Sometime later, at the Jedi Temple, Anakin walked into a briefing hall just as other Jedi were leaving. The only ones still in the room were Obi-Wan and his Padawan Carmine.

"Where've you been, Ani?" Carmine asked.

"You've missed the report on the outer rim sieges." Obi-Wan added.

"Sorry. Got held up." Anakin said. "But good news, I just heard from Gabby that she and Dad were able to create a new portal, and the Madrigals are back home safe and sound."

"That is good news. And on another note, the sieges are going very well." Obi-Wan continued. "Saleucami has fallen, and Master Vos has moved his troops to Boz Pity."

"Then, what's wrong?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan was silent for a moment. Then he spoke.

"The senate is expected... to vote more executive powers to the chancellor today."

"Well, that can only mean less deliberating and more action. Is that bad?" Anakin asked, trying not to sound worried. "It would make it easier for us to end the war, right?"

"I'm not an expert on politics," said Carmine, "but I've lived a double life long enough to know that people aren't always what they seem."

"He's right, Anakin. You must be careful around your friend Palpatine."

"Gabby doesn't trust him, Carousella doesn't trust him..." listed Peppermint. "And something just seems off about him if you ask me."

Obi-Wan began to head up the stairs, Peppermint following.

"He has requested your presence." said the oldest Jedi.

"What for?" Anakin asked, following his old master, his twin following.

"He would not say." Obi-Wan said.

"He didn't inform the council?" Anakin started to sound suspicious now too. "That's unusual, isn't it?"

"All of this is unusual. And it's making me feel uneasy."

"Me too." Peppermint agreed.

"Me three." Carmine added.

Carmine walked through the hallways with his brother as he had to get ready to meet with the Chancellor. But, the younger twin was pretty skeptical about the whole thing.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for him to go, Master?" Carmine asked Obi-Wan.

"The Chancellor requested Anakin specifically. It does make me uneasy letting him go, however."

"He is kind of close to our suspect." Peppermint pointed out.

"But..." Carmine started to think. He had an idea. "I think I know how Anakin can be present without actually being present."

The others were confused at first.

"Luckily, given all the roughhousing in the war, I went to an optometrist to get a little something recently."

Later, the Chancellor was in his office with "Anakin" beside him.

"I hope you trust me, Anakin." said the Chancellor.

"Of course." 'Anakin' said.

What the Chancellor was unaware of was that Anakin wasn't really Anakin. And this Anakin was wearing a wire underneath his clothes. Carmine and Anakin might have been twins who were easy to tell apart, but they both had the same face. All Carmine had to do was use his hair-changing spell to make his hairstyle look like Anakin's, switch to his new contact lenses in place of his glasses, and put on Anakin's clothes.

While Carmine was with the Chancellor in his office, Anakin was listening with Sapphire back at the Temple.

"I need your help, son." said Palpatine.

"What do you mean?" Carmine, posing as Anakin, asked.

"I'm depending on you."

"For what? I don't understand."

"To be the eyes, ears, and voice of the Republic. As a royal prince, you shall have greater influence than ever, and this I'm appointing you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council."

Carmine couldn't help feeling slightly offended that he would choose Anakin over him.

"You know, my brother Carmine is a prince too, and a pretty great Jedi." Carmine said.

"Yes, but he is merely a Padawan as you once were and started his training even later than you. You have greater potential as a master."

"Are you saying Carmine couldn't be a master if he wanted to be?"

Carmine! Focus! Anakin shouted at his brother through their Force bond.

"Never mind. I'm not ready to be a master, Your Excellency."

Anakin couldn't help being surprised by his brother's words.

"The council elects its own members. They'll never accept it."

"I think they will. They need you."

"While it's true that I, Anakin Skywalker, am a powerful Jedi, I still have much to learn before I become a master. For one thing, I still have a lot to learn about my Enchanted power, as well as being a leader since I will someday rule after my father's time. A good leader doesn't rush, and that goes for Jedi Masters too. A wise man once told me and my brother that patience is a virtue of strength."

"Oh, but they need you now more than you know."

Naturally, Anakin couldn't believe it when Carmine, his younger twin who was still a Padawan, basically said he wasn't ready to be a master. But, in a pretty inconspicuous manner, he did raise some good points.

Anakin was the oldest, and someday their father would be gone again, this time for good. And then, Anakin would be king. From what he knew so far, as well as all the attention he experienced as the Jedi's poster boy before and after learning of his royal heritage, and watching Padme at work, being a leader was far from easy. He and his kids had a lot to learn, and he of course had other things he had to master, such as caring for another baby as well as his two older children, and right now helping Padme through her pregnancy.

Carmine soon accompanied Anakin after switching back to meet with the Jedi Council, and together they explained everything the Chancellor said to Carmine, thinking he was Anakin.

"Allow this appointment lightly the council does not." said Master Yoda.

No surprise there. The twins thought, looking at each other.

"Disturbing is this move by Chancellor Palpatine." Yoda continued.

"I understand." Anakin nodded.

"I got chills around him." Carmine said, hugging himself and shivering. "I still feel it."

"Anakin," said Mace Windu. "You are on this council, but we do not grant you the rank of master."

Anakin was a bit surprised at first, as no one on the council had ever not been a master while on the council. But, he remembered what Carmine reminded him of earlier, and thought it best not to argue with the Council. He just sighed and said,

"I understand."

"Take a seat, Prince Skywalker." Mace said.

Anakin bowed his head and took an empty chair. And then, Master Mundi, over transmission, spoke.

"We have surveyed all systems in the Republic," said the Cerea. "but have found no sign of General Grievous or this Lady Morpha."

"Hiding in the outer rim Grievous is." Yoda said. "The outlying systems you must sweep."

"We do not have many ships to spare." Obi-Wan pointed out.

"What about the droid attack on the Wookiees?" asked Ki-Adi.

"It is critical we send an attack group there immediately." Mace said.

"He's right." said Obi-Wan. "It's a system we cannot afford to lose."

"Go I will." said Yoda. "Good relations with the Wookiees I have."

"It's settled then," said Mace. "Yoda will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. May the Force be with us all."

Later, the Skywalker-Jinn twins were walking with Obi-Wan down the halls, Anakin ranting about the deal with him being a representative on the Council.

"I can sort of understand why I can't be a master right now, but it's never been done before." Anakin said. "Isn't it offensive to be on the council and not be made a master?"

"Well, they never had a prince on the council before." Carmine pointed out.

"Yes, Anakin. You have been given a great honor. To be on the council at your age- it's never happened before. And as Carmine pointed out earlier, you are too close to the chancellor."

Sapphire placed a wing around Anakin; she could feel the tension in him. And there were briars growing on the walls near him.

"And you obviously need some time to calm down." Sapphire pointed out.

"I'm not even a Jedi." Peppermint said. "But I can sense that the council hates it when the Chancellor gets involved in their business. To them, it's like he's reading their private diaries sometimes."

"I didn't even ask to be put on the Council. Even if Carmine didn't switch places with me." Anakin said.

"But it's what you wanted." said Obi-Wan.

"Not like this."

"Hey, Big Bro... I get it." Carmine said. "I didn't ask to be the oldest starting Padawan, but we all got things to deal with right now. We have to end this war for the kids' sake."

"Indeed." Obi-Wan agreed, looking at Anakin. "Your friendship with Chancellor Palpatine seems to have paid off."

"That has nothing to do with this." said Anakin. Sapphire nuzzled him, trying to calm him down, but Anakin pushed her muzzle away. "Not now, girl."

"The only reason the council has approved your appointment," said Obi-Wan. "is because the chancellor trusts you."

"And?" Anakin raised a brow.

"Anakin, I am on your side. I didn't want to put you or Carmine in this situation."

"What situation?" The twins said at the same time and looked at each other. "Stop that! You stop that! Me?! You're the one who-! Agh!"

Peppermint shook her head. "Can both of you stop acting like kids for five minutes?" she groaned.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and explained to the twins that the council wanted Anakin to report on all the chancellor's dealings.

"They want to know what he's up to."

"Hold up." said Anakin. "Let me get this straight... they want me to spy on the chancellor? But that's treason."

Carmine thought and realized Anakin was right. "I know we're at war, but Anakin's definitely right on this one. Can't we just get someone else the chancellor wouldn't notice? Like Lamenta. She turns invisible."

"Why didn't the council give me this assignment when we were in session?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan.

"This assignment is not to be on record."

"The chancellor is not a bad man, Obi-Wan. I don't think." Anakin sounded unsure. "He befriended me. He's watched out for me ever since I arrived here."

"That is why you must help us. Anakin, our allegiance is to the senate, not to its leader. You yourself will someday be leading a kingdom and will have to face difficult challenges. Now is the time to practice your strength at that. You and your children were born to become leaders, the chancellor has managed to stay in office long after his term has expired."

"Sounds pretty suspicious." Sapphire pointed out.

"The senate demanded that he stay longer." Anakin said.

"Yes, but use your feelings, Anakin." said Obi-Wan. "Something is out of place."

Anakin sighed. "You're asking me to do something against the Jedi code, old and new, against the Republic, against a mentor and a friend. That seems pretty out of place to me. Why are you asking me to do this?"

"The Council is asking you." said Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan and Peppermint soon joined Masters Windu and Yoda on a gunship and reported that Anakin wasn't too happy with his new assignment.

"It's very dangerous, putting them together." said Mace. "Despite his maturity, I'm not sure the boy can handle it."

"He's not alone, Master Windu." Peppermint pointed out. "Carmine and Sapphire are keeping an eye on him."

"And he is the Chosen One." Obi-Wan said. "Master Qui-Gon still believes it. Is Anakin not to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force?"

"So the prophecy says."

"A prophecy that misread could have been." Yoda said.

"He will not let us down." Obi-Wan said. "Let us not forget that the prophecy of a princess who would lead to change in the Jedi Code came about six years ago. And she may have proven to be one key to the Chosen One's growth and victory. He hasn't let me down before. And he won't this time."

"I hope right you are." Yoda said.