Obi-Wan sighed as he waited at the door to the Council's room. He knocked, and the door slid open. As he came in, he saw the entire Jedi Council was waiting. As Ki-Adi-Mundi opened his mouth, Obi-Wan held up his hand. "Anakin should be here to hear this." Yoda and Mace Windu looked at each other and nodded. "Send a padowan, we will." A door at the back of the room slid open, and a young boy stepped out. When he saw all the masters, his eyes widened, then he quickly bowed. "Bring Anakin here, you must." The boy nodded and quickly moved to the door. As he stepped out, he looked back at Obi-Wan and the Council and walked into the edge of the door. Obi-Wan hid a smile as the boy whipped his head around and stepped out the door. Obi-Wan turned his head back to the council and and crossed his arms.
In his room, Anakin kneeled in front of the shrine in his room. His lightsaber lay on top of it, as well as both of Ahsoka's. Captain Rex had brought him her second lightsaber later that night, after they had burned Ahsoka's body. The only people present had been himself, Obi-Wan, Rex, and the younglings Ahsoka had accompanied to get their crystals. They almost hadn't been allowed to attend, but they pleaded with Yoda to be allowed to honor her. Yoda hadn't approved, but he finally agreed to let them witness it. Anakin had gone to his room after that, and hadn't left since that night three days ago. As his door beeped, his eyes flew open. "Master Skywalker, the Council needs to talk to you." Anakin looked at the shrine, then grabbed his lightsaber and stood up. He hooked it on his belt, then looked back at Ahsoka's. He hesitated, then picked them up and clipped them to the other side of his belt. He opened his door and the padawan stepped backward. "This way." He quickly walked down the hall, and Anakin followed.
Obi-Wan looked up as the door hissed open. He felt a sense of relief as Anakin stepped through it. Anakin hadn't left that room since Ahsoka died, and he hadn't allowed anyone into his room either. Then Obi-Wan's gaze flicked to his belt, and he saw that both of Ahsoka's lightsabers hung there as well as Anakin's. He quickly glanced around the room and saw that the masters had noticed as well. As Anakin walked into the room and stood next to Obi-Wan, Windu began speaking. "Obi-Wan hasn't rested since that night, and he was able to bring us proof that it was not Ahsoka who murdered the clones or set up the explosions." Yoda nodded. "Caught, the real traitor was." Ki-Adi-Mundi shifted in his chair. "And because of that, we have decided that revoking Ahsoka's expulsion from the order was what should be done." Master Shaak Ti and the others murmured agreement. Obi-Wan looked at Anakin and saw that his eyes were shut and his fist was clenched. "You think that fixes everything? You think that just because you wipe her name clean, that frees you from the guilt?" Anakin opens his eyes and glares at Ki-Adi-Mundi. "She's dead! She's dead because you ignored everything she said, and took the easy path! You blamed her and drove her to try to clear her own name!" Shaak Ti held up her hand, and Anakin stopped speaking. "She didn't need to run. We were going to put her on trial, it wasn't confirmed that she was guilty." Anakin's eyes were burning as he looked at her. "That trial was a show. You had already decided that she was guilty, and you were just waiting for the court to agree. She never would've had a chance with the court, any more then she did with you." Anakin spits the last words out as if they tasted disgusting. "You all believed Ahsoka was capable of murdering troops that she had fought to protect. I can't stay here with people who believed that." Anakin turns and strides out of the room. "Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouts. He looks at Yoda, and Yoda nods.
He quickly bows and rushes after Anakin. "Anakin, what are you doing?" "Exactly what I said. "I'm leaving." Obi-Wan shakes his head. "How are you planning on doing that?" Anakin looks at Obi-Wan and shakes his head. "I'm taking my starfighter and R2, and I'm leaving the planet." Obi-Wan grabs his arm and spins Anakin around. "How can you do this? Leave the order, the life of a Jedi? Everything?" Anakin shakes his head. "I've never belonged here. The Jedi are too restrained, and they try to control the Force too much. There were only a few things that made it worthwhile." Anakin grabs Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Who was the real traitor?" Obi-Wan looks him in the eye and sighs. "It was Barris Offee." Anakin blinks. "What?" Obi-Wan nods. "She framed Ahsoka. It seems she believed that the Jedi Order was no longer something worthy of following." Anakin shakes his head. "She used Ahsoka because she was her friend." He looks at Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan frowns. "If you're serious on leaving, then take this." He hands Anakin a small communicator. "I'll only use this if something important happens." Anakin nods and tucks the communicator into one of his pockets. "Take care of yourself, Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan nods. "May the Force be with you, Anakin." "And also with you." Anakin turns and heads off towards the fighter bay, and Obi-Wan sighs. "Be careful, Anakin. Find peace with yourself and what happened."
As Anakin passes through the hallways, he makes a decision and stops at one of the doors. He raises his hand and knocks, and the door slides open. "Oh, Master Skywalker." Padme stands in the doorway. "Come in." Her eyes are red, and she's dressed in plain clothes. Once the door closes she hugs Anakin. "Ani I'm so sorry." Anakin hugs her back and they stand there for a few minutes holding each other. Finally they sit down on the couch. "So what are you going to do?" Padme looks at Anakin. "I'm leaving." "What?" Anakin picks up a coaster and starts flipping it through his fingers. "I can't stay here. I can see her everywhere, and seeing all the masters act like nothing happened…" He shakes his head. "I can't stay here and watch everyone remember her as a criminal. Because that's all they're going to remember. That she was accused of murder." Padme grabs his hand, and he stops flipping the coaster and looks at her. "I'll go with you." Anakin shakes his head. "They need you. You're the senator for Naboo, the entire Senate would fall apart without you." Padme gives him a tiny smile and hugs him tightly. "Promise me you'll be careful. And that you'll come back." Anakin hugs her and closes his eyes. "I promise. I'll always come back to you, no matter how far away you are." Anakin stands up, and Padme walks with him to the door. Padme grabs his hand and puts something in it, and Anakin opens his hand to see Ahsoka's beads in it. He shakes his head and goes to hand them back to her. "You need these more then I do, Padme." But Padme shakes her head. "She would've wanted you to have them. I have other things that will keep her close." Anakin nods and tucks the beads carefully into his belt. He bends down and kisses her softly, then opens the door and walks down the hallway. Padme stands in her door and watches him walk away, and her thoughts go back to one of the times when she had been with both Ahsoka and Anakin. She grins softly as she remembers how Ahsoka joked with Anakin, and how Anakin and laughed and teased Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, if only you could see how much he misses you. We all miss you so much." A tear slips down Padme's cheek, and she rests her forehead on the doorframe. "Anakin, don't get hurt out there, ok? Come back safely."