The Jedi stood, gathered together on the blustery platform where the memorial was about to begin. The platform hovered over the crowded Coruscant skyline. Everyone who was anyone was there. Jedi, politicians and dignitaries gathered for the occasion with millions more watching from home. Billions of sentients throughout the galaxy all paused to honor their hero, Anakin Skywalker.
The news had come as a shock to virtually everyone. As the story had unfolded and the chain of events had been recounted the reality had been even more shocking.
Anakin was dead and Obi-Wan had killed him.
Obi-Wan stood among the other Jedi. The hood of his robe was pulled up in an effort to remain anonymous. He felt as though he were naked. He wanted to be invisible, he wanted to disappear.
He had failed.
The "Incident" as the commission had called it, took place when he and Anakin had been sent to rescue Chancellor Palpatine. Palpatine had been taken captive and held on Grievous' flagship and held as prisoner above Coruscant. Of course Jedi had been dispatched to rescue him. He and Anakin, a dream team if ever there was one, had been on Grievous' ship when it happened.
They had successfully worked as a team to evade the enemy and board the ship. They had been on their way to the chancellor when they had temporarily been split up. Obi-Wan had taken a lift to get from one part of the ship to another. Anakin had unexpectedly dropped into the lift landing behind Obi-Wan and taking him off guard. Surprised and scared, acting on battle honed instinct Obi-Wan reacted as he would toward an enemy. Kill first, assess damages later.
His strike was true. Anakin was dead.
Initially unable to process what had happened Obi-Wan had automatically continued the mission. He met up with Shaak-Ti and together they rescued the chancellor. In the process the ship had been destroyed with both Grievous and Dooku among the dead.
The war was over. But that didn't matter. Anakin was dead and he, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was to blame.
He had failed, he had failed in the worst way possible.
Obi-Wan felt numb as the memorial proceedings began. Surrounded as he was by people he felt utterly alone. Master Galia gently put a hand on his arm. He knew she was trying to give him courage, but nothing could give him the courage to face anything ever again.
All he could think was: If, and Anakin would still be alive.
If he had trusted the Force instead of his battle paranoia he would have known to not attack.
If he had trained Anakin better he might have blocked the blow.
If he had held Anakin back until he was ready to lead invasions he wouldn't have been anywhere near the battle.
If he hadn't expected so much of Anakin.
If he hadn't given into fear.
If he hadn't let the Dark Side cloud his vision.
And now, even his feelings betrayed his failures as a Jedi. He loved Anakin. He was attached to Anakin.
He had failed.
His grief over Anakin's death weighed on him as an ominous reminder of his attachment, and his failure.
The Chosen One was gone. The Force was still obscured. The boy he had raised into a man was dead. There was nothing left for him.
Qui-Gon was gone. Anakin was gone. Once the memorial was over he would be gone too.
Only, the question remained: What is going to happen now?