Obi-Wan would seem, to any other, to be meditating in the
peaceful gardens of Theed palace. Anakin, however, knew differently.
Obi-Wan was worried about something, and it was preventing him from
concentrating fully on the Force.
Cloaking his presence and making sure to walk quietly Anakin made his way down the slight hill he stood on to the fish pond Obi-Wan sat beside. When he was just a few paces behind the knight he stopped.
"It's very beautiful here, isn't it?" The only sign that Anakin had caught the young man unawares was a slight movement of his head. Anakin smiled. "I hope I didn't startle you." Obi-Wan craned his neck so he could look at Anakin.
"Not at all," He stood turned around. "I was just meditating." He looked around at the garden. "You're right, it is beautiful."
"Yes," Anakin turned slightly and motioned for Obi-Wan to follow him, "but I much prefer the gardens on the other side of the palace." He started down a path made of smooth, perfectly round, stepping-stones. "There's one in particular. Come on. I'll show it to you."
They walked in silence for a while. Obi-Wan was preoccupied with memories of the last time he'd been to Naboo. Pushing thoughts of Qui-Gon to the back of mind he thought instead of the reason he was here.
Queen Amidala was getting married. He would have been quite satisfied to stay on Coruscant or perhaps go on a mission that didn't involve Naboo or Tattooine or anything that reminded him of his deceased master. Amidala had, however, invited the Jedi to her wedding. Mace Windu and Master Yoda had come, and they ha insisted Obi-Wan come with them.
Obi-Wan suspected that the two council members hadn't wanted to come either. Neither one was known for taking trips away from the temple. They hadn't had much of a choice though. The Sith had returned, and the council was convinced they had made the queen of Naboo one of their prime targets. They had come to warn her and offer what protection they could spare. The wedding merely provided a convenient cover story.
Obi-Wan had to admit he was curious. The Naboo made it a point never to reveal the consort of their present Minhara until the actual bonding ceremony. It came from a long-standing distrust of outsiders, one Obi-Wan understood Amidala was trying to lessen.
"Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan was pulled out of his reverie by Anakin's insistent voice. He looked around to find himself standing in one of the most beautiful gardens he had ever seen. Miniature waterfalls fed a pool in the exact center of the circle formed by marble walls. Trees with silvery leaves and brilliant red blossoms lined the inside of that wall. Flanking the pool were two statues. One was a petite woman cradling a small globe made of blue crystal that seemed to glow from within in her hands. The other statue was of a tall man with a hand outstretched toward the woman and a matching green globe grasped in his other hand. In front of the pond, facing the statues, was a bench. The rest of the garden was a wild menagerie of brightly colored flowers and plants Obi-Wan couldn't identify.
"I built this place myself." Obi-Wan looked at Anakin with surprise.
"You're allowed to use the palace grounds for your own projects?" Anakin chuckled.
"Well, I am very high up on Naboo. Besides, the gardeners couldn't figure out what to do with this little bit of land, so they were glad to let me handle it." He dropped to one knee in front of the ponds and looked into its depths. "Amidala tells me you fear the Sith means her harm." Obi-Wan was surprised that Anakin had been told that. Of course he and Amidala had been getting close while she was pretending to be Padme.
"The council has determined that the Sith feel threatened by her, but they cannot determine why."
"Perhaps it is because she is so good." Obi-Wan looked into the pond. It appeared much deeper than he would have expected.
"I don't think I understand." Anakin looked up at him.
"Amidala creates love wherever she goes. People can't help but fall under her spell. She makes them want to be better than they are, to be good. As I understand the Sith are evil. If I was evil then I certainly wouldn't want someone as pure as she is walking around influencing others." He turned his attention back to the pond. He seemed to be searching for something in it.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan began, not sure is he should continue. "Do you regret the council's decision not to train you?"
"Not at all. I may not agree with their reasons, but I agree with their decision."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's not exactly smart to start training someone so powerful in the Force as I am when they're fourteen and have been a slave since they were three. There's too much room for failure. The council knew that, and that alone should have been reason enough to refuse me training, but it wasn't their only reason."
"And what other reasons did they have?"
"They were afraid Obi-Wan. They didn't know what to make of me. They didn't know how I would turn out. They were comfortable in the life they had been leading. They didn't want to acknowledge that I am the Chosen One and if that was so then I was born because the Force needed to be balanced. They didn't want to face want that meant. I'm actually glad they refused to train me."
"Why?"
"The Jedi order is all fine and good. You protect the innocent and you uphold what you feel is right. But the code is very strict. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not the path I would choose." Obi-Wan watched as Anakin dipped his hand into the cool water.
What path have you chosen Anakin Skywalker?
Cloaking his presence and making sure to walk quietly Anakin made his way down the slight hill he stood on to the fish pond Obi-Wan sat beside. When he was just a few paces behind the knight he stopped.
"It's very beautiful here, isn't it?" The only sign that Anakin had caught the young man unawares was a slight movement of his head. Anakin smiled. "I hope I didn't startle you." Obi-Wan craned his neck so he could look at Anakin.
"Not at all," He stood turned around. "I was just meditating." He looked around at the garden. "You're right, it is beautiful."
"Yes," Anakin turned slightly and motioned for Obi-Wan to follow him, "but I much prefer the gardens on the other side of the palace." He started down a path made of smooth, perfectly round, stepping-stones. "There's one in particular. Come on. I'll show it to you."
They walked in silence for a while. Obi-Wan was preoccupied with memories of the last time he'd been to Naboo. Pushing thoughts of Qui-Gon to the back of mind he thought instead of the reason he was here.
Queen Amidala was getting married. He would have been quite satisfied to stay on Coruscant or perhaps go on a mission that didn't involve Naboo or Tattooine or anything that reminded him of his deceased master. Amidala had, however, invited the Jedi to her wedding. Mace Windu and Master Yoda had come, and they ha insisted Obi-Wan come with them.
Obi-Wan suspected that the two council members hadn't wanted to come either. Neither one was known for taking trips away from the temple. They hadn't had much of a choice though. The Sith had returned, and the council was convinced they had made the queen of Naboo one of their prime targets. They had come to warn her and offer what protection they could spare. The wedding merely provided a convenient cover story.
Obi-Wan had to admit he was curious. The Naboo made it a point never to reveal the consort of their present Minhara until the actual bonding ceremony. It came from a long-standing distrust of outsiders, one Obi-Wan understood Amidala was trying to lessen.
"Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan was pulled out of his reverie by Anakin's insistent voice. He looked around to find himself standing in one of the most beautiful gardens he had ever seen. Miniature waterfalls fed a pool in the exact center of the circle formed by marble walls. Trees with silvery leaves and brilliant red blossoms lined the inside of that wall. Flanking the pool were two statues. One was a petite woman cradling a small globe made of blue crystal that seemed to glow from within in her hands. The other statue was of a tall man with a hand outstretched toward the woman and a matching green globe grasped in his other hand. In front of the pond, facing the statues, was a bench. The rest of the garden was a wild menagerie of brightly colored flowers and plants Obi-Wan couldn't identify.
"I built this place myself." Obi-Wan looked at Anakin with surprise.
"You're allowed to use the palace grounds for your own projects?" Anakin chuckled.
"Well, I am very high up on Naboo. Besides, the gardeners couldn't figure out what to do with this little bit of land, so they were glad to let me handle it." He dropped to one knee in front of the ponds and looked into its depths. "Amidala tells me you fear the Sith means her harm." Obi-Wan was surprised that Anakin had been told that. Of course he and Amidala had been getting close while she was pretending to be Padme.
"The council has determined that the Sith feel threatened by her, but they cannot determine why."
"Perhaps it is because she is so good." Obi-Wan looked into the pond. It appeared much deeper than he would have expected.
"I don't think I understand." Anakin looked up at him.
"Amidala creates love wherever she goes. People can't help but fall under her spell. She makes them want to be better than they are, to be good. As I understand the Sith are evil. If I was evil then I certainly wouldn't want someone as pure as she is walking around influencing others." He turned his attention back to the pond. He seemed to be searching for something in it.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan began, not sure is he should continue. "Do you regret the council's decision not to train you?"
"Not at all. I may not agree with their reasons, but I agree with their decision."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's not exactly smart to start training someone so powerful in the Force as I am when they're fourteen and have been a slave since they were three. There's too much room for failure. The council knew that, and that alone should have been reason enough to refuse me training, but it wasn't their only reason."
"And what other reasons did they have?"
"They were afraid Obi-Wan. They didn't know what to make of me. They didn't know how I would turn out. They were comfortable in the life they had been leading. They didn't want to acknowledge that I am the Chosen One and if that was so then I was born because the Force needed to be balanced. They didn't want to face want that meant. I'm actually glad they refused to train me."
"Why?"
"The Jedi order is all fine and good. You protect the innocent and you uphold what you feel is right. But the code is very strict. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not the path I would choose." Obi-Wan watched as Anakin dipped his hand into the cool water.
What path have you chosen Anakin Skywalker?
