Chapter Sixteen: Discovery
Obi-Wan knocked on the door of Amidala's state quarters. Dorme answered it, already knowing who was there. "General Kenobi," she said, opening the door wider to let him in.
He smiled at Padme's companion. "Dorme. Have you seen Senator Amidala?"
Dorme looked uncomfortable. "No," she murmured.
"Do you know where she could be?" he pressed. Dorme shook her head. "It's very important that I find her, Dorme."
Dorme sighed. "She has an apartment. Its her secret place, I really shouldn't tell you where it is…"
"Yes, you should," he said, not having to use the Force, just the tone of a concerned friend.
Dorme nodded and told him the address. He thanked her and left, heading for the quiet district Padme's apartment was in.
Obi-Wan arrived twenty minutes later. There was virtually no security in the small building. He went up to the top floor without question and knocked on the door of the apartment.
Padme opened it, saying, "Anakin?" breathlessly. Then she saw Obi-Wan and tried to smile. "General."
He smiled. "Senator Amidala." She let him without another word. The apartment was dimly lit, and he could barely see her face. "Were you expecting Anakin?"
She nodded. "He and Dorme are the only ones who know where this place is."
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Senator, but there is an emergency."
She read the worry on his face. "What is it?"
He looked down and told her the entire story, Palpatine's plans and his actions over the last fourteen years. When he was done, she murmured, "It's brilliant."
"Yes." Obi-Wan gave her a moment to collect her thoughts, then said, "Senator, you're needed at Cantham House. It's where the opposition to this move are meeting."
She didn't reply to that, just murmured, "He tried to kill me. He sent Dooku after me… Anakin, he…" she trailed off and looked to the patio.
Obi-Wan rose and walked to the balcony. The broken glass was still strewn along the carpet. He looked out, surprised to see Dooku's body slumped dead on the ground. He turned back to Padme. "Are you alright?" He strode to her side, tilted her face up, examining. There were a few cuts there, nothing serious. He put his thumb on her lower lip, where a large gash marred her skin. He closed his eyes, focusing healing energy into her body.
They had no way of knowing that Anakin would enter the apartment at that moment.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, hate dripping off the name.
"Anakin," Padme gasped. "This isn't-"
"What it looks like?" Anger filled Anakin's eyes. "It looks like Obi-Wan Kenobi had his hands on my wife."
"Wife?" Obi-Wan asked as Anakin rushed him. Anakin struck at him in pure anger, blindly smashing his fist against Obi-Wan's face. Obi-Wan sidestepped and twisted Anakin's arm behind his back. "Anakin, calm down!"
"I'll kill you!" Anakin screamed, struggling.
"Anakin!" Padme cried.
He didn't listen. "The Chancellor was right! Hypocrite! Traitor!" He never stopped trying to break away from his master as he screamed the insults. Anger and hate made him strong and he finally jerked away from Obi-Wan. He shot Padme a seething look, hit Obi-Wan once more in the face, sending him to his knees and stalked out of the room, ignoring Padme's pleads for him to wait.
Obi-Wan knocked on the door of Amidala's state quarters. Dorme answered it, already knowing who was there. "General Kenobi," she said, opening the door wider to let him in.
He smiled at Padme's companion. "Dorme. Have you seen Senator Amidala?"
Dorme looked uncomfortable. "No," she murmured.
"Do you know where she could be?" he pressed. Dorme shook her head. "It's very important that I find her, Dorme."
Dorme sighed. "She has an apartment. Its her secret place, I really shouldn't tell you where it is…"
"Yes, you should," he said, not having to use the Force, just the tone of a concerned friend.
Dorme nodded and told him the address. He thanked her and left, heading for the quiet district Padme's apartment was in.
Obi-Wan arrived twenty minutes later. There was virtually no security in the small building. He went up to the top floor without question and knocked on the door of the apartment.
Padme opened it, saying, "Anakin?" breathlessly. Then she saw Obi-Wan and tried to smile. "General."
He smiled. "Senator Amidala." She let him without another word. The apartment was dimly lit, and he could barely see her face. "Were you expecting Anakin?"
She nodded. "He and Dorme are the only ones who know where this place is."
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Senator, but there is an emergency."
She read the worry on his face. "What is it?"
He looked down and told her the entire story, Palpatine's plans and his actions over the last fourteen years. When he was done, she murmured, "It's brilliant."
"Yes." Obi-Wan gave her a moment to collect her thoughts, then said, "Senator, you're needed at Cantham House. It's where the opposition to this move are meeting."
She didn't reply to that, just murmured, "He tried to kill me. He sent Dooku after me… Anakin, he…" she trailed off and looked to the patio.
Obi-Wan rose and walked to the balcony. The broken glass was still strewn along the carpet. He looked out, surprised to see Dooku's body slumped dead on the ground. He turned back to Padme. "Are you alright?" He strode to her side, tilted her face up, examining. There were a few cuts there, nothing serious. He put his thumb on her lower lip, where a large gash marred her skin. He closed his eyes, focusing healing energy into her body.
They had no way of knowing that Anakin would enter the apartment at that moment.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, hate dripping off the name.
"Anakin," Padme gasped. "This isn't-"
"What it looks like?" Anger filled Anakin's eyes. "It looks like Obi-Wan Kenobi had his hands on my wife."
"Wife?" Obi-Wan asked as Anakin rushed him. Anakin struck at him in pure anger, blindly smashing his fist against Obi-Wan's face. Obi-Wan sidestepped and twisted Anakin's arm behind his back. "Anakin, calm down!"
"I'll kill you!" Anakin screamed, struggling.
"Anakin!" Padme cried.
He didn't listen. "The Chancellor was right! Hypocrite! Traitor!" He never stopped trying to break away from his master as he screamed the insults. Anger and hate made him strong and he finally jerked away from Obi-Wan. He shot Padme a seething look, hit Obi-Wan once more in the face, sending him to his knees and stalked out of the room, ignoring Padme's pleads for him to wait.