if not as much as playing his blasted political and mind games. As he'd grown older, he'd left his palace to watch entertainment less and less.

"Perhaps, when I go one of these days, you could accompany me?"

After the fall of the Jedi, Vader had rarely accompanied his master to such things and didn't have time for them himself. General Anakin Skywalker and Padawan Skywalker had gone a couple of times. He hadn't much cared for such performances before (not his cup of tea, as Obi-wan would say) and he'd only gone to please the Chancellor. It would be utter torture now.

"I don't know if that would be... appropriate," he said slowly

"Well, just keep the offer in mind. If you have any more questions – about me or the errands," he nodded down to the data pad in Anakin's hand, "don't hesitate to ask. I may not be able to answer every personal inquiry, but I want you to know that you will never get in trouble here for asking questions."

More lies.

Anakin pitched his head forward into a shallow bow again (oh, how bowing to this man galled him!) before speaking quietly.

"Thank you, Chancellor."

"You're welcome, my boy."

Then the time-traveler turned and strode out, already planning on what he would need to do to accomplish his tasks.

If he focused on that, maybe he wouldn't focus on his elation at having successfully navigated his second solo meeting with his former master. It wouldn't do to tip the man off, after all.

xXx

Palpatine stared at the door where the boy had disappeared for several seconds. There was something off about Anakin Skywalker. At first, he'd chocked his feeling up to the boy's obvious aversion to him. At least that had been answered for now. The child's story was indeed plausible.

But there was something niggling at the back of his mind that told him there was more to the initiate than what even he could see, and Palpatine had not gotten where he was by ignoring such intuition.

He'd have to think on the entertaining conundrum that was Anakin Skywalker some more when he had more time...

xXx

AN: Thanks again to Carradee, Khalthar and Quathis for your help in this. I cannot thank you guys enough.

SO! Awesome news! Quathis, as practice to become an audio-book reader, will be putting up a podfic of Hindsight is not Perfect! He's in the final stages right now, actually. I'm so excited! (PS. A podfic is more or less fanfiction being read and/or acted out like a radio drama - this will be him simply reading it.) I will be putting links on my discord!

PLUS this story will be translated into RUSSIAN of all things! I'm so honored, I can't even...

Also, as a professional artist, I'd like to start streaming me drawing pictures from my fanfics. If you'd like to suggest or vote on which scenes you'd like to see me draw, again, check out my discord! I'm still discord illiterate, but I'm getting better, so hopefully it will be all up and running soon. (And thank you to Imperiosimp for your help on the discord as well! Wouldn't happen without you!)

Discord: discord (period) gg (forward slash) zJQSDa8 (without spaces). :)