Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong to George Lucas. I'm just using them to appease my own twisted little muse. I promise to put them back the way I found them when I'm done, so please don't sue me.

Author's Notes: This story got stuck in my head almost right after I saw Episode II and refused to leave me alone. There really isn't much of a plot, since it's mostly just a conversation between Obi-Wan and Anakin.

Entropy and Irony
By Corina "Mako" Borsuk

"But, why, Master?"

"Because that is not the role of the Jedi, and Master Windu agrees."

"What does Master Windu know? I'm as good a Jedi as he is, and I say we should control the Senate."

"Master Windu is one of the most powerful and wisest Jedi alive today, second perhaps only to Master Yoda. You can only hope to be as great as he is. He is a member of the Jedi Council, and so we shall follow his and the council's direction," Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi explained to his padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker, again. Not that they had argued over this particular topic before, but there had been many other, similar arguments in recent years—Anakin always wanting to challenge the council members and Obi-Wan having to defend them.

"I don't understand why you're siding with Master Windu. I don't understand why either of you are protecting those fools in the Senate. The Council said to watch them closely, so they must not trust them. And, you've never liked politicians. You're only siding with them because you like to side against me."

"That's not true. My opinions about politicians are no secret," Obi-Wan admitted, "but that has nothing to do with why Master Windu, the Council, or I rejected your idea. We did so because it goes against the Jedi code. We are keepers of the peace. We may advise, and certainly we protect the people as best we can, but we do not rule. The Council asked us to watch the Senate because they are concerned that the members are being influenced by the Sith, not because we have any intention of taking over."

"But, that's exactly why the Jedi should take over," Anakin shouted. "Only weak-willed, selfish, corrupt people would be controlled by the Sith, and people like that don't deserve to run the Senate!" And, Anakin punctuated his words by striking his mechanical hand against the wall.

"Control your emotions," Obi-Wan admonished, while trying to control his own rising frustration. As time went on, it seemed to the Jedi Knight that he and Anakin fought more often than not whenever they were together. It pained him that somewhere along the way he and Anakin had lost the bond they once shared. While they had never been truly close, there had once been a measure of respect and compassion between them.

Obi-Wan was grateful to see his padawan take a few deep breathes to calm himself, a sign that Anakin still listened to at least some of what he said.

"But, Master, why do we let corrupt politicians run the Senate? If they were really trying to help people, they would stop slavery, and they wouldn't have waited so long to stop the Separatists. Then, less people would suffer, less Jedi would have died, and . . ." Anakin trailed off, flexing his artificial fingers.

Stepping closer, Obi-Wan placed his hand on Anakin's left shoulder, both in sympathy and in guilt. If he had done a better job of training his padawan, of teaching him to remain calm and let the Force and not his emotions guide him, perhaps things would not have come to this. If Obi-Wan himself had been better prepared, then perhaps Anakin would not have lost his arm. It seemed that no matter which way he turned or how hard he tried, he was letting someone down—the Council, Master Yoda, himself, and worst of all Master Qui-Gon.

But, now was not the time to worry about others or himself. Obi-Wan had to focus on his apprentice and try to explain why what he wanted was not the answer. "Anakin, it is true that terrible things continue to happen in this world. But, there is no guarantee that all suffering and injustice would end just because the Jedi were in charge."

"Why not? We're more powerful. We control the Force. You always talk about how the Force is everything. So, the Jedi should be in charge!" Anakin pulled away from his master, and Obi-Wan could sense his rising feelings of betrayal and anger. "Besides, Jedi are supposed to protect people. Isn't that what you're always saying? What better way to protect them than to protect them from their own corruption and weakness by making the decisions!"

Obi-Wan couldn't help but recognize the irony of Anakin's argument. Anakin felt that if the Jedi were in power, everything would suddenly be perfect. And yet, Obi-Wan had to admit, that it was the Jedi council and he himself who had in part contributed to the death of Anakin's mother by not allowing Anakin to return for her when he wanted. And, it was a former Jedi who had taken Anakin's arm.

"That is not the answer," Obi-Wan replied. "Master Windu agrees. Master Yoda agrees. The Council agrees, and Qui . . ." Obi-Wan stopped himself. He had been about to say that Qui-Gon would have agreed. But, Obi-Wan was hesitant to mention his former master. He and Anakin had rarely mentioned Qui-Gon since the boy started his Jedi training. It was an unspoken agreement between them, in part because of the sadness his passing and its memory brought. But, in this instance, the hesitance stemmed from the fact that the reason Qui-Gon would agree with the Council on this very issue was because he often disagreed with the Jedi Council. As contradictory as it sounded, it was the truth. Master Qui-Gon respected the council members, but he had felt that by not embracing the living Force, they became more and more out of touch with the people and the worlds they had sworn to protect. He had often openly disagreed with the council members, and Obi-Wan was almost certain that was the main reason his master had never been given a seat on the Council. Considering how difficult it was to get Anakin to respect the Council, it had never seemed like a good idea to mention that one of the few Jedi who the boy idolized had often disagreed with and flagrantly violated their directives. On the other hand, mentioning that Qui-Gon would disagree with Anakin's current train of thought might be a good way to make the boy reconsider. Not even Master Yoda could command Anakin's respect the way the idealized memory of Master Qui-Gon could. Certainly, Obi-Wan's padawan no longer respected him that way.

"And what, Master?" Anakin asked, practically daring Obi-Wan to come up with a good response.

"And," Obi-Wan hesitated, but suddenly he had a feeling, an inspiration of sorts. And, while he wasn't sure exactly why, he decided to follow Qui-Gon's lead on this one and go with his instincts. "And, what would Senator Amidala think about this? Would she agree with what you are suggesting? Or, do you think she is as corrupt and weak-willed as the other Senators you wish to replace?"

"Of course not! Padme is . . ." Anakin hesitated, and Obi-Wan thought for just a moment he felt something odd from his padawan, but the feeling disappeared as Anakin continued. "Padme isn't like the others."

"But, she is a senator, a politician."

"Yes, but it's not the same."

Again, Obi-Wan felt an odd sensation from Anakin that he couldn't place, but something was urging him to press the issue. "Why? Why is she different?"

"Because she's strong, like you, Master. Not in the Force, I mean, but she has a very strong will and a strong sense in the Force."

"This is very true," Obi-Wan acknowledged, remembering from his own encounters with Amidala just how true Anakin's words were. Mentally, he also acknowledged, with a small amount of relief and satisfaction, the brief measure of praise and respect Anakin had given to him by comparing him to Amidala. Obi-Wan was not blind to the admiration Anakin had for the Senator. Perhaps there was a chance to mend the bond between them after all. Still, one thing at a time, so the Jedi Knight continued. "But, she is not the only Senator with those qualities. Chancellor Palpatine and Senator Organa come to mind. What about them?"

"Organa is weak like the rest of them, always talking instead of doing something."

"What about Palpatine?" Obi-Wan asked, not sure why he felt the need to do so.

"He's a great man. He's strong and powerful, and he knows how to use that power to get things done," Anakin replied with forcefulness. "If it weren't for him, the Senate would never agree on anything. At least now he can make all the decisions. If it stays that way, we wouldn't even need the Jedi to take over."

Once again, Obi-Wan sensed something odd from Anakin. This time though, it was something that Obi-Wan could only describe as disturbing. He feared for a moment that Anakin was being influenced by the Sith, but dismissed the feeling. The Sith were strong, but surely if one had gotten close enough to influence his padawan, Master Windu or Master Yoda would have sensed it. HE would have sensed it before now.

"Ah, but even Palpatine has agreed to give up the emergency powers the Senate granted him once the current crisis is over," Obi-Wan pointed out, trying to reason with Anakin. "And, if I recall, Senator Amidala herself was against such an action and the formation of an Army of the Republic."

Anakin opened his mouth as if to respond, but closed it again without a word. Obi-Wan could feel the conflicting emotions from his padawan as the young man began to pace back and forth, but this time he said nothing. After a few moments of silence, Anakin turned to Obi-Wan.

"I know that giving Chancellor Palpatine control and forming an army to fight the Separatists was the right thing to do." Anakin paused, as if waiting for confirmation or approval from Obi-Wan, but the Jedi Knight stayed silent, so the young man continued. "But, I respect Padme. She's not like other politicians. She cares about her people. And, not just Naboo, but the entire Republic. She tries to do what's best for everyone. I know it."

Obi-Wan was listening carefully to Anakin, not just to his words, but also to his sense in the Force. Both were strong and emotional, but the more his padawan spoke of Senator Amidala, the brighter and less conflicted they became. It concerned Obi-Wan. He had always known Anakin's feelings for Amidala were strong, but he was feeling flashes of something forbidden by the Jedi Order. At the same time, they brought him a measure of peace that little else seemed to nowadays. It was one of the reasons Obi-Wan had not openly confronted his apprentice about those feelings.

"But, if she tries to do what's best for everyone, and an Army of the Republic was the right thing to do, why did she oppose it?"

"I - I don't know," Anakin answered, looking as if he were trying to discern a great mystery of life.

"Perhaps I can help answer that question," Obi-Wan offered, closing the distance between he and his padawan, but making sure to preserve Anakin's personal space in an attempt to convey comfort and support without stifling the young man.

Once Obi-Wan was sure that he had Anakin's attention, he continued, "Senator Amidala, and many others across the Republic, try to do what they think is best for everyone. The problem is that not everyone agrees about what is best. Even the Jedi are not always in agreement. The only way to determine exactly what is the best course of action for everyone would be to be able to see the future of every choice, to see all possible outcomes.

"Even Master Yoda cannot accurately predict every path the future might take. So, every person must use the information they have and search themselves for the best choice. And, no one person or group of people can possibly have enough information, enough knowledge of the many people and places in the Republic to make good decisions in every circumstance, no matter how wise or powerful they might be."

Anakin considered Obi-Wan's words. At first, he had dismissed his Master's arguments, but the memory of similar words from Padme had made him listen more carefully. If both his Master and Padme had come to the same conclusion, perhaps he should at least consider it.

"I think I should meditate on this, Master."

Obi-Wan nodded and left the room without a word. As he headed down the corridor, he thought about what he had said to Anakin. He wasn't sure where the words had come from. Somewhere along the way, he had stopped thinking about what he would say and the words had just come to him, as if the Force had been guiding him. And, he realized now just how much those words applied to him as well. He had done the best he could in training Anakin, but it had turned out wrong. True, his padawan was strong in the Force and a better pilot than any other Jedi he could remember, but he was also too proud, too stubborn, and far too concerned with how much power he had instead of how well he could control it.

Obi-Wan went over the past ten years in his mind, wondering where exactly he had gone wrong, what error in judgement or wrong words had caused the kind, eager young boy to become the bitter young man who was now his padawan. He thought back to his first meeting with Anakin, wishing his padawan was still that young boy and he could start over and make the Council and Master Qui-Gon proud. And, then he heard Master Qui-Gon's voice repeating a lesson from long ago. The past was the past. It could not be changed, but it could be learned from. Every action we take, every consequence we render is a lesson in how to make our lives and the lives of others better in the present and the future.

But, what had he learned? He couldn't see a single thing he had done wrong in training Anakin. He had followed the strict guidelines set forth by the Jedi Council long ago for training Jedi hopefuls. He had done exactly as many Jedi had done before him, except perhaps for Master Qui-Gon, who had his own unique ideas about training a padawan, as Obi-Wan knew all too well. But, Obi-Wan had not wanted to push the Council any further than he already had in requesting that Anakin be his padawan learner, so he had followed the Jedi code and not let his feelings for Anakin or Anakin's own feelings affect the training, at times even at the cost of their relationship.

Obi-Wan could almost feel Qui-Gon shaking his head the way he did back when Obi-Wan had been a padawan himself and had missed something obvious. But, the Jedi Knight could not, for the life of him, figure out what it was he could be missing.

Taking a deep breath to regain his focus, Obi-Wan headed to his quarters, determined to review Anakin's training and guide the young man on the true path to becoming a Jedi Knight.

If Obi-Wan had turned around or if anyone else had been walking this corridor at such a late hour, they might have seen an apparition of Jedi Master Qui-Gon shaking his head in just the way Obi-Wan remembered and then fade out of sight.

The End

More Author's Notes: A big thanks to Paxnirvana and Alara for beta-reading this.

And, check out the omake/bonus material that goes with this story.