Chapter 26

Chancellor's office

"I'm fine, truly," Obi-Wan tried to tell the paramedics. "Just a scratch."
"Don't listen to him," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan shot him a hard look. "Perhaps you ought to have a look at all three of us, in that case," he countered.

Anakin wasn't amused.

The paramedics looked at one another in exasperation.

"Anakin!"

Anakin looked over at the doorway to see Padmé and Mon Mothma. "It's over," he told them. "Maul's dead."

Padmé nodded her understanding, her eyes moving to the inert form of Maul which was being carried from the office. "He was mad," she said quietly.

"He was," Anakin agreed.

"Let's get you three checked out," one of the paramedics finally decided.

Anakin expelled a loud breath and looked at Obi-Wan who simply gave him a smile. "Guess we're all going then," he said to Ahsoka.

"Looks that way," she agreed.

"But General Kenobi needs the stretcher," Anakin said with a barely perceptible grin. "He's feeling pretty woozy."
Obi-Wan's smile faded as the paramedics helped him quite solicitously onto the stretcher. Anakin and Ahsoka exchanged a smirk as they followed him out.

Padmé watched her former husband. He was not warm towards her, which didn't surprise her. She knew that he harboured a lot of resentment where she was concerned. She only hoped that he would, in time, forgive and forget.

"I'll meet you there," Padmé said as the paramedics and their reluctant patients made their way down the corridor.

Ahsoka turned and gave her a smile and a wave. Anakin simply kept walking. Padmé felt tears rise to her eyes, and fought to maintain her composure.

"Padmé, we need to call an emergency meeting," Mothma reminded her. "I'm sure the Jedi will be taken well care of."

Padmé nodded. "Of course, you're right," she said. "Let's get to it."

Coruscant medical centre

"Now please, have a seat while we look after General Kenobi," a young nurse told Anakin and Ahsoka. "Someone will be right with you to look after you."

"That isn't necessary," Anakin said, growing tired of saying the words. "We're fine. General Kenobi was the only one injured."

The nurse, who was quite gobsmacked to be speaking to the legendary Anakin Skywalker (who was far more handsome in person than any holovid she'd ever seen), gave him a smile. "I'm sorry General Skywalker, I'm just following orders."

Anakin nodded, and sat down with Ahsoka. "This is ridiculous," he grumbled.

"Well considering we are among the few surviving Jedi, I don't think they want to take any chances," she said.

Anakin scoffed. "I guess," he said.

Ahsoka studied him for a moment. There was something on her mind, a question she needed to ask him; but she wasn't sure she ought to do so. And yet, this man knew her better than most, and she him.

"I couldn't help but notice the tension between you and Padmé," she said at last. "Or was that my imagination?"
Anakin turned to her. "No, it wasn't," he said.

Ahsoka frowned. "I thought you'd decided to rescue her because you realize that you still love her," she said. "But you certainly aren't acting like you do."

"I do love her," Anakin said. "She's the mother of my children. But that doesn't change what happened between us."

Ahsoka shook her head. "No, I know that," she said. "But…"
"General Skywalker, come this way please," an orderly said, cutting off Ahsoka before she could continue.

Perfect timing, Anakin thought as he stood up. He'd decided that was not a conversation he was ready to have with his padawan, or anyone for that matter. "Lead the way," he said.

Anakin followed the orderly into a nearby examination room, where he was invited to have a seat on the table. He was about to say that it wasn't necessary, but decided not to bother. It seemed that they did think it necessary, and he was too tired to argue.

"General Skywalker, it's an honour to meet you, sir," a young doctor said as she entered the room. "I'm Lara Jenkin," she said, extending a hand to Anakin.

"Thank you," Anakin said. "I don't want to waste your time Doctor Jenkin, but I'm perfectly fine."

She smiled. "Yes, so I've been told," she said. "Then this won't take long at all."

Anakin smiled grimly, deciding to suck it up and keep his mouth closed just this once.

Senate Building

"How did this happen?" cried Senator Alavar. "How did that monster get into the Chancellor's office?"

Other senators shouted similar questions.

"All we know is that he did," Mon Mothma said, standing at the chancellor's podium with Padmé. "We have security holos that are being examined right now. But regardless of how, the sad truth remains: our dear Chancellor Organa is dead."

Padmé took a ragged breath to calm herself. The shock of Bail's brutal murder was something she knew would be with her a long time. He had been a close friend for years, and was one of handful of people that she trusted implicitly. But what was worse was that Padmé had begun to consider that she had caused his murder in an indirect way. I should have cooperated with Maul from the start …he was insane…I never should have tried to reason with him and stall for time …Bail paid the price for my arrogance to think that I could handle the situation…

"Senator Amidala?"
Padmé looked up at Mothma, realizing that she had asked her a question, but having no idea what it was. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Mothma could see how rattled her friend was, and gave her a reassuring smile. "I was asking if you would be the one to let Queen Breha know," she said. "I know it's a terrible thing, but…"
"I will," Padmé said. "I will go at once to tell her."

Mothma nodded, and watched Padmé as she left the podium. "We will get past this, my friends," she said sadly. "Bail would have wanted us to."

Padmé walked to her office, her eyes swimming with tears. Her heart hammered withing her as she tried to formulate the words that would destroy her friend's widow. There were no words to soften such a blow, she realised; all she could do was deliver the terrible news and be there to support the Queen as best she could. I will go to Alderaan, she decided. She will need help planning the funeral…

Sitting down at her computer, Padmé took a deep breath to steady herself before she made contact with the Alderaani royal home. It was the Queen's aide who responded, and the young woman gave Padmé a smile of recognition.

"Senator Amidala," she said. "How good to see you! What can I do for you this evening?"
"I need to speak to Queen Breha immediately," Padmé said. "It's a matter of grave importance."

The smile faded from the young woman's face. "I'm sorry, I do hope everything is all right. I will notify Her Majesty at once."

It wasn't long before Breha appeared. "Padmé? What's wrong? What's happened?"

Padmé couldn't prevent the tears from filling her eyes. "Oh Breha, I'm so sorry."

Coruscant Medical Centre

"Well, General Skywalker…."

"Please call me Anakin," he said.

She smiled, and a slight blush coloured her cheeks. "Very well, Anakin," she said. "I'd say overall you are in remarkable physical condition," she said.

Anakin smiled. "I did try to tell you that this was unnecessary," he said.

"You did," she agreed. "However, your body is showing signs of prolonged stress and fatigue," she continued. "I know what you've been going through recently, and I'm not surprised at all by this."

Anakin nodded. "It's been a nightmare," he concurred.

"I'm sure," she said. "Tell me, how have you been emotionally? I can't imagine that this ordeal hasn't impacted you on a level not visible to my instruments."

Anakin felt immediately uncomfortable by her question, and shifted on the examination table. "It hasn't been easy," he said, casting his eyes to the floor. "Very stressful, like you suggested."

Dr. Jenkin nodded. "I'm sure," she said. "I'm not a psychiatrist, but I recognize PTSD when I see it, Anakin. And I think you may be suffering from it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if your colleagues were as well."

Anakin looked up at her in surprise. "PTSD?" he asked.

"Post traumatic stress disorder…"
"I know what it is," he replied with a frown. "What makes you think I have that?"
"I don't know for sure that you do," she admitted. "Like I said, I'm not a psychiatrist. That's why I'd like to refer to one, right here on staff. If I'm right, this isn't something you want to let fester, Anakin. You need to address it and deal with it."

Anakin nodded, not sure how her words made him feel. But he hadn't felt like himself for a very long time, of that, he was sure. He hadn't been himself since the day his wife told him she wanted a divorce.

"If you think it's necessary," he said at last.

"I do," she replied. "I'm going to admit you so that you can get some rest, you need it badly. I will arrange for one of our psychiatrists to come and speak to you tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Anakin's first impulse was to refuse; spending the night in the hospital was not something he enjoyed. However, with the Jedi Temple unliveable at the moment and the situation with his ex-wife so untenable, he didn't have a lot of options.

"Very well," he said. "I'm in your hands, Doctor Jenkin."

Padmé's home

"Milady! It's so late! Are you okay?" Dormé cried as she met Padmé at the doorway.

Padmé sighed as she hung up her cloak. "I'm fine," she said. "It's been a long, terrible night."

Dormé frowned. "What's wrong? What has happened?"

Padmé sat down in the parlour. "The Chancellor has been assassinated," she said.

Dormé sat down across from her, too shocked to speak for a moment. "Oh my God!" she cried. "How? When?"

"Darth Maul killed him," Padmé told her. "He managed to get into his office earlier tonight after killing everyone in his path. I didn't know what was happening until I went into Bail's office, and then I became his prisoner too."
"Oh Padmé! I can't believe this!" Dormé cried. "How did you escape him?"

"Maul forced me to send a message to Anakin," Padmé said. "He came with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, and they killed him. But by the time they got there, Bail was already dead," she concluded sadly with tears rolling down her face.

Dormé came over to her at once and wrapped her arms around her friend. Padmé gave free vent to her sorrow and simply cried in her embrace.