A/N: Gah, I know it's been forever and a half. And I can't promise it won't be another lengthy wait between updates. I can only hope you have the patience to see this one to the end. Thank you thank you for all the kind words and votes of confidence! You are all far too sweet.
Spira
Ataria Island
Myknossis Marketplace
153024
For what seemed like the tenth time, Bail picked up yet another vase of sea-glass, studied the custom handwork momentarily, and then set it back down among the numerous other wares being sold in the Myknossis Marketplace. Though incredibly beautiful and delicately crafted, nothing stood out among the numerous urns and glass vases and shaped sea creatures as the best trinket with which to gift Breha. Before the wareseller could attempt his pitch, Bail strode onto the next table and began again his unending search.
While studying the intricate folds of a ballerina's dress captured in mid-twirl, Bail caught himself hoping that Obi-Wan was not losing his patience at this thus-far fruitless outing. Surreptitiously glancing back at his Jedi friend, now adorned in less conspicuous garb, he seemed needn't to have worried over his own trivial concerns. The creased brows on Obi-Wan's face suggested something far more troublesome than souvenir-searching was holding the High Council member's attention.
Bail frowned thoughtfully considering his recent observation over his friend's plight. If he were to point out his concerns to Kenobi outright, he would surely not ascertain anything more than a polite dismissal. No, to glean information, particularly of the troublesome variety from the depths of Obi-Wan's austere mind, one needed to approach in a far more subtle manner.
"I hope I am not boring you, Obi-Wan," Bail said, shaking his head in supposed bemusement as he studied more of the crafts on display. "How nice it must be not to worry about returning home empty-handed to a waiting spouse."
"Oh not at all, Bail," Obi-Wan replied with a slight chuckle. "I am sorry my mind seems to have wandered. I suspect Master Gallia may have been a more appropriate shopping partner."
"My wallet seems to disagree with you on that sentiment; no doubt I would have returned with numerous items instead. The female sex, no matter the species, is very adept at spending credits," Bail said, grinning.
"I will take your word for it."
They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a moment, before Bail felt the inexorable tension rise once more.
Blast, he'd just have to ask and be done with it then!
"Is something troubling you, Obi-Wan?" He met his friend's questioning look head on. "If your forehead creases anymore, I'm afraid your eyes will completely disappear."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to deny anything was on his mind, then caught Bail's raised eyebrow and realized that while he could attempt to lie, Bail would not believe him for a minute. Instead, he sighed and gestured to a stall across the sandy path that was far less crowded and afforded an easier place to talk.
"I am concerned about the lingering effects this mission may have on my former Padawan," Obi-Wan started. He grabbed a large spiraled seashell with an asymmetrical pattern of brown that only accentuated its curved edges and handed it to Bail for consideration. Bail was instantly mesmerized by the simplicity of the shell's design and gestured to the wareseller of his intent to buy.
"On Anakin?" Bail asked, trying for casual interest.
"As you know, Anakin wasn't raised in the Temple since infancy, and thus has a tendency to form strong emotional attachments. Sometimes I think his ability to connect with others lends him an incredible insight into very complex situations – I myself have learned, and am still learning a great deal from him," Obi-Wan continued, selecting several more shells to add to Bail's collection. Bail did not dare interrupt. "But I fear the danger that can come from such personal attachments, as well. Especially, well…"
Obi-Wan frowned, and Bail could see the struggle to not betray Anakin's character steal the momentum from Obi-Wan's speech.
"Especially, the relationship he has formed with Padmé," Bail supplied.
Obi-Wan looked up, surprised, his mouth falling open and then snapping shut.
"I do not mean to make you more troubled than you already are, but I must admit I have noticed a similar interest where the Senator is concerned."
To Bail's own surprise, Obi-Wan's face fell further and he nodded in agreement.
"I was made aware of her reciprocal feelings just after the events of Geonosis," Obi-Wan said. "I was instructed by Master Yoda to approach the Senator regarding the terms of her growing relationship with Anakin, and a certain unpleasantness ensued."
Bail was immediately reminded of the heated argument he had witnessed several days ago in the hallway of the starskiff.
"She didn't deny her feelings then, but agreed to end whatever was forming between them for Anakin's sake," Obi-Wan continued. Bail watched, as he hesitated before swallowing hard around some rare emotion Bail suspected Obi-Wan did not ever allow others to witness. "For a time, all seemed well. But watching them together on this trip…"
Obi-Wan shook his head, pulling abstractedly at his bearded chin as he recalled recent memories.
"You think they deceived you," Bail said.
The simplicity of that statement seemed to overwhelm Obi-Wan. He instantly started to backpedal, stammering and sputtering around an attempt at an apology for involving Bail where he did not need to be involved.
"Obi-Wan!"
Obi-Wan stopped mid-sentence, and if Bail thought the Jedi Master could ever look chagrined, he imagined that the expression on his friend's face was a prime example of that.
"For what it's worth," Bail continued, his tone gentler and quieter, "I agree with you. And while it appears that I may not be as involved, I think that ship has already sailed. You remember Lanteeb?"
"I do."
"When Padmé thought… well when we all thought, you and Anakin were in jeopardy… Obi-Wan, you should have seen the fear in her, the ferocity with which she worked to create that independent militia to bring Anakin back."
"Anakin, you say? How do you know she wasn't petrified over losing me?"
Bail gaped like a fish out of water, before Obi-Wan smirked and scoffed at his own terrible joke.
"It's the beard isn't it?" Obi-Wan murmured.
Bail grinned, catching on. "I could not imagine that boy with a beard…"
"Oh it's downright ghastly."
They shared a chuckle over the image of a facial-hair stricken Hero-With-No-Fear, but then turned their attention back to the more serious conversation point.
"So I'm not imagining things," Obi-Wan sighed heavily.
Bail considered his friend's resignation and frowned. He didn't like seeing Obi-Wan so troubled, didn't like remembering the weights he carried around silently, ever the martyr. Their joint time on Zigoola was a testament to that character flaw. Bail almost snorted at that. Master Kenobi and character flaw was a most ridiculous pairing in the same sentence.
"Well if you seem to be imagining, I'm living in the same dream," Bail said. It wasn't really meant to affirm Obi-Wan's worries, more than it was to finally state his own observations for the record. Bail had been silent only because he did not wish to cause Padmé any further trouble. No matter how much he liked to watch out for her, she was a grown woman and was capable of making her own decisions. It was not his place to report the two, but Obi-Wan…
Ah, and there's the rub.
As member of the High Council and Jedi Master, was Obi-Wan obligated by duty to voice his concerns over Anakin's "attachment"? Bail knew how close Obi-Wan and Anakin were. Practically brothers. Inseparable on the battle fields and forever bound as master and apprentice. Did Obi-Wan think his duty to the Order trumped his duty to Anakin?
"You say Anakin isn't like other Jedi…" Bail began, treading slowly in the uncharted waters of this conversation. Obi-Wan studied him, only a flicker of wariness in his dark blue eyes. "… insofar as he wasn't brought up in the Temple, and so had a decade of molding outside of the Jedi doctrine."
"Yes, that's right," Obi-Wan said.
"Is it possible that to apply the same rules, as far as attachment goes, are counterproductive in his case?"
"He's already been subject to a number of special treatments and exceptions, I fear even more will be his undoing. He's become headstrong, sometimes impatient, and reckless…" Obi-Wan started, stopping only when he saw Bail's careful smile. "What?"
"Is that Obi-Wan talking, or the Council?"
Obi-Wan blanched.
"Believe me, Obi-Wan," Bail said, raising his hands in deference. "I do not mean to insert my nose where it doesn't belong, and I agree…" Bail raised one hand when Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest. "I have seen Anakin's rash behaviors displayed all over my Holonet screens. But when you think about, when you allow yourself to really think about it, do you see those behaviors demonstrated around her?"
Obi-Wan stroked his beard and forced himself to consider Bail's words carefully. Come to think of it, whenever Anakin had mysteriously disappeared from the Temple for a night, he'd always returned more grounded, more centered, more at peace. His boiling energy had been reduced to a gentle simmer. It was often these times that allowed Obi-Wan to see the potential Anakin had to become one of the greatest Jedi ever known.
"You're right, Bail," Obi-Wan replied, his vision swimming back to focus on the present. "I have seen the positive effects of the Senator's influence on him. I just fear how easily he may slide to darkness if, stars forbid, anything ever happened to her…"
Bail opened his mouth to agree, to echo that that same sentiment caused him consternation as well. He was glad he didn't, however, or may have not caught the softly spoken sentence that perhaps revealed his friend's motive for turning a blind eye.
"… or if anyone tried to interfere."
Spira
Ataria Island
The Refuge, Unit 91
160000
It had been at least half an hour since the recording had ended; the holoprojector had waited the sufficient amount of time for its next task and when none was forthcoming had powered down to an energy saving mode, leaving the room in darkness.
Wyatt hadn't moved, his eyes still bore into the space over the holoprojector's port as if seeing the ghost of the last holoimage. His beer had turned warm with the relative humidity of the room.
Surely, he hadn't heard right.
Shaking off the remnants of shock, Wyatt calmly hit rewind, played the last few moments of the recording, and then powered off the projector.
His fingers found themselves attracted to the keyboard, as if they were somehow magnetized to continue his proposal. And yet, instead of adding more characters and words and sentences, his right forefinger calmly hit the backspace and held steady. He watched the blinking cursor on the screen ravenously devour the last half hour's work of words until there was nothing left.
Even as his hands worked to pull up a database on the galactic interweb, Wyatt knew he was toying with a scandal far more worthy of just a tabloid reveal. And potentially something far more lucrative…
The screen of his datapad flashed and he scrolled until he found a name. Checking the source as any journalist worth his salt would do, he smiled as he re-read the number listed before him.
On a list of "The Galaxy's Who's Who" and corroborated by a very short search on the tax records of the sentients of Naboo, Wyatt was pleased to find the estimated net worth of one Naboo senator was a figure that made his original idea of simply selling the story to a holozine seem like folly.
He was certain that Senator Amidala would pay far more to keep her precious little secret exactly that – secret.
"Why Senator Amidala, I do believe some congratulations are in order," Wyatt said aloud to the darkened room, grinning as he reached for his communicuff. "Or should I say, Senator Skywalker?"
~Fin
