The Eternal Emperor

Lelouch stood at the center of his command bridge, the vast expanse of Christophsis filling the viewport before him. His fleet was in the process of resupply, the Venators and Acclamators lined up in disciplined formation, receiving fuel, munitions, and fresh provisions. Among the buzz of activity, two figures stood beside him—Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. The tension between them was palpable as Lelouch spoke, his tone cold and precise. 

"Let's review recent events, shall we?" Lelouch began, his eyes narrowing on Anakin. "You lose R2-D2, a droid with vital & confidential information, which don't even get me started on. Then there's the incident with General Grievous. Not to mention Count Dooku's capture by pirates... and the Republic's inability, with the Jedi at the forefront, to secure him. And, of course, your reckless maneuver on the Queel System that resulted in your crash." 

Anakin clenched his fists, his face flushed with shame and frustration. Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably beside him, trying to find the right words to intervene, but Lelouch continued, his voice a razor-edged critique. 

"And let us not forget Jedi Knight Aayla Secura," Lelouch added, turning his attention to Obi-Wan. "She lost three Venator-class Star Destroyers to five Separatist frigates. Meanwhile, your fleet managed to win, but with two heavily damaged Venators and only one with light damage. Hardly a success worth celebrating. How does someone win this badly with the element of surprise on their side, I'll never know." 

Obi-Wan tried to deflect the pressure, "Maybe we should wait for everyone to gather before discussing this? All four of us are commanders, aren't we?" 

Lelouch's eyes narrowed slightly. "Jedi Knight Aayla Secura's ability to command has been called into question after such a severe loss," he stated bluntly. "And you, Skywalker, are not far behind. Your own fleet's current state speaks for itself—two Venators out of commission. The Republic is spread thin, Anakin. We have no spare ships or resources for you to waste as you see fit." 

Anakin's face turned red, partly with anger and partly with embarrassment. Before he could respond, Obi-Wan interjected, attempting to mediate. "Now, Lelouch, perhaps we should approach this discussion with more—" 

But as Obi-Wan spoke, he noticed a subtle shift among the clones stationed around the bridge. Their eyes were trained on him and Anakin, their postures tense and ready, as if expecting an attack. 

 Whenever he moved, their gazes followed sharply, betraying a guarded hostility. Obi-Wan's diplomatic tone faltered as he realized just how unwelcome he and Anakin were among Lelouch's legion. 

Anakin, however, seemed oblivious to the growing tension. His attention remained on Lelouch, his frustration boiling just below the surface. Obi-Wan, sensing something deeply unsettling, made a mental note to investigate further. 

Suddenly, a communications officer stepped forward, saluting crisply. "Sir, we've received a report of increased droid activity on Naboo. Possible Separatist presence has been detected." 

Lelouch's gaze shifted, calculating. "Naboo," he muttered thoughtfully. "We're close by. Christophsis is still resupplying, but Naboo is a forward operating base. It's a key point between Eriadu and Christophsis, both critical chokepoints for major hyperlanes. We can't risk losing control over it." 

Anakin immediately perked up, his eyes wide with concern. "We must depart immediately!" he urged, his thoughts clearly on Padmé Amidala. 

Lelouch's blank, amused expression greeted him. "And what ship do you plan to take, Skywalker?" he asked dryly. "Your fleet is barely operational—only one of your Venators is battle-worthy. The rest are in no condition for a mission." 

Before Anakin could stammer a reply, a voice echoed in Lelouch's mind, silky and taunting. "He looks like a kicked puppy, Lelouch. Why not throw him a bone?" Tzeentch's voice, always a presence, nudged at Lelouch's thoughts, suggesting a rare gesture of concession. 

Lelouch sighed, clearly annoyed but relenting. "Fine," he said, turning to both Jedi. "I will oversee this personally, given the implications of a Separatist presence on Naboo. You two can accompany me." 

Anakin immediately brightened, and Obi-Wan, still distracted by the clones' hostility, nodded absently. As Lelouch strode off the bridge, Anakin eagerly followed, but Obi-Wan held him back for a moment. 

"Anakin," he whispered, his eyes narrowing. "Did you notice the clones' reaction to us?" 

Anakin laughed dismissively. "You're getting old, Obi-Wan. You're just getting jumpy." 

Obi-Wan's frown deepened. He wasn't imagining things—there was real hostility there. Later, he sought out Commander Cody to discuss his suspicions. 

Cody hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "With all due respect, General Kenobi," he began slowly, "there's a lot of distrust among the clones regarding the Jedi. It's not personal—well, not entirely..." 

As he prepared to probe further, an approaching presence made him stop. 

"Jedi Kenobi, the general would like your presence to be included at the bridge." the clone, who judging by his red markings was one of Lelouche's most elite field officers, Fordo. 

"...Understood." Kenobi said as he eyed him. The small stare Fordo directed at Cody didn't go unnoticed by him. 

As Lelouch's fleet set course for Naboo, the undercurrents of distrust and tension were clearer than ever. The Jedi were losing the faith of their soldiers, and Lelouch was more than willing to exploit every crack in their foundation. 

----------------- 

Anakin stood awkwardly to the side, his usually confident demeanor noticeably absent as he watched Lelouch stare dead ahead into the swirling tunnel of hyperspace. The silence between them was heavy, filled with the unspoken tensions and frustrations that had built up over the past few days. Lelouch's face was a mask of calm, but Anakin could sense the waves of frustration radiating off his friend through the Force. 

Anakin shifted uncomfortably, his mind racing for the right words to break the ice. He finally cleared his throat and started tentatively, "Lelouch, I know you're mad, but—" 

Lelouch cut him off with a sharp glance, his eyes narrowing as he raised a hand dismissively. "Stop using your wizard powers on me. I'm not thinking about you at the moment." 

Anakin blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Wizard? Wait, what are you thinking about then?" 

Lelouch's gaze returned to the hyperspace tunnel, his voice cool and matter-of-fact. "I've kind of kept your wife grounded on Naboo with one excuse or another." 

Anakin's heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening in shock. "What? Padmé? Why?" He quickly scanned the room to ensure no one else was listening, then took a step closer to Lelouch, his voice lowering to a near-whisper. "Why would you do that?" 

Lelouch turned to face him fully, his expression deadpan as he responded, "Why? Really? Why?" 

Anakin opened his mouth to retort but found himself at a loss for words. Lelouch's gaze bore into him, a silent accusation that needed no elaboration. Anakin knew exactly what Lelouch was implying, and the truth of it stung. Padmé had a habit of getting involved in critical operations, often placing herself in danger. And every time, Anakin couldn't help but rush to her side, no matter the cost or the mission at hand. 

"I—" Anakin began, struggling to find a defense that didn't sound hollow even to his own ears. "She can handle herself. She's—" 

"A senator, not a soldier," Lelouch interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. "And while I respect her skills and bravery, she's a liability in situations like these. You're too emotionally involved, Anakin. It clouds your judgment." 

Anakin bristled, his temper flaring. "I've saved her life more times than I can count!" 

"And how many times has that put the mission at risk?" Lelouch shot back, his voice calm but edged with steel. "Your personal attachments make you vulnerable, and that vulnerability is something the enemy can and will exploit." 

Anakin clenched his fists, his frustration bubbling over. "So what? You expect me to just leave her to fend for herself?" 

Lelouch merely looked at him calmly. "No. If I expected that I wouldn't have used my influence to ground her on Naboo." 

At that Anakin deflated... "...Oh..." 

"Did those 2 cells in your head finally connect?" Lelouch asked bemused. 

Anakin had the decency to look away at that. "I'm not dumb... I'm just... not cut out for this stuff." 

As Anakin said that, an officer approached from the side, passing a holopad to Lelouch as h retreated back to a respectable distance. 

Lelouch looked at the information before sighing and turning to his resident Jedi. 

The look on Lelouch's face softened as he smiled at Anakin. "I know that it's not your forte, that why I do it for you. I've received reports that your wife has, once again, gone headfirst into something... investigating what they suspect to be a Separatist outpost working on some kind of virus in Naboo." 

Before Anakin had the chance to jump and yell Lelouch continued smoothly. "You'll be tasked with retrieving and extracting her, Kenobi and the other teams will bother with the virus. Now you don't have to struggle between your duty and your feelings. I'm giving you the order to save your wife..." 

Anakin showed a bright smile at that, before a chill suddenly descended in his spine. He quickly saw the changing expression on Lelouch face. 

"But if you somehow screw this up and get in the way of the other teams..." 

"If..." 

"I'll have you demoted to some blasted janitor's errand boy." 

... 

As a couple of seconds of silence prevailed... "Janitor's don't have errand boys..." 

"Indeed... you'll pioneer a whole new field." 

"..."

A.N: Don't know if you noticed but i had quite fun writing the ending lines :)

P.S: Finished it during my lunch brake at work, might have some gramatical errors.