Ten days later…
A heavy silence dominated the chamber where Master Yoda and Mace Windu sat facing each other, plunged in a deep meditation. The tension was almost palpable through the air. After a while, Mace ended his brief mediation to stare at Yoda, waiting for the venerable Jedi to speak. Yoda continued to meditate, sitting cross-legged, gripping his gimmer stick firmly, eyes closed, and breathing somberly. As he often did when he was either tired or distraught. Mace concluded that the fact they still hadn't found the source of the past disturbance, otherwise known as the Shadow, must still weigh heavily on Yoda's mind. Unlike his own.
After a while, Master Yoda ended his meditation in turn, lifting his face to address Mace. The concern was still not washed away from his eyes. It seemed all the more poignant.
"Disturbing it is, unaware, to such an infiltration, we were." Yoda declared in a grave grumble.
"Concerning it is, illuminate us no further does the Force."
"I can sense nothing in the Force that is cause for concern," Mace stated dismissively.
"True, there was a disturbance, but it disappeared quickly. The Temple's serenity has returned. Whatever it was, it must have been no grave threat after all." His tone was confident, as if he were stating the obvious.
"If anything, the Force's silence should be reassuring," he added.
"Reassuring the Force's silence, it should not be!" Yoda snapped sharply. Mace retreated. Yoda so seldom raised his voice.
Yoda closed his eyes, trying again to catch any current in the Force. But nothing troubling came through, and not for lack of searching. Mace was right. No hint of disturbance in the Force remained. The Jedi Temple was calm, at peace, despite the Shadow's passage. However, this peace had an undercurrent of superficiality. Yoda could not but help thinking the Force's full scale remained cloaked. As if all the answers he wished to discover were hidden within a place impossible to reach even for the great and wise Master Yoda. For days he had desperately searched the Force. To no avail. Peculiarly, the silence was more startling than anything.
Then, even more unsettling, whenever a hint of an answer came flowing, he could no longer decipher it. It was as if he were losing his ability to read the Force. However, his entire being poignantly remembered basking in its clarity, like a scholar, unable to read his own words as they become unsolvable riddles.
"Hidden from us, the full scale of the Force is. Losing our abilities to read the Force, we might be."
"That cannot be true!" Mace protested vehemently.
"A possibility we cannot exclude it is Mace." Yoda countered more calmly.
"Not infallible our senses are. Muddled, the Force may become when disturbed the balance is."
A disturbing thought emerged in his mind. Perhaps, no matter how short-lived, this disturbance was due to the Jedi growing numb against threats found only in the flow of the Force. Other signs were indicating this sinister possibility. After all, despite a thousand years of apparent extinction, the Sith had re-emerged; without any pre-emptive warning from the Force. Then there was the Shadow. It's perversion of the light and infiltration perceivable to no one, apart from a thirteen-year-old boy. A child, who by some miracle had defeated the creature. However, their arrogance might still just cost that very same child's life.
"A mistake, in not believing Skywalker, we made."
Immediately, Mace resumed his stern frown.
"Skywalker is notorious for his trouble-making tendencies. He is naturally untrustworthy."
Mace affirmed, pulling Yoda out of his contemplations.
"With all due respect Master Yoda, we cannot even be sure this was a creature born of the dark side. Besides, no force-user, not even a mighty Sith Lord, could breach the Temple without leaving some trace for us to find."
Mace had a point; it was inconceivable the dark side or any of its creatures could successfully infiltrate the sacred sanctuary of the Jedi without detection. There had been no surge of the dark side. At least, not one powerful enough to logically explain such a strange phenomenon.
Furthermore, there was nothing either Mace or Yoda could act upon with only suspicions. All they could do was wait and watch.
"A lesson to learn, we have. Further vigilance, for the time being, must we both practice. Far too delicate and volatile the situation to risk complacency, it is.""
Mace bowed his head in agreement. He may not be as worried as his fellow master, but he certainly understood the need for further caution.
"What shall we say to the Council about the disturbance?" Mace asked.
"Nothing."
Mace jolted backward on his seat, caught off-guard by Yoda's response.
"Worried, I am unnecessary tension create this news would. A panic in the Temple, need, we do not."
The mere suggestion there was an outside source seeking the destruction of the galaxy's peacekeepers would send chills through any sensible Jedi's spine. Something Yoda was eager to avoid. A part of him wished to spare his fellow Jedi from the uncertainty, and of course, the fear the truth would create. Still, Yoda could not ignore the resentment and heartbreak he felt at the idea of remaining silent. In other words, lie. It felt so chillingly unnatural and bitterly necessary.
"Until further developments, patient, must we be. Wait and see, we must."
A shrill chirping beep emerged from underneath Yoda's seat. He was receiving an incoming holo-transmission from the Chancellor's office. Yoda accepted the connection, and the crackling blue hologram of Chancellor Palpatine appeared.
"Greetings, Master Yoda. I received a troubling report this morning. There has been some incident in the Temple."
"Nothing, to trouble you at the Temple, there is Chancellor." Palpatine grinned, visibly unconvinced.
"Lightning was observed over the highest tower of the Temple by at least a dozen Senators working late ten days ago. Tongues are already starting to wag. I suggest you tell me what has happened so that I may prevent further outlandish rumors from spreading in the Senate."
Chancellor Palpatine's tone had been commanding and slightly irritated. It was clear; the Chancellor was not going to be fooled or deterred from asking further questions unless he was given an explanation by Master Yoda.
Blast! Yoda hadn't considered the damn Senate. Despite Palpatine's proclaimed support of the Jedi, he was a politician, therefore, not trustworthy. However, if there was any chance idle gossip could damage the relations between the Order and the Senate, he had to accept the Chancellor's conditions. The Jedi Order had sworn an oath to protect the Republic, and they couldn't fulfill that duty properly if burdened by distrust. So, for now, no matter how unpleasant or begrudgingly, Yoda would have to indulge Palpatine with answers.
"An accident, last night, there was. Exploded, an energy bank did. But resolved the situation is. No other cause for concern there is."
Palpatine's curiosity was partly satisfied, although he still seemed suspicious. An exploding energy bank would account for the Lightning, but not the Jedi Master's reluctance to answers his questions.
"Was anybody injured?"
Yoda hesitated momentarily. He was sure if he lied, the Chancellor would instinctively know. He may not be force-sensitive, but intuition for the truth or lies was not a skill exclusive to the Jedi. As a politician, it was almost a sixth sense; that not even a Jedi Master could fool.
"Yes. Being treated in the Halls of Healing, a padawan is."
"Well then, who is it?" Palpatine pressed, pretending nonchalance.
"Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi's apprentice."
"Anakin!" Palpatine blurted aghast. His face turning pale.
"Why was he even up there? How is he?! Is he alright? May I see him?"
Palpatine's crackling hologram displayed the appearance of a man stricken by dread over the news his child may be dying.
"Sleeping comfortably in the Halls of Healing, young Skywalker is. Cause for concern, his condition is not." Yoda pronounced.
"I quite understand, Master Yoda. Pardon my concern. You know how dear the boy is to me. I can assure you no rumor will be allowed to spread in the Senate or trouble the Jedi Order."
Palpatine's figure bent a little, as to end the transmission, but he hesitated.
"Please let me know if there is any change in Anakin's condition. Send my best wishes to Master Kenobi. I bid you good day."
The hologram dissipated; once more, Yoda and Mace were alone. Yoda was surprised at the bitter after-taste lying to the Chancellor had left in his mouth.
Yoda knew it was unwise to tell Palpatine. Although he seemed sincere, something didn't feel quite right in how the man bestowed such lavish attention over the boy—acting like a guardian or a surrogate father. As if young Skywalker needed any more emotional attachments to stray him away from the proper path established by the Jedi Code. It was already clear he was having trouble connecting with his proper guardian Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Speaking of Obi-Wan...
Yoda pressed another button of the commlink, this time to contact the Halls of Healing. He needed to get an update on the boy's condition and the emotional state of his Master. The commlink chirped. Someone on the other end had accepted the call. However, instead of Master healer Vokara Che, one of her apprentices' hologram, a Togruta boy named Aron, appeared.
"Greetings, Padawan Aron. News as to young Skywalker condition, is there?"
"I'm sorry, Master Yoda, but things have gone bad to worse. Everything has been attempted, from extensive bacta immersions, Force enhanced healing crystals, and nerve therapy, and nothing has worked to bring padawan Skywalker around. As a result, Master Che has decided he will be moved to a palliative care chamber. Master Che expects he won't last the night."
Yoda knew the bacta had long healed the boy's graver and superficial wounds. And by all medical standards, he was no longer in danger. Thus, it concerned Yoda that Obi-Wan's apprentice still hadn't woken from his coma, despite all Jedi healers' efforts to awaken him.
"Remind Master Vokara Che, hope still there is. Trust in the Force, we must, young Skywalker may awaken."
The words seemed hollow in the Jedi Master's head and voice. Generally, a failure of Jedi healing made for a dire prognosis, and Vokara Che rarely proven wrong. Unless he wanted to break his heart even further, he had to divert his mind for the dying towards the living: Obi-Wan.
"How is Master Kenobi?"
"He hasn't left the Halls all this time. Not even to eat or to rest. He's refusing to leave his apprentices side. Master Che has tried to reason him, to no avail."
This was worse than Yoda had anticipated. He knew Obi-Wan had taken to Anakin's coma badly, however, to the point of refusing sleep and eat...
"Find him were, will I?"
"In the bacta chamber. Kenobi is supervising padawan Skywalker last immersion before he is moved to the palliative unit."
The padawan healer gave a respectful bow and cut the connection.
It was always heartbreaking to see Jedi healing failing, even more so when it might result in a child's demise. Mace had not said a word in all this time. He'd contented himself with listening and watching.
"I take it there is little hope Skywalker will recover. This will be hard on Obi-Wan."
Mace's expression indicated he was more concerned for Kenobi than he was for the boy. As if he didn't care, he was on the verge of death. Yoda knew very well Mace did not have young Skywalker in his best regard. He tolerated the boy's training in the Temple at best, due to the Chosen One's prophecy. Yoda couldn't help but be a little disgusted. Still, he would be wasting his time compelling Mace to set aside his lingering disdain for the boy temporarily.
"Arrange young Skywalker's imminent awakening, Master Kenobi; still do, he should."
"I think it would be wiser to advise Master Kenobi to make funeral preparations."
Yoda did not respond to that last comment. He leaped off his mediation pod, grasping his gimmer stick for support as he walked out of the room. After the healers' report, he was determined to see for himself what was happening in the Halls of Healing.
Yoda arrived at the Halls of Healing much later that evening, taking a short much-needed break to admire its lofty ceilings and high window from which golden light spilled out. All the Force's gentle nurturing emanating from the place.
As he entered, he caught a powerful current of overwhelming guilt pounding through the Force, leading him towards a darkened room at the other end of the Halls. Inside were half a dozen bacta-tanks aligned against each other, with only one filled with the translucent glowing blue healing substance. Standing in front of the tank was Obi-Wan, starring at the limp floating form of his apprentice.
Despite the considerable distance and dimly lit room, Yoda could see the corner of his eyes were red from exhaustion and rising tears that remained simmering at the surface. He was miserably failing to maintain a placid expression. His posture was wavering, as if sore from too much standing. His deep emotional turmoil was made even more apparent by the way he pressed at his crossed arms. He joined Obi-Wan, standing next to him as his gaze didn't abandon his vigil, not even to blink.
Anakin's eyes were closed, knees arched, a breathing mask recovering half his face. The bruises that had coated his entire body had disappeared; the bacta had restored his broken ribs. The skin mended where the battle had torn it, although now devoid of any color. The medical monitors kept beeping. He had a heartbeat, but it was not potent enough to state he was indeed alive. Standing in front of the boy, next to his Master, Yoda was swarmed by sorrow, self-hatred, and shame emanating from Obi-Wan. He was well aware of the connection between the two was strong, but not to that extent.
"It's my fault, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan said, "I should have protected him better."
Yoda did not answer but looked up at Obi-Wan's crumbling expression. He know understood that if the boy were to perish, Obi-Wan certainly wouldn't ever be the same man. In other words, if Anakin Skywalker died, so would Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Anakin was trying to warn me about the Shadow, and I did not believe him."
"Predicted this, none of us could have Obi-Wan. Not your fault, this is." Yoda answered, trying as best he could to soothe Kenobi's anguish.
"Qui-Gon never would have made a mistake like this. He trusted me with his care, and now I've as good as killed him."
Nothin Yoda could say would ever relieve Obi-Wan. Physically and mentally, it was clear he was racked and unresponsive to reassurance he was innocent as to his apprentice's condition.
Medical assistants entered the room. Anakin was lifted out of the tank, wrapped in a linen robe, and placed on a hover-stretcher.
"I wish to stay with Anakin, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan declared, a single tear sliding down his cheek. "Till the very end."
It would be beyond cruel to demand of Obi-Wan that he sleep and nourish himself while his apprentice was not expected to last the night.
"Of course, Master Kenobi. May the Force be with you."
Silently, Yoda watched as Obi-Wan followed the medical personnel and the hover-stretcher barring his apprentice. He murmured mournfully, sliding a hand over his face. Despite all, he had to hope that by some miracle, the boy would awaken. For Obi-Wan's sake, Anakin Skywalker had to live. But the hopes were becoming slimmer and slimmer as the boy was taken towards what may well become his death bed.
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