Palpatine's network extended everywhere.
It took him less than a standard day to learn of Dooku's departure from the Jedi Order and half that time to dispatch agents for secret contact.
A former Jedi Master of Dooku's caliber, disillusioned with the Republic and alienated from the Council? The possibilities were delicious.
But even as he cultivated this new asset, another problem gnawed at him.
Garfield.
The orange cat's "grand game event" had exploded across the holonet. Every channel, every platform, every civilized world in the galaxy seemed consumed by it.
Palpatine, ever the opportunist, had initially seen this as a chance to expand his influence… surely such a massive cultural moment warranted a speech from a prominent statesman?
He'd been so wrong.
Garfield simply... bypassed him.
Didn't acknowledge himor need him.
The cat had bought a holonet station, just threw credits at the problem until it went away, and now broadcast the event twenty-four standard hours a day.
Infuriating.
For the first time in decades, Palpatine felt something unfamiliar, a genuine threat.
Not from Jedi, not from rivals, but from an orange cat with a game company.
He even entertained the dark thought. This creature could rule the galaxy with this.
What Palpatine couldn't know, what his Sith mind couldn't grasp was that Garfield had exactly zero interest in ruling anything.
In Garfield's considered opinion, people who wanted to rule the galaxy were lunatics.
Absolute power meant absolute work. Endless meetings and constant scheming.
You couldn't even climb to the roof for a nap without tripping over datapads demanding decisions.
No thank you.
A smart orange cat understood, let the galaxy develop itself. Keep your sunbeam rights.
Everything else was negotiable.
The game event captivated billions, including one young Skywalker.
Anakin didn't have time to become obsessed, Jedi training was far too demanding but in the margins of his busy schedule, he found a new kind of fun.
Then Garfield did something that cemented the boy's loyalty forever.
He sent people to rescue Shmi Skywalker.
Because a mother shouldn't be a slave while her son trained to be a Jedi.
Within days, Shmi was settled on Naboo quietly happy.
Anakin couldn't believe it.
When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan explained that Jedi policy made such interventions complicated, that slavery was a systemic issue beyond their mandate, Anakin understood intellectually.
But emotionally?
Garfield had done what the Jedi couldn't. Or wouldn't.
The boy found Garfield in the tallest central tower of the Jedi Temple, soaking in the filtered sunlight that streamed through the transparisteel.
"Thank you," Anakin said simply, words failing to capture the depth of his gratitude. "Thank you for helping my mother."
Garfield's tail flicked. He gestured with one paw. "Come here, little guy. Sit."
Anakin settled beside him, watching the Coruscant traffic stream past.
"You're welcome," Garfield said. "The Jedi Knights... they're good beings."
"But their minds freeze sometimes. Too many rules. They forget that small things matter. Like a boy missing his mother."
Anakin listened intently.
"The Jedi need to change," Garfield continued. "Add some humanity to all that discipline."
"But~" He glanced at Anakin. "It depends on who they're dealing with. Some beings need rules. Some need freedom."
"Learning the difference is sort of wisdom."
Anakin didn't fully understand. But he filed the words away, sensing they mattered.
What he did understand was Garfield had foreseen something.
Made Qui-Gon find him and saved Naboo. Created games that brought joy to billions. And most importantly~
Rescued his mother.
Good man, Anakin thought, watching the orange cat's peaceful expression.
No. Good cat.
Anakin was still young and unafraid to admit when he didn't understand.
"I'm sorry, King Garfield. I don't think I understand what you meant."
Garfield studied the boy for a moment. So much potential.
So much weight already resting on those small shoulders. He deserved clarity.
Garfield offered the boy a gentle smile. "This is what I'm telling you, Anakin. Don't resent Obi-Wan or Master Yoda for not coming to free your mother."
"They were held back by something you can't see or touch, something that tampered with their intentions."
"We call these things 'rules' and 'habits.'"
He paused, letting his words sink in. "Now, I'm not saying these rules and habits are always wrong."
"Many exist for good reasons, and they help keep order. But they don't work for everyone, and they don't always serve what's right."
"Here's what I want you to remember, never judge anything by only one side. Look at it from every angle you can find."
"Turn it over in your mind like a stone in your hand. Only then can you begin to understand it and only then can you find a way through it."
Garfield's expression grew more serious. "The dark side will whisper to you, Anakin."
"It whispers loudest to those with the greatest gifts. Your talent is enormous, and that makes you a target. Remember this above all, the dark side cannot bring the dead back to life."
"If it could, every Sith lord who ever died would be walking among us now. It promises what it cannot deliver."
"Only choices made with a clear mind and a good heart can truly save those you love."
He placed a hand gently on Anakin's shoulder. "Treasure my words. Study hard. Become the true Jedi knight I know you can be."
"And Anakin~" his voice dropped, becoming intimate, urgent, "Palpatine will come for you."
"But you are kind. Hold onto that. Let your kindness be your compass."
Anakin, his young face set with a solemn determination he rarely showed, bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will remember."
As Anakin left, Qui-Gon, who had stood silently by Garfield's side, watched the boy go.
"That one's special," Qui-Gon rumbled softly. "With talent like his at such an age..."