Once the Chancellor walks away, Obi-Wan's eyes flip over Anakin's features, cataloguing any signs of the past visit to the infirmary. Finding nothing but a pair of dark circles under his eyes, the thing he wants to ask is, "Are you alright?"
But the words feel too heavy on his tongue and so he says, "You missed the report on the Outer Rim sieges."
"I—was held up," Anakin answers absentmindedly, watching the retreating form of the Chancellor. Obi-Wan does not need their bond, nor the Force, to sense his former padawan's next question. "What does Palpatine want with me? Has something happened?"
Obi-Wan cannot help the suspicious glower that invades his features as his gaze follows Anakin's, "I hope not."
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Anakin turning to him, his expression a mix of confused and curious. "My beacon hasn't gone off. If the Council wanted me, why didn't they—"
"The Council has not been consulted."
Anakin pats his robes in search of his comlink but his movements come to an abrupt stop, "I don't understand," he admits, meeting Obi-Wan's eyes.
"Nor do I," Obi-Wan says with a dose of bitterness in his voice, and folds his arms across his chest. "He simply arrived, some time ago, and requested to speak with you."
"Why didn't he go through the Council?" Anakin questions, frowning.
"Perhaps, he has some reason to believe," Obi-Wan says carefully, raising one hand to touch his beard, "that the Council might have resisted sending you. Perhaps he did not wish to reveal his reason for his summons. Relations between the Council and the Chancellor are. . . stressed."
That revelation only makes Anakin more curious. "Why? What's going on? Something's wrong, isn't it? You know something, I can tell."
Then, he steps closer to Obi-Wan and nudges his arm in a way he used to do when he was still a padawan. "Tell me."
Obi-Wan lets out a sigh and closes his eyes for a second, "Anakin, you know I am your friend."
Anakin blinks, "Of course, you are—"
"No. No of courses, Anakin. Nothing is of course anymore. I am your friend, and as your friend, I am asking you: be wary of Palpatine."
"What do you mean?"
"The Senate is supposed to vote more executive powers to the Chancellor today," he answers, which only makes Anakin look more lost.
"Well, that can only mean less deliberating and more action, is that bad?" he comments, trying to follow the conversation. Obi-Wan begins to pace along the Hall, in a manner more impatient than suits him. Anakin joins his side. "It will make it easier for us to end this war."
"I am only asking you to be careful of your friend Palpatine," Obi-Wan repeats, looking ahead at the stairs where said man vanished moments ago. "And be careful of your own feelings."
"Careful? Don't you mean, mindful?" Anakin asks, pressing their shoulders together, trying to force some eye contact. Obi-wan does not look at him.
"No. I don't. The Force grows darker around us, around you , and we're all affected by it. This is a dangerous time to be a Jedi. Please, Anakin— please, be careful."
He turns his head to peer into Anakin's face; lowering his mental shields a fraction so his student could touch some of his love and concern. Anakin, as expected, tries to tear them down even further but Obi-Wan quickly raises them back again, frowning slightly, while Anakin grumbles under his breath.
"You worry too much," he tells him, offering a small smile.
"Anakin."
His smile widens at the familiar tone, "Obi-Wan "
They descend the stairs in silence and once they reach the lower ground, Anakin says in a serious voice, "That's not all. Something else's bothering you."
His Force presence feels at the great wall shielding Obi-Wan's mind. It is gentle and inquiring, as it coils along the closed gate, seeking any gap. Many different things bother Obi-Wan but one appears to be more nagging than the others.
He refrains from sighing again, "Yes," he admits because lying to Anakin would be pointless. Besides, he wants to talk to him about this. He needs to.
The familiar presence withdraws.
"Well?" Anakin prompts. "What is it?"
Dooku.
He takes a deep breath, and fires, "You single-handedly killed a Sith Lord."
Anakin shakes his head, clearly surprised by the exclamation. A strange, uneasy look passes through his features, "You were with me, Master," he disagrees. "I wouldn't do this without—oh."
He stops in his tracks and his gaze is searching as he takes in Obi-Wan's expression. His own turns equally tense and astonished.
"If you're blaming yourself for not helping or being a burden, then—"
"What? No!" Obi-Wan cuts him off. "Carrying me was a trial of strength , my young apprentice," a corner of Anakin's mouth quirks at that. "I want to speak to you about—"
A murder.
"—the Count's death—
"Excuse me."
They both turn to face the small, silver droid that blinks at them repeatedly. Its head whirls in place to look at Anakin. "The Chancellor's schedule is very busy today. It would be most desirable if Anakin Skywalker joined him within the next five minutes."
The two Jedi glance at each other, communicating without words. Obi-Wan nods in defeat. "I'll talk to you later."
"See you," Anakin grins, a bit apologetic, and follows the droid.
Obi-Wan watches him go, letting a small wave of anxiety wash over his heart before releasing it into the Force. He does not doubt Palpatine's intentions, he believes that his feelings towards Anakin are sincere; but still, he is not blind not to realize that it will not stop the Chancellor from using their relationship to his advantage.
He thinks of the Chancellor's gentle smile, recalling the innocent words that have plagued his mind ever since. Does he ever have the same effect on Anakin? Anakin who, despite his flaring temper, hides such a sensitive soul. . .
So easy to bend or break.
oOo
Dreams pass in time, Obi-Wan told Anakin once.
How lucky is a master able to learn from his own lessons, how wise is a man implementing his own advice.
Obi-Wan turns out to be neither.
Not long after having been first plagued by the nightmares, he decides to visit Grandmaster Yoda's quarters. The visions he has—he cannot fool himself they are just figments of his imagination—either keep him awake at nights, or wrest from him any minute of sleep he manages to get.
He tried to speak to Anakin a few times; to gently inquire him of the state of his soul, of his thoughts on the Council and the Force, of the visions he used to have long ago. Nothing has come out of these endeavours - it seems as though these conversations have only led to enhancing Obi-Wan's own turmoil.
Anakin is always occupied, no doubt paying frequent visits to Senator Amidala, as he disappears for hours on end and spends the nights somewhere else than the Temple. But this behaviour is not out of the ordinary, and so Obi-Wan wonders, recalling the yellow eyes from his dreams, how could Anakin's kind ones ever turn that cruel. Caught up between the uncertain present and catastrophical future, he turns to Yoda for advice.
The Grandmaster is the wisest and the most knowledgeable Jedi alive - and also the most subtle of all. If Obi-Wan were to trust in anyone's discrecy, it would be his. That is why one early morning, he finds himself sitting on a mat in the Grandmaster's quarters, facing Yoda, with a warm cup of herbal tea clutched between his palms.
"Premonitions. . . premonitions. . . these visions you have. . ."
Obi-Wan nods; his throat feels completely dry, "I see him fall, Master Yoda. Fall and. . . and die. . ."
The wise Grandmaster hums, deep in thought, his finger resting on his chin. "Dark visions, these are. And said that young Skywalker also experienced it, you have, hmm?"
"Yes, he did. He saw his mother's death. . . and it came true soon after."
"Hmm, hmm. . ." Yoda's eyes turn to slits. "The future, set in stone is not. Predict the future, one cannot, only try one can."
"I know," Obi-Wan emphasizes.
"Careful you must be when sensing it. You might see what you like not."
"I know that as well," Obi-Wan says, his tone edged with impatience. "But how can I know whether these visions are real? How can I stop them from becoming reality?"
Yoda suddenly jerks, striking Obi-Wan's knee with his gimer stick. "Future is an enemy not! Fight it, one cannot!"
Obi-Wan stirs in his seat, instinctively moving away. "But—I can't allow Anakin to turn to the dark side!"
"Decide the fate of a student, a master cannot; only advise him. Make a Jedi fall, one cannot. A choice, it is."
"I'm well aware of that," Obi-Wan shifts, moving his feet as far from the grandmaster's reach as possible. "But what if it's a warning from the Force? If I could save Anakin from death—"
"No death, there is; only the Force," Yoda interrupts. "Awaiting us all, it is. Unnatural the fear of it."
Death is a natural part of life, yes, Obi-Wan agrees wholeheartedly. But not a sudden death. Not a cruel death. Not a death of someone as young as Anakin, as bright as Anakin, not his Anakin.
Despite his stubbornness, Yoda's voice softens slightly, "A reason to suspect Anakin to join the Sith, you have? Done anything to deserve mistrust, has he?"
"I—I don't think he's actively pursued it. I don't think he's done anything," it it a lie but he has no choice. Telling the Master about the truth behind Dooku's death is out of the question.
"Hmm, hmm," Yoda hums. "Do anything in the matter, we cannot."
"But, Master," Obi-Wan has never felt more like a youngling than now, "is Anakin not the Chosen One?" he asks. "We can't allow him to—"
"We can't allow the Chosen One or Anakin?"
Obi-Wan nearly flushes at the subtle jab. Yoda is silent for a moment, thinking.
"Only one thing, you can do," he finally says.
"What is it, Master?" Obi-Wan asks, hopeful.
"Let go," the Grandmaster simply answers. Obi-wan's face falls. "Let go of all you fear to lose. A path to the dark side, attachment is. Let your student go; choose his own path, he must."
Obi-Wan nods, feeling his insides clench painfully, and rises to depart from the room. For the first time in long, after so many lost battles, after so many hopeless situations, he feels truly defeated.
A voice in his head that disguises itself in Palpatine's pleasant tembre reminds him, "The Jedi do not care about what is best for Anakin."