The darkness of the room was comforting, sort of like a security blanket for the young Jedi. A bottle of alcohol at his side, he reclined into the worn chair, recalling times in the past where he would have wished to have time to rest in his favorite chair. But now, he wished more than anything that he could be out with his apprentice, doing some perilous or boring mission. Anything. Just as long as he could be with his padawan. But he couldn't. Because the Sith had him, and there was nothing he could do about it, try as he might. He couldn't even connect with him through their bond.
The Council said they were doing everything in their power to locate Anakin, but for Obi-Wan, that was not enough. It had been his job to protect Anakin, to shelter him and nurture him as he grew. He had failed. // I don't deserve to be Master, I'm a failure. And because of me, Anakin is now lost. Suffering at the hands of those God awful Sith // "I should just kill myself." Obi-Wan said aloud, unaware of the affect his words had on the room's other occupant.
"Please, don't Obi-Wan." Her light voice came floating through his dark thoughts, forcing him to acknowledge the real world around him, and not the fantasy he was living as he drank himself into oblivion. "You're a good Master, and Anakin needs you. Don't let this get you down, there was nothing you could do to stop this from happening, no one would have been able to stop it." Amidala's voice was filled with emotion. Obi-Wan mentally slapped himself. //You idiot! Sitting here wallowing in self loathing and pity while Amidala has to deal with this on her own, not just Anakin, but me as well! //
"Amidala, I am sorry." He said trying to find words to say to the young queen who had lost her love and had to see him like… that.
"Apologies are not necessary, action is." Obi-wan pondered what she meant by 'action'.
"I can assure you that the Council is doing every thing in their power to find Anakin. Action will be taken when he is found." He said, glancing in her direction for the first time. She looked terrible. It was evident that she had been crying, her makeup was ruined and her hair was a mess, but that fire in her eyes, that made her so beautiful remained intact. Her love was gone, but she would not give up. "She has an iron will' Anakin had once said, and Obi-Wan had to agree.
"I was not questioning the Council's ability, Obi-Wan. But it would seem wiser to me if we worked on locating him as well, more people searching would increase the chances of finding him, don't you agree?"
"The Council forbade anyone else from working on this case." Obi-Wan said uneasily. He had been curious as to why the Council had been against him from trying to find his apprentice, and that curiosity had grown into apprehension. He couldn't understand why they wouldn't allow him to help out, it just seemed wrong.
"That is why we will not tell them we are looking for him. The Council should not know of anything we do." Amidala's voice was filled with anger. You did not have to be a Force sensitive to pick up on her anger.
"What are you implying, Amidala?" Obi-wan asked, although deep down, he knew what she meant, for he had thought the same thing himself.
"I am saying that the Council doesn't want us to get involved because they are not trying to find him. That they are lying to us, and that they don't want him to be found." Her words were against the Council, but Obi-Wan found himself agreeing.