Return to Coruscant
Padme stood next to Breha on the dock where the Republic's victorious fleet was due to arrive any moment. Queen Salma and a small group of Alderaanians were there too, in a well-positioned spot near the front of the gathered crowd, not far from Chancellor Valorum's repulsorpod.
"How much longer?" A small voice behind her asked. She looked over at the young son of her friend KeAnn, standing in front of his father, looking up hopefully at the sky.
"Not long," his father answered, "look." As he pointed, Padme turned back around and saw the horizon now filled with Republic ships beginning their descent toward the docks. The crowd around her began to cheer in anticipation as the ships approached. Padme was glad too, glad to see the Republic's soldiers returning home, but there was also a nervous knot forming in her stomach.
The ships docked and the gangways were lowered. The roar of the crowd grew louder as row after row of Republic troops marched out of the ships. Jedi, naval officers, and clones lined up in formation, standing at attention in front of Chancellor Valorum.
There was a loud cheer as General Palpatine, leader of the Grand Army of the Republic, took his place at the head of the column, but Padme withheld her applause, as did the other Alderaanians around her. None of them had forgotten that it was Palpatine who had persuaded the government into abandoning Alderaan to the Separatists some seven years earlier.
"Senators, Jedi, rulers and leaders from near and far, and to all my fellow citizens, the war is over!" Chancellor Valorum announced to the crowd, his voice electronically amplified over the din, "tomorrow evening, I invite the victors of the battlefield and the representatives of our homeworlds to gather in the Senate Building, at the very heart of our democracy, to celebrate the triumph of the Republic!"
The crowd cheered and clapped in approval at Valorum's words, and Padme joined in absentmindedly. Her focus was elsewhere, as she tried to find Anakin among the Republic troops. Her eyes anxiously scanned each row of soldiers, looking for a familiar face among the brown-robed Jedi Knights. Finally, she saw him, standing near the end of one of the rows, next to Obi-Wan. Relief washed over her, and she let go of the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as her fears dissipated. He was alive.
As if he sensed her gaze, Anakin's head turned away from Valorum and toward where she was standing. Their eyes met. The corners of his mouth upturned ever so slightly in a barely perceptible smile. She smiled back. For the briefest of moments, her many worries about their future melted away. Then she saw Obi-Wan turn to see who Anakin was looking at and she quickly dropped her head as all her fears came rushing back.
Padme looked back up at the Chancellor in his elevated repulsorpod. It felt like the only safe place to let her eyes linger, though she barely registered a word of his speech. "Victory is ours," Valorum said as he concluded his remarks, holding his arms wide. "Long live the Republic!"
The crowd gave a final cheer, echoing Valorum's words. Heeding his cue, General Palpatine turned around and dismissed the troops. As the soldiers began to move away, KeAnn's son broke away from his father and sprinted toward the disbanding troops. Padme watched as KeAnn scooped the boy up in her arms, and felt an unexpected pang of sadness. As the family was reunited, she couldn't help but feel as though she was watching a future that would never exist for her.
She realized Anakin, who was standing not far off from the happy reunion, was watching too. He turned his eyes toward her. She imagined him walking toward her and sweeping her up in his arms, but then she heard Obi-Wan call his name and her fantasy evaporated. Anakin turned away, following his master.
"Anakin." He heard Obi-Wan's voice, but it sounded muffled and far away. The only thing that was clear to him was Padme. It was such a relief to see her safe after his disturbing visions on Ryloth, but he could still sense that she was troubled. He saw a sadness in her eyes that he had never seen there before.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan said again, more insistently this time. With considerable effort, Anakin tore his eyes away from Padme and turned to follow Obi-Wan into the transport that would take them back the Jedi Temple. He tried to bury his feelings and focus his mind elsewhere.
He took his seat next to his master, who gave him a worried look but said nothing. They had barely spoken since the battle on Ryloth. Anakin knew Obi-Wan was not pleased with his actions on the battlefield. He had acted recklessly, questioned orders, and displayed a level of aggression unbefitting of a Jedi Knight, but he knew that none of that was the reason for Obi-Wan's stony silence.
He glanced sideways to Obi-Wan. He wanted to say something, to explain himself, but he was afraid nothing he could say would appease his master. Obi-Wan wouldn't find it compelling that Anakin had first tried to free himself from the collapsed cavern using only his Jedi training. He would see it only as a double failure, that Anakin had failed to harness the power of the light, and also failed to resist the temptation of the darkness.
So instead Anakin said nothing and turned his focus to a scuff mark on the floor as the transport sped through the Coruscant sky toward the Jedi Temple. When the transport landed, Anakin disembarked first, followed by Obi-Wan, but while Anakin continued toward the temple, Obi-Wan lingered on the docks.
"Are you coming?" Anakin asked, turning back as he realized his master was falling behind.
"I need to take care of something," Obi-Wan answered vaguely. Anakin saw that he was watching the unloading of the caskets holding the Jedi dead from the hold of another transport. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Will we be debriefing the Council tomorrow?" Anakin asked as Obi-Wan started toward the other transport.
"I'll handle that," Obi-Wan said dismissively. "Take the chance to get some rest. You're still recovering."
"I'm fine," Anakin said. "I should be there."
"It will be better if I address them alone," Obi-Wan insisted, and his tone told Anakin that there would be no further discussion of the matter. Biting back a retort, Anakin nodded glumly and turned to go into the temple alone.
Anakin made his way through the temple toward his room, his frustration with Obi-Wan building at every step. The only reason he could think of for Obi-Wan to ask him not to attend the debriefing was if Obi-Wan wanted to discuss him with the Council. And if that was true, it meant Anakin was indeed in trouble. Serious trouble.
He arrived at the door to his room and hit the controls to open it. It was very small and modestly adorned, just like every other room in the temple. He slumped down on the bed still fully dressed and covered his face with his hands. Dread filled him as he thought of Obi-Wan telling the Council what had happened on Ryloth. And then there was Padme. Trapped in the cavern, faced with death, he'd felt so certain that she was his future, but in the clear light of day, his certainty evaporated. If he could only talk to her, maybe she could help him make sense of it all.
He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, grimacing slightly as his left foot hit the ground. He reached down and rubbed at his calf where the muscles were still sore from the surgery that had fused the bones of his shattered left leg with titanium rods. Yet another reminder of everything that had gone wrong on Ryloth.
It was a risk to try and see Padme tonight, but he decided it was a worthwhile one. He opened the trunk at the end of his bed and pulled out his rain poncho and a brimmed cap. Stuffing both into his satchel, he opened his door and headed out into the hall. Walking quickly and keeping his head down, he made his way to the temple stairs, taking them two at a time until he was out on the streets of Coruscant.
He walked several blocks from the temple before he removed his cloak and shoved it into the satchel, swapping it for the rain poncho and his hat. He pulled the brim low over his eyes to help keep his face hidden. It was a far from perfect disguise, but it certainly made it harder for him to be recognized as a Jedi. His wardrobe change complete, he hailed a hover taxi.
"Where to?" the Abednedo driver asked gruffly.
"The Senate Building," Anakin answered, pulling a handful of credits from his satchel. "And make it quick." The driver saw the credits and gave him a nod. The hover taxi took off, zipping through the heavy traffic of the Senate District. Anakin peered out the window, watching the speeders and buildings fly by. The hover taxi screeched to a halt in front of the Senate Building and Anakin paid the driver handsomely and hopped out.
Doing his best to remain incognito, he passed through the security checkpoints at the building's entrance and inquired as to the location of Padme's office with the droid manning the information center in the lobby. He meandered through the corridors and took a series of lifts, until he finally found himself in the right place.
He felt a jolt of nerves as he reached out to the call button on the door to her office, suddenly anxious at the thought of seeing her again. For the first time it occurred to him that she might send him straight home and tell him what had happened on Scipio was a mistake and nothing more. His fingers hovered over the call button for a moment as the cloud of doubt entered his mind, but he brushed it aside and pressed the button.
The door opened and Anakin strode inside, but he didn't find Padme there. There was only a man at a desk, looking up at Anakin with a look of vague annoyance. Of course, Anakin realized, Padme was unlikely to be alone in her office, even at this late hour. His eyes flickered to another door to his right, behind which he could sense her presence.
"May I help you?" the man behind the desk asked, blinking up at Anakin.
"I'm here to see Senator Naberrie," Anakin said, stepping forward.
"I'm sorry sir, the senator's public office hours are over and she has no appointments scheduled for this evening," the man said, his eyes returning to the datascreen in front of him in a clear dismissal of Anakin. But Anakin wasn't going to give up so easily.
"I do not require an appointment," Anakin said, passing his hand in front of the man's face. The man looked up at him again, and blinked several times. For a moment, Anakin was afraid the mind trick hadn't worked, but then the man spoke.
"You do not require an appointment," he told Anakin. Anakin smiled.
"It's time for you to head home," he instructed the man.
"It's time for me to head home," the man repeated back to him, getting up from his chair and pulling on his cloak. Anakin watched with satisfaction as the man walked out the door and into the hall. Anakin closed the door behind him and pulled off his hat and poncho. Then he walked around to the other side of the desk and found the controls to the intercom.
Padme sat at her desk, her eyes bleary as she read through yet another report in preparation for the various meetings that awaited her tomorrow before the chancellor's celebration. The thought of being forced to socialize with the galaxy's elite for an entire evening made her feel unwell, and we quickly popped one of the anti-nausea pills Breha had picked up for her. She could ill afford another episode like the one that had transpired at Ta'a Chume's dinner party.
It was late and she was tired, but she was determined to get through the last few reports on her list. She liked to be well-versed on each of the issues before stepping into the Nexu-pit that was the Senate Chamber. She had specifically instructed her secretary not to disturb her, so she was surprised and mildly annoyed to see the indicator light on her comm light up, but she decided to let the call come through.
"Neerin, whatever it is, can it wait until morning?" she said into the comm, but there was only silence on the other side. "Neerin?" she called, but again, there was nothing. With a sigh, she popped another of the anti-nausea pills she'd had Breha pick up for her and then went to the door that separated her private office from the antechamber outside.
"Neerin, what-" she began as the door opened, but she immediately cut herself off. Neerin was not at his desk. Instead, she saw Anakin Skywalker, leaning on the edge of the desk and looking quite pleased with himself.
Padme stared for a moment, shocked to see him. The gangly teenager she'd first met five years before was gone, transformed into something new. His fair hair, once wild and windswept, was now cropped short. His shoulders were broader and his limbs thicker, built up by four years of training. He looked every inch the Jedi Knight.
"Where's Neerin?" she asked, as her surprise began to abate.
"I sent Neerin home for the night," he said with a smile, starting to slowly walk toward her.
"How did you manage that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just a bit of Jedi persuasion," he said, taking another step forward. She narrowed her eyes and he held up as hands defensively. "It was harmless, I promise."
"You really shouldn't be here," she said. She felt her heart began to beat faster. He stopped moving toward her, looking at her intently.
"Do you want me to go?" he asked quietly. She looked at him, her mind whirring. It would be better if she sent him away, if she waited to gather her thoughts, to decide exactly how she was going to tell him everything she needed to tell him. But it wasn't what she wanted.
"No," she whispered. He looked at her a moment, then strode forward, closing the space between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent to kiss her and her feet left the floor as he swept her up in his arms.
When her feet touched the ground again, she grabbed the front of his Jedi robes, pulling him with her back into the seclusion of her office. The rest of the world seemed to fade away as she gave into the heady intoxication she always felt when she was with Anakin.
She wasn't even sure how they made it to the sofa, but she found herself there, laying across Anakin's chest, her lips pressed against his. It was only when she felt his fingers release the clasp on the back her dress that she suddenly snapped back to the real world.
"We can't," she said, pushing herself up, "not here."
"There's no one around," Anakin said, sitting up as she stood and walked back toward her desk, reaching behind her to fasten the clasp on her dress.
"I'm not the only senator who works long hours," she said. Her mind suddenly buzzed with what her colleagues would say if they discovered her in a compromising position in her office, nevermind with a Jedi. If they were going to get caught, she didn't want it to be here. "Take this," she said, grabbing her spare code cylinder from a desk drawer. "Do you know 500 Republica?"
"Who doesn't?" Anakin said with a sigh, taking the cylinder from her.
"Use the third lift on the left, go up to floor six-eighty-six. It's apartment three," she said. He stood up, but was clearly reluctant to go. She slipped her arms around his waist and rose on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."
"What if someone sees me going into your apartment?" he asked as he walked back out to the other room.
"You'll just have to use some more of that Jedi persuasion," she said, leaning in the doorway and watching as he pulled on his rain poncho and removed his hat from the satchel.
"It doesn't work on everyone," he said, turning back to her.
"Well then," she said with a smile, taking the hat from his hand and fitting it on his head, pulling the brim low, "don't let anyone see you."
Maul hovered above the shoulders of the pilot of the heavily-armed freighter as the ship exited lightspeed just out of range of Coruscant's sensors. He flexed the claw-like toes of his newly installed legs, bestowed upon him by the medical droids of the late General Grievous.
"Is the cloaking device operational?" he asked the pilot as the ship maneuvered closer to the planet.
"It is, sir."
"Then bring her in," Maul said, stalking off to the other side of the bridge where Vigdis stood, looking out at the ships surrounding the city-planet.
"There are the prison ships," she said as they passed into the planet's orbit. She pointed to a series of old capital ships, once large war machines but now stripped of their weaponry and used as holding cells for the thousands of Separatists captured on Ryloth.
"They're well guarded," Vigdis noted as they passed by the prison ships. Maul only smiled.
"That won't matter for long," he assured her.
"Preparing for landing," the pilot called from his seat. Maul took his seat as the freighter began its descent. He took a datacard from the pocket of his tunic and admired it's metallic gleam. The datacard was the key to everything, if he could only get to the Chancellor's office. He would have to rely on the knowledge of Vigdis and her crew to bring him to the Senate, but once there he would finally see the payoff of his long years of waiting.
The ship cleared the atmosphere and headed away from the wealthiest part of the planet, toward a less populated section of Coruscant where they could descend undetected into one of the portals leading into the city's underbelly. The ship skimmed over the skyline, then hovered for a moment above one of the portals before the pilot took it straight down, into the underworld.
They descended several hundred levels, into the worst parts of the city that were still habitable. Maul watched through the viewport as the scene outside became grimmer with each level they passed. He could feel the increasing sense of hopelessness and despair of the inhabitants of the dark, forgotten corners of the bright center of the universe.
At last, the pilot peeled off and docked the ship under directions from Vigdis. She ordered a small number of her crew to stay behind, while the rest descended the gangway with her and Maul, into the foul air of the lowest levels of Coruscant.
"You're certain of the location of the tunnel entrance?" Maul asked her as they exited the ship.
"I grew up in these gutters," she answered. "I know it well enough."
"Lead on, then," he said. She moved out to the front of the group, keeping one hand on her holstered blaster, and Maul followed with the others in tow. He had been afraid they would stick out, but he needn't have worried. The citizens of this section of the underworld appeared to hail from every corner of the galaxy, and none of them were concerned about a gaggle of strangers except as the potential mark for a mugging.
Vigdis led them through the maze of streets and alleyways, at one point forcing them to traipse through a rotting garbage heap. They continued on for what seemed like hours until at last they came to a rickety metal stair. At the bottom, concealed behind a half-shredded tarpaulin, was an entrance to the old tunnels that ran beneath the city. As Vigdis pulled back the tarp to let them pass through, Maul recoiled at the stench.
"This was part of the sewer system once," she said, smirking. "It isn't pleasant, but it will get us where we need to go." Maul ripped off a piece of the bottom edge of his cloak and wrapped it around his nose and mouth to ward off some of the smell, and many of his compatriots did the same.
The tunnels were, for the most part, abandoned, but now and then they passed some unfortunate soul who made their home in the sewers. Most paid them no attention, but a few held out their hands, hopeful for a small mercy. When Maul passed, however, the hands typically withdrew, as though they could sense that to request anything of him would only led to further suffering. As they crossed through the intersection of two tunnels, however, one desperate looking Rodian pressed in on Maul.
"Spare a credit, sir? Perhaps a few wupiupi?" the Rodian begged, clinging to the edge of Maul's cloak. Maul tried to pull his cloak away, but the Rodian refused to let go.
"Out of my way!" Maul snarled, kicking at the Rodian, who flew back against the tunnel wall with a thud. In the scuffle, the piece of cloth covering his face was dislodged. Instinctively, Maul pulled his lightsaber from his belt and ignited one of the blades, illuminating the sewers in a scarlet glow.
Maul rounded on the Rodian, whose large, starry eyes were wide with fear. Maul lunged but he was still growing accustomed to his new limbs, and his would-be victim managed to dodge out of the way as the red blade sliced through the sewer wall with a fierce hiss. The Rodian quickly disappeared down another tunnel.
"Put that thing away!" Vigdis whispered urgently, grabbing Maul's arm as he started after the Rodian. "He's only a spice junkie, it's not worth the trouble. We should keep moving." Maul's temper flared for a moment at the impropriety of being ordered around by an inferior, but he disengaged the lightsaber. She was right. He returned the weapon to his belt and pulled the covering back over his face.
"Let's go," he ordered. Vigdis gave him a nod and started forward again, and he followed, with her crew behind them. Every step brought them closer to the Senate Building, and to the fulfillment of Darth Maul's long-awaited revenge.
Anakin awoke to the Coruscant sunrise streaming into Padme's bedroom. He squinted against the bright light and rolled away from the window. Padme lay next to him, also awake, but she was staring at the ceiling, pulling at the tufts at the edge of the coverlet, looking worried. Anakin propped himself up on his elbow so he could see her face. She looked over at him and he smiled.
"I was afraid I would wake up and find it was all just a dream," he said as he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, gently kissing her fingers.
"Maybe it was," she said softly. She seemed distracted, and her worried look persisted.
"It seems real enough to me," he said, letting go of her hand and reaching his arms out to wrap them around her, but she pulled away.
"Not to me," she said icily as she got up out of the bed, pulled on her robe, and left the room. Anakin frowned as he watched her go, feeling as though the woman he'd woken up next to was a different person than the one he'd spent the night with.
Sighing, he dragged himself from the luxurious sheet's of Padme's bed and found his trousers and the bottom layer of his tunic. Putting both on he followed Padme into the main living space of the apartment.
"What's wrong?" he asked her as she busied herself making a cup of tea. Her service droid remained deactivated in the corner, a precaution she had insisted upon. She looked up at him, and he could see that she was already frustrated.
"You realize we're living in a temporary fantasy, don't you?" she said as she stirred the cup of tea in front of her. "Whatever we're doing, whatever this is," she said, gesturing to the two of them, "it can't go on like this."
"Can't it?" Anakin said, drawing closer, trying to change to mood, but she moved away, taking a seat in an armchair.
"I'm not going to spend the rest of my days slinking off to secret trysts and lying to everyone I know," she said. Anakin, feeling a bit defeated, slumped down on the sofa across from her.
"You didn't seem to have any of these misgivings last night," he said pointedly. Her face flushed.
"I…" she began, but then trailed off, flustered. However, she quickly composed herself. "You surprised me," she said defensively. "I was caught up in the moment." Anakin could see she was upset with herself for her lack of willpower the previous evening, but she seemed very determined now.
"We have to be realistic about about our future, Anakin," she said her tone stern. She paused for a moment, as though fortifying herself for what she was about to say. He saw her take a deep breath. "If you aren't going to leave the Jedi," she said, her voice somewhat shaky, but resolute, "then we have to end this. For both our sakes."
Anakin stared at her, his heart pounding. Deep down, he knew she was right, but in the moment, her suggestion filled him with dread. He felt the same sting of betrayal he had felt years ago, when she had first put a stop to their young romance. We have to end this. The words echoed frightfully in his mind, and he felt his face go hot with anger.
"Is that what you want?" he asked, not bothering to keep the edge out of his voice. "To end it?"
"I didn't say that," she pointed out, sidestepping the question. "All I'm saying is that a choice will have to be made." Anakin looked at her for a moment, then stood suddenly, walking across the room. His head was spinning.
"I don't want to discuss this now," he said, running his hands through his hair and then resting them on his hips as he stared out the window at the Coruscant skyline. He wasn't prepared to decide his future here and now.
"If not now, when?" Padme asked, insistent. "It's only a matter of time before we're found out, and if that happens, the Jedi Council won't give you a choice." The truth of her words felt like a gut punch. He thought of what it would mean to be expelled, to be hauled before the Council and have his failings put on full display, to be stripped of his lightsaber. He remembered what KeAnn had said after the battle on Ryloth: I could never have imagined how hard it would be lose my place among the Jedi.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked quietly, looking at her over his shoulder. She seemed taken aback by the question.
"I can't make this decision for you," she said, shaking her head, but that Anakin wasn't acceptable to Anakin. He needed, desperately wanted, someone to tell him what the right choice was. He turned around to fully face her.
"Do you want me to leave the Order?" he asked forcefully.
"I would never ask that of you," she said, as though repulsed by the suggestion. Anakin's frustration boiled over.
"And why is that?" he demanded to know, the volume of his voice raising with his temper. "Because you doubt me? You doubt us?" he asked, pacing across the room. He pointed an accusatory finger at her as the answer dawned on him. "You think our relationship will fall apart, and it would all have been for nothing."
"I never said that!" she shouted back at him with frustration, sitting up on the edge of her chair. He could sense he'd hit upon something though, a real fear. The fear was real for him too, but he wasn't about to admit that.
"You don't have to," he said, watching her eyes, "I can see it in your mind." He saw her jaw set with anger, but he didn't care. He turned away and began to gather his things.
"Don't do that," she said as he pulled on his boots. Her expression was livid. "Don't bring your Jedi tricks into this."
"If you were honest with me," he retorted, "I wouldn't have to." He threw his satchel over his shoulder and started for the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked as he stalked off. "This conversation isn't over." He stopped at the door and turned back.
"I'm going back to the Temple," he said as he punched the door controls. "I just got back from fighting one war, I'd rather not start another one with you."
Obi-Wan rose early after a night of fitful sleep. He'd managed to get Rex safely delivered to the Jedi Temple's medical bay, but he could still not rest easy. His worries, about Anakin primarily, permeated his mind. He was filled with uncertainty about how to handle his young apprentice.
The night before, he'd decided he would have to give the Council a full and unaltered account of what occured on Ryloth. But now that it was morning, Obi-Wan doubted his choice, or at least part of it. He'd believed it would be better if Anakin was not present, but upon reflection he realized the young man deserved a chance to explain himself. With that in mind, he headed to Anakin's chambers before his audience with the Council.
Obi-Wan arrived at Anakin's door and pressed the controls to indicate a visitor had arrived, but there was no answer. He pressed the controls again, and again, and again. Nothing. Taking a more analog approach, he rapped on the door with his knuckles, just in case something was wrong with the door's notification system, but the door remained firmly closed.
Reaching out with the Force, Obi-Wan could not sense Anakin's presence inside the room, but he knew the swirl of emotion he now felt could be clouding his perceptions. Determined to know for certain, Obi-Wan pressed the controls to open the door, knowing that Anakin's room, like all rooms in the temple, lacked a lock. Jedi were not afforded that level of privacy.
The room was empty, as Obi-Wan had known it would be, but it was still difficult to shake his disappointment, and his frustration. Where the blazes is that boy? he asked himself. Answers popped into his mind, but none of them brought him any comfort. His thoughts rushed to a certain senator from Alderaan, but he told himself Anakin would not be so foolhardy.
Obi-Wan shut Anakin's door and made his way to the chambers of the Jedi Council, trying to bury his concerns, but they continued to rise to the surface against his will. As he waited for the lift that would take him up the High Council Spire, he heard the unmistakable sound of his old master's walking stick. He turned and bowed, offering his morning greeting to the tiny green alien who had completed his training and was the long-serving head of their order.
"Master Yoda," he said as he bowed. Master Yoda inclined his wizened head.
"Obi-Wan," Yoda said as the lift arrived. Obi-Wan gestured for Yoda to enter the lift first, then followed behind. As the doors closed, Yoda looked up at Obi-Wan.
"Worried about your apprentice, you are?" the ancient Jedi Master asked. Obi-Wan sighed. He should have known that Master Yoda would immediately be able to read his feelings. There was no use hiding anything from him.
"He has been distracted of late," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. "There is great conflict in him. He is ruled by his emotions, quick to draw power from his fear or his anger."
"All students stumble from the path of the light," Yoda said as the lift continued to rise. "Help him find his way back, you must, before he wanders too far." The lift came to a stop at the top of the spire, and the two Jedi exited into the hall outside the Council chambers.
"I'm not sure I know how," Obi-Wan admitted as he walked with Yoda toward the window, taking in the view of Coruscant below.
"But you do know," Yoda insisted, jabbing his walking stick at Obi-Wan. "The young apprentice who came to me after his master was killed, filled with turmoil, he was," Yoda reminded him. Obi-Wan remembered only too well the young man Yoda referred to. "See yourself in him, you do," Yoda observed sagely.
"I thought I could help Anakin, as you helped me," Obi-Wan explained. "Now I am not so sure."
"Hmm, much distrust of him I sense in you. Much doubt," Yoda said. Obi-Wan sighed.
"I do trust him," he insisted, but the words didn't ring entirely true. "Most of the time," he qualified. Behind them, the lift opened again and a few other members of the Council came out. Their session would start soon.
"Faith in your apprentice, you must have," Yoda told him, his voice low and serious. "Or fail him, you will." Yoda fixed him with a meaningful stare, then turned to go into the Council chambers with the other masters. Obi-Wan lingered a moment, considering Yoda's words. His old master was right. He was not going to make Anakin the Council's problem. They didn't need to know everything that had occured on Ryloth, at least not yet. There was still time to set things right.