Chapter 7
One Month Later
/
"Where are you going?" Padme asked her husband as he headed for the door.
Anakin turned around and smiled. "For a walk; I need to clear my head."
Padmé's heart ached for her husband. He was still in so much pain over the death of Obi-Wan. She'd thought her suggestion of them staying on Wukkar for a while had been a good one, but it had been a month and Anakin was no closer now to finding the peace he so craved than he had been when they'd arrived. So he walked and he sat and stared at the sunrises and sunsets. For a few weeks he'd even taken a job in a mechanics shop fixing things just to keep busy.
"You want some company?" she asked, hoping this time his answer would be different.
Anakin shook his head. "No, I need to be alone. Maybe next time."
Word for word, his answer was the same. "I'll be here when you get home."
Anakin walked to her and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. "I know. You always are and in case I don't say it often enough, thank you."
"You're welcome."
/
After spending an hour walking towards his favorite destination, Anakin now sat on a grassy knoll overlooking a plush meadow filled with wildflowers and the indigenous animal life. He had been coming to this field every day in the month that he and Padme had been living on Wukkar hoping to find a way to say a final good-bye and find the peace that still eluded him.
Drawing deep breaths, Anakin slid off the log he was sitting on and sat cross-legged on the grass. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on clearing his mind, opening himself to the Force. He let the gentle eddies of the Force carry him away.
Hours went by before Anakin began to feel a presence. He didn't open his eyes, but he focused his hearing, and then it happened.
"Anakin."
Anakin's eyes flew open when he heard his name. He gasped in shock when he saw the shimmering blue form of Obi-Wan Kenobi standing before him.
He'd heard of this before; of dead Jedi returning as apparitions. He'd never imagined he'd see the phenomenon for himself and he'd certainly never imagined he'd see Obi-Wan again. Anakin had been positive his last view of the man had come in the Jedi Temple as his body was commended to the Force. Yet here he was.
"Master!" he exclaimed. "But how...where...?"
Obi-Wan smiled softly, taking a seat on a battered log next to Anakin.
"There you go calling me Master again," he teased the younger man.
Despite his astonishment, Anakin blushed. "Sorry."
"I've come to help you with your future," Obi-Wan explained. "I understand you've left the Jedi Order," he added, frowning. "Why would you do such a foolish thing?"
Anakin hung his head. "I'm not worthy of being a Jedi anymore," he answered as the tears in his eyes began to fall down his cheeks. "I failed you. I'm so sorry, Master."
"You didn't fail me," Obi-Wan assured him, resting his glowing hand on Anakin's shoulder. "You followed my orders and in doing so saved millions of lives."
"I shouldn't have gone," Anakin argued. "I should have stayed with you. You'd still be alive if I'd been there."
"There was nothing you could have done, Anakin." Obi-Wan replied. "Had you been there you would have been killed too and the plans would now be back in the hands of the Sith Lord."
Anakin's head jerked up in protest. "No. R2 could have gotten himself and the Bothan to Commander Cody. I didn't need to go with them. I could have saved you, I know I could have!"
Obi-Wan paused for a moment. "Your destiny lies along a different path than mine," he explained.
"You're saying it was your destiny to die that day?" Anakin spat angrily. "Why? What good did it do?"
"I devoted my life to the Jedi Order," Obi-Wan answered. "I may not understand or agree with why things happen the way they do, but I trust the will of the Force and I have no regrets."
"How can that be, Master?" Anakin questioned. "You're dead at thirty-nine. You had so much more to do."
"I had so much more I wanted to do," Obi-Wan confessed. "But I've learned, as you need to, we're only given a certain amount of time to accomplish what we're put here to do."
"But I could have saved you, Master," Anakin argued vehemently.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "You can't do everything Anakin, and you can't save everyone. You may be the Chosen One, but you still have limitations. You need to learn to trust, Anakin. Trust that you can destroy the Sith, trust the Jedi will always be there to help you and your family. Trust the will of the Force."
"But I need you!" Anakin suddenly cried in pure anguish. "How am I supposed to go on without you guiding me?"
Obi-Wan laughed. "You don't need my guidance anymore. You never listened to me much in the first place."
Anakin made a move to protest, but thought better of it when he realized that Obi-Wan was right. He really hadn't listened to his advice very often. That saddened him now. It was just one more thing that was now lost to him forever.
Obi-Wan's face grew somber. "I'll always be with you Anakin, that will never change. But you must understand that you were born for a very special purpose and you need to return to the Jedi and face your destiny."
Anakin flinched. "I'm sick of hearing that!" he thundered, jumping to his feet and beginning to pace. "Ever since I came to the Jedi Temple, all I've heard is you're the Chosen One, you'll bring peace to the galaxy, it's your destiny."
He stood still for a moment. "I just want to be left alone. The cost is too high. Too many people have disappeared from my life; Qui-Gon, my mother, countless Jedi since this war began and now you. I don't want to lose another person. I can't handle it."
Worn out from his rant, Anakin collapsed to his seat. His breathing was ragged and his heart was thundering in his chest.
Obi-Wan studied him for several moments as Anakin pulled himself together.
"I'm sorry, Master," he said with his trademark half smile after collecting himself.
"I know how hard this has been on you," Obi-Wan began. "I can feel your anguish but the galaxy needs you to be the Jedi I know you can be. Your child needs you to be that Jedi."
Obi-Wan knowing about his child stunned Anakin. "My...how did...?"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "I've known about your feelings for Senator Amidala from the beginning," he replied. "They were too strong for you to hide from me, but it was amusing to watch you try."
Anakin blushed again, remembering all of the excuses he'd made in an effort to hide his feelings for Padme. Had he known his efforts were in vain, he might have told Obi-Wan the truth before he'd lost the chance.
He glanced sternly at Anakin. "I admit the marriage caught me by surprise. You shouldn't have done that. I expected somewhat better judgment from you."
Anakin looked away. "I know. I'm sorry Master. I just love Padme so much."
He looked back at him guiltily. "We couldn't stop ourselves. I was going to tell you when we got back...," his voice trailed off.
"It doesn't matter now," Obi-Wan replied. "What matters is that you return to the Jedi Order."
Anakin opened his mouth to protest but Obi-Wan held up his hand to stop him.
"You cannot run from your destiny, Anakin," he admonished. "You dealt the Sith Lord a huge blow by getting those plans back to the Republic, but rest assured he will not just give up and you need to be prepared."
"I can't go back," Anakin insisted. "My place is with Padme and our child. All I want is to take them to safety and spend the rest of my life being a husband and father."
"Can't you see that there won't be any safe place if the Sith Lord is not stopped?"
Anakin shrugged. "It's a big galaxy, Master."
"And the Sith Lord will conquer it," Obi-Wan replied firmly.
"That's impossible!" Anakin argued. "Not even the Republic is powerful enough to reach all the systems."
"He's not that powerful, yet," Obi-Wan agreed. "But his power is growing every day. He needs to be stopped once and for all and you are the only one who can accomplish that."
"Listen to Master Obi-Wan, you should," called a familiar voice from behind them.
Anakin whirled around to find Yoda and Mace Windu gazing at them calmly.
