***SEE DISCLAIMERS ON CHAPTER ONE***
~~ personal thought ** Force communication CAPS emphasis
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--Chapter Two: Innocent Guilt --
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Obi-Wan only made it a few steps out of the training room before chills and dizziness overtook him.
~~I've seriously underestimated my wound.~~
Mace Windu or no, he was not going to make it to the council chamber. Reversing direction, he began to make his way toward the healing center.
A few paces later, nausea overtook him and his vision began to swim. He slumped against a wall, trying to stabilize himself.
"Are you all right, Master?" A small voice asked, both concerned and a bit fearful. The delicate hands played over each other, nervous tension apparent in their quick movements.
The small boy looked to be about six, and Obi Wan tried to focus. In defeat, he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, gasping as his back came in contact with the hard surface.
"No, little one, I'm afraid I am far from all right." Obi Wan whispered out as he struggled to remain conscious. Sweat popped out on his forehead as he concentrated on getting the words out. "Would you be so kind as to fetch me a healer, please? I thought I could make it on my own, but . . . evidently not . . . " The last words came out slurred as Kenobi sank down onto the plush carpet of the hallway.
He vaguely heard small footsteps rushing away from him. Then his battle was over as he allowed himself to fade out. He only hoped the little boy returned with help soon.
*****************
Sticky. Wet. Slimy.
~~ What in the hells . . . ~~ Then, a realization. ~~ Bacta ~~
Obi Wan would have done just about anything to avoid being put in a bacta tank. Scarring? Sure, it adds character. A few patches of the ointment could have healed the wound, he imagined, but someone in their infinite wisdom had elected to submerge him in the nasty stuff.
~~Bant. Gotta be Bant. She *knows* how much I hate this cursed tank.~~
In reality Obi Wan knew that Bant would not put him in the tank unless it was necessary. He had always hated going to the healers. It brought out a petulance in him that he would have liked to disown.
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to slip into a healing meditation. Not much else to do in a bacta tank, and anything to make the time go faster was a plus.
******************
"Any idea how this happened?" Bant raised her bulbous silver eyes to Mace, who was intently staring at the floating form in the tank.
Obi Wan's back was to him, and seeing the angry red gash brought a purse to Windu's lips as he shook his head. "No. He said there was an accident in the training room, but I don't know who was with him. I've made some inquiries, no one else seems to know, either." More head shaking. "I find it hard to believe THAT" he pointed to Obi Wan "was an accident. I find that VERY hard to believe. No way was Obi Wan moving when that happened. The line is too even. He must have been standing still. And that means someone attacked him on purpose." Mace nodded as he worked it out in his mind. "Right after he answered my comlink call."
Bant nodded her assent. "I can't be one hundred percent sure how it happened, but I CAN tell you it WAS purposefully done. It looks like someone just drew the tip of a saber across his skin for a split second. Just enough to sever through skin and nerves . . . and through the muscles in the way. Thankfully no bone injuries though. Although with a hot saber, that's a very fine line to tread. I'd have to assume whomever it was wanted to injure him, but not kill him." She got up and walked to the tank, staring at her unconscious friend through the glass. "Why would anyone at the Temple do this? Why didn't Obi Wan FEEL it coming?" Her brow knitted and she resumed her seat at the desk. "This just makes no sense!" Her large silver eyes turned to Mace, and he could see the unshed tears there. He knew Obi Wan and Bant had been close since childhood, and understood the depth of her emotion at seeing her friend so seriously wounded.
Windu himself liked the boy quite well. ~~Boy? He's a man now, Windu . . . Times change.~~ Mace realized Obi Wan had grown into one of their best and brightest, but even so he had no enemies that the man knew of. Besides, ENEMIES, at the TEMPLE? Who could even think of such a thing? Jedi don't harbor those kinds of grudges. Sure, not everyone likes everyone else, but to be so enraged with someone as to deliberately wound them out of spite? Unthinkable.
Yet it had happened. The proof of it floated in goo not 10 feet away from him.
Mace sighed and put his broad, warm hand on Bant's shoulder. He sent the girl waves of serenity, knowing she would not cease to worry, but hoping he could ease her anxiety somewhat. "I have to go speak to Master Yoda about this. How long do you expect him to be in there?" He jerked his thumb toward the tank.
"Two or three days, I think." Bant showed a small smile. "Anyone but Obi Wan, maybe longer . . . But he has always been a fast healer. I think it's because he hates it here." Her smile grew into a grin, remembering all the times Qui Gon had to literally drag his apprentice into the healing center. For someone who despised healers so much, Obi Wan sure got injured a lot. Far from clumsy, he was, nevertheless, accident prone. Or just too brave for his own good, running into situations where walking would have been preferred. "You want me to call you when he wakes up? When he sees where he is, he won't be happy. Might be nice to have someone else here to shoulder the death stares he'll be sure to give me." Smiling up at the tall Master, Bant realized she was speaking too familiarly with Windu. He was a council member, after all.
Mace smiled down at her, no hint of offense on his face. "He's already awake, Bant. And no, he was not happy with his surroundings. But he is in a healing trance now, so maybe he will be able to get out even faster than you think."
Bant showed surprise, realizing that the Master had felt Obi Wan's waking and dismay, yet she had not. ~~That's what separates the men from the boys.~~ Nodding ruefully, "Yes, if he helps himself along he will be able to get out that much faster. And I am sure that's his top priority at the moment."
"Ok then, healer Bant, keep me posted. I'm sure Master Yoda will have much to say about this little development." He knocked twice on her desk, a strange habit he evidenced when leaving a room, and departed.
Bant walked to the bacta tank and stared at her friend, arms crossed and head cocked to one side. The redness on the wound seemed to be fading, but she could still see the frayed muscle and tissue between the skin of the gash. While not life threatening, it was still a horrible wound. The cauterization of the saber had kept Obi Wan from bleeding to death within minutes. Even so, if left untreated, infection would have set in and the injury could very well have been fatal.
The healer returned to her desk, waiting for her obstinate patient to wake up and commence glaring at her.
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Mace Windu and Master Yoda sat in the Temple Security office, reviewing the holo tapes from the training rooms. The camera system had been installed after the infamous Xanatos incident. The break in and attempted kidnapping and murder had convinced the Council that they were not as secure as they had once thought. For the past several years, cameras had been active in all public areas.
Having no clue which training room Obi Wan had used, Yoda and Windu slowly checked each holo individually. There were a great many training rooms. At least they knew the exact time frame, and so the search was not as hideous as it could have been.
Finally, Mace stared at an image of Kenobi sparring with someone, approximately an hour before his comlink call to the young Knight. Obi Wan bowed, and the match began.
Pausing the image, Mace signaled to Yoda. "Here it is, Master. Room 241, second level, B wing. Near Obi Wan's quarters. We should have thought to start there." The Masters had easily gone through more than 100 holos before finding this correct one.
Yoda thumped over to where Mace was sitting, and took up residence in the chair next to the dark imposing man. The hover chair adjusted its height, and Yoda was brought up even with Mace. "Thankful, I am. Many more tapes, there are. The sooner the attacker is identified, the better."
Yoda pressed the button that resumed the holo image to 'play' mode. The quality was not very good, and identification would have to wait until Obi Wan's partner came into closer range. The Masters could see that the suspect was a boy, no older than 13, assuming he was average height. The boy was more than competent for his age, but it was obvious he was far below Kenobi's skill level. No surprise there. Mace and Yoda both realized that Obi Wan was not focusing on the match, his expression was far away, distracted. He nevertheless was quick and amazingly prescient in anticipating his opponent's moves. Even so, Mace had had the pleasure of fighting alongside Kenobi, and he knew the man was not really trying. Unfortunately, the image of the boy was still too far away for identification.
"There. Freeze and enhance." Windu and Yoda leaned forward to see the image more clearly as the computer magnified and sharpened the holo.
A meaningful glance was exchanged, and Windu leaned back in his chair. "Well. This is not good." Yoda stared at him. "Sorry for stating the obvious. What I mean is: This is worse than I thought."
The picture of the boy in the holo showed a look of intense anger, possibly even hatred. The eyes were narrowed, the lips a straight hard line. The image was obviously Anakin Skywalker.
"Make sure, we must. Resume play." Yoda commanded the computer, and the holo sprang back into life.
For over an hour, the two revered Masters took in the sparring match. The boy wavered between serenity and anger with alarming deftness, one emotion vanishing, only to be replaced with another within moments. The look of anger returned several times, each seemingly more intense than the last.
Obi Wan's preoccupation only wavered a couple of times, and that due to an apparent itch on his right thigh, and a swatch of hair that escaped its tie and fell into his face.
~~ I can understand the boy's emotion. ~~ Mace thought. ~~ He's getting his ass handed to him on a platter by a man who is barely aware of where he is or what he's doing. ~~ But, Mace had to admit, that was hardly Obi Wan's fault. He couldn't change who he was. But it would have been more appropriate for him to at least TRY to APPEAR engaged in the match. Instead he looked like he was musing on what color to paint his 'fresher.
Finally, the moment of truth came. Yoda and Mace watched as Kenobi executed a twisting leap to avoid his partner's well timed thrust, then go still. Both figures stopped abruptly, and Obi Wan looked down to his comlink. Deactivating his 'saber, he bowed quickly to Anakin, nodded at the boy with a slight smile, and turned his back as he raised the device to answer Mace's call.
"Half speed," Mace commanded the computer, and the image slowed dramatically. Both Masters leaned forward, knowing this next part was terribly important indeed.
They noted Obi Wan, standing still, back turned, speaking into his comlink. The boy stood a few meters behind him, saber still glowing. Suddenly Ani's face went slack, empty of all emotion. His eyes seemed unfocused, staring into nothing. His hands made a deft, sure movement on the hilt of his weapon.
"Pause. Rewind two seconds. Magnify quad two, power 300." Mace's voice was clipped. He knew what he had seen, but had to make sure.
The computer made its adjustments, and the boy's weapon hand came into a sharp focus. "Play, quarter speed." The image began to move, and the Masters both saw what they had hoped was not what it appeared. But they saw exactly what they had feared they would.
Anakin's hand on the power switch, notching the intensity of the training 'saber up. One . . . two levels. Not full power . . . just enough power to cut through flesh, but not sever a man in half. Not saw through bone.
Training level one did little more than sting badly. Level two could leave a nasty red burn. Level three and four, blistering, then charring of the skin, shallow cuts. Level five would cut through the skin and organs quite efficiently, stopping only at bone. Level six - full power. Would cut through damn near anything.
The boy's saber had been on level three during the match, an appropriate level for one of his skill.
Anakin had quite deliberately pulled the power knob out, set it to level five, then pressed it back down. When his finger depressed the button a second time, the green glow intensified abruptly.
"Pause." Mace sat back and stared at the small green form beside him.
The small green form stared back. "Magnification 200, full image. Play back half speed."
The holo resumed play, and the Jedi watched as Anakin walked calmly over to Obi Wan. He positioned his light saber at a downward angle, and suddenly struck Kenobi diagonally, a perfect straight line from the man's hip to his shoulder. Just the one sweeping upward motion, and the tunic on the older man's back separated, showing a deep, broad crevice of red muscle and nerves, easily 2 feet long and an inch wide.
A devastating wound.
The calm expression never left the boy's face, even as he deactivated his light saber and ran from the room.
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Bant studied the boy as he gazed at the still floating form in the bacta tank. She knew who he was, of course, everyone did. It had been three years since Qui Gon had brought the boy, with claims of his being the prophesied 'Chosen One'. Three years since Qui Gon had publicly dumped his Padawan in favor of the boy. Bant's mouth tightened with the memory. She was fairly sure that Obi Wan had never really talked to his late Master about his feelings. But he had talked to her. He had talked to her plenty. And every word out of his mouth had contributed to the wall of dislike that she still harbored toward Qui Gon Jinn, even in death.
~~ At least he didn't get his dying wish. Obi Wan won't be made to pay for Jinn's mistakes.~~
The boy had come to the healers soon after Windu had left. He had curled into a chair near the tank, and commenced staring at the man and his slowly healing wound. Once in a while, Anakin blinked rapidly, and although Bant never saw actual tears, she knew the drill. She was well versed in the art of covert crying.
After a while, the boy began to doze, his regular deep breathing occasionally interrupted by small snoring sounds. From the moment he had entered the center, Anakin had not spoken a word, or even spared a glance, to Bant. He had simply made a beeline to Obi Wan, and taken up his vigil.
The healer glanced up as the door to the center swished open, revealing a returning Mace Windu, accompanied by Master Yoda. "Hello again Master Windu. Hello Master Yoda." She turned her eyes toward Kenobi in his floating cylinder. "I'm afraid there's no news, Masters. He is healing, a little slower than I had anticipated. His vitals dipped and he went into mild shock a while ago, we had to remove him from the tank." Windu's eyes squinted a bit at this news. He had thought the man's recovery was a foregone conclusion, not merely an educated assumption. "Anyway, we stabilized him and returned him to the bacta."
A puzzled look crossed the healer's features, and she turned to stare at her patient. "I can't really explain why he went into shock. Not from blood loss, obviously. I have to assume it is just the trauma on his body of having so much tissue damage in one concentrated area." She looked back to her data pad. "Oh, and one of his kidneys had been damaged, that likely contributed . . . " The girl let her voice fade out as she realized that neither Master was paying her any attention.
Both of them were staring at the boy sleeping soundly by the bacta tank.
Yoda turned and addressed her. "The boy, came to see Obi Wan, he did. How long ago?"
"Oh, he came in shortly after Master Windu left to see you, Master." Herlips pursed in thought. "About five hours ago, approximately. He has been sitting there, fidgeting, staring, sleeping . . . trying to hide his tears when he weeps. Poor little guy." She shook her head.
Mace looked at her sharply. "Poor little guy indeed," his low voice barely above a whisper. He looked down at Yoda and their gazes locked for a second. Then the small Master thumped over to where Anakin sat, lightly snoring.
Windu leaned back against the healer's desk, content to let Yoda handle it. Bant resumed her seat and went back to her progress reports.
*********************
Darkness. A voice whispering, too softly to make out, but menacing and scary.
Running. Running. Running.
A sudden stumble and the gloom enveloped him, so thick that no sound could penetrate it. No crying for help, no pleading for mercy.
A white face swathed in black. A smile with no warmth in it. Pain . . .
**************
"Aahh!" The boy fairly jumped in his chair as Yoda's gimmer stick poked at his side insistently.
"Wake up, you must. Bad dreams, good for the soul, they are not." Yoda looked at the boy serenely, his large eyes warm and benign.
"Oh, Master Yoda . . . " Anakin let his breath out, a long shuddering sigh. "I wasn't having a nightmare, Master. At least, not one I remember."
The green eyes narrowed. "A topic for another time, this is. Speak with you, Master Windu and I must. About Obi Wan." The green Master looked to the boy in the tank for the first time. He had seen the wound in the holo, but the monochrome of the tape barely hinted at the horrendous slash in the young Knight's back. Flinching at the sight, Yoda turned to Mace and gestured him over.
Windu requisitioned two chairs from the waiting room and dragged them over to rest in front of the boy. He and Yoda sat and stared at Anakin for a few moments.
"Anakin." Mace began, "Turn your chair so you are facing us, please." The boy did as he was told. He looked from Mace to Yoda, confusion evident on his face.
Mace set a hard glare on the boy. "Tell us what happened, Anakin." His tone left no room for disobedience.
The confusion on Anakin's features intensified. "Tell you . . . ? Tell you about what, Master Windu?"
Mace and Yoda exchanged a glance. "Tell us about Obi Wan's injury, you must, Young One." His tone was less confrontational, but still very serious.
The boy looked from one Master to the other as if each had sprouted horns or extra heads. He scrubbed his hands up and down his legs, a nervous gesture meant to stall for time. It wasn't working.
The small voice finally began. "Well, Healer Bant says he will recover. That the injury is serious but nothing that Master Kenobi won't be able to heal." He got the distinct impression that this is not what the Masters wanted to hear. "I'm sure Healer Bant could tell you about it much better than I can . . . "
Again, the Masters exchanged looks.
"Anakin," Mace began, "You know what we are asking you." The boy looked at him blankly. Irritation seeped into the man's voice. "We need you to tell us why."
"Why?" The boy repeated.
"Yes. Tell us why." Mace's voice was controlled but had begun to fray around the edges.
"I don't understand, Master Windu. You want me to tell you why Master Kenobi will recover?" The confusion in the voice and on the face of the boy was so acute that Windu had to give his acting skills credit.
Yoda's ears drooped and his expression tightened. "This foolishness I will not tolerate." His gimmer stick thumped three times on the hard floor, a certain sign of his great agitation. "Tell us WHY you attacked Master Kenobi, you WILL!"
Silence.
Stillness only broken by Bant's clearly audible gasp from her desk a few feet away.
The shock on Anakin's face radiated out from him, waves practically shimmering in the stagnant air.
"WHAT?!" The boy suddenly shouted as he sprang from his chair. Windu was up a split second earlier, taking the boys arms and firmly pushing Anakin back down to his seat.
The initiate's breathing started coming hard and fast, his eyes taking on a wild look, hands clenching. His voice was small and tight. "What do you mean, tell you why I attacked Obi Wan? I didn't do anything like that!" The last came out sounding small and desolate.
Windu's face hardened. "Do not forget your place, Anakin. You know better than to address your elders so casually." The boy nodded and mumbled an apology. "Now, Anakin . . . Please don't make this any harder on yourself than it already is." Mace's large hand reached out to pat the boy's leg. "We know you attacked Master Obi Wan. We have the security system holotape to prove it."
Bant gasped yet again. Clearly she had doubted the Master's claim until this last statement. Confusion and anger welled up in her at the thought of Anakin Skywalker inflicting that horrid wound on her Obi Wan. She tamped down the anger, releasing it into the Force. The confusion remained. She walked over to stand behind the seated masters, her vested interest as a friend of Obi Wan's prompting her to action.
No one spoke for several minutes. Then the boy's voice, resigned, broke into the silence.
"Masters . . . I cannot tell you why I attacked Master Kenobi . . . Because I DID NOT attack him. I cannot explain how you would have a holo of me doing that, because I didn't do it!" His composure began to slip as his declaration went on. "I wouldn't do that to him, I have wanted to see him for the past three years! He is my friend . . . " The boy began sobbing softly.
The Masters were surprised. Anakin was not known to be a warm or overtly emotional boy. If anything, his reputation was for detachment.
Yoda finally spoke over the boy's quiet snuffling. "Have the tape we do. You in it, we saw. But another alternative, there is." The green Master turned to Mace, and the chocolate eyes met Yoda's in assent. "Drop your shields, you must. ALL of them. See into your mind, I will, and determine the truth."
Anakin's stark fear replaced his sadness. As a slave, he had built very strong shields without even realizing it. Dropping them was abhorrent to him. He had not even known how to do so until Master Yoda patiently walked him through it. Even with Yoda's help, the process had taken weeks to perfect.
"Have something to hide, you do?" Yoda questioned, ice in his tone and fire in his eyes.
"N-n-n-no, Master . . . " The boy sighed heavily and his head hung low. "I will do as you ask." Fear and trepidation made concentrating difficult, but within a few minutes the boy had torn down all his mental shielding, laying his mind bare for any who cared to delve into it. He nodded, keeping his head down, to let the Master know he was prepared.
Yoda closed his eyes and sent the Force out from himself to probe the mind of young Anakin Skywalker. He hated to do this, but given the circumstances, the wizened Master really saw no choice.
Accessing Anakin's memories, Yoda thoroughly examined the boy's activities that day. He went through them critically, searching for any hint of motive that would lead to Anakin's drastic action.
Typical feelings for a 12-year-old boy. Insecurity. Arrogance. Satisfaction. Confusion. Jealousy. Infatuation. Excitement. All centered around his classes, none of it about Obi Wan.
Reaching back in the boy's memories, Yoda focused on the last interaction Anakin had with Obi Wan before the sparring match.
Obi Wan and Anakin sat in the young Knight's apartment. They had a pleasant yet unremarkable conversation. Yoda felt anger and resentment toward Obi Wan, but neither strong enough to warrant the vicious attack. One pulse of anger was incredibly strong, but was gone almost as soon as it had come.
Sighing, Yoda went forward, to the attack itself. He saw Obi Wan and Anakin sparring. Several flares of anger as the boy realized the Knight was not really trying, that he didn't even consider Anakin worthy of his full attention. Fleeting thoughts of resentment, then a sharp longing for . . . Qui Gon. Interesting. More anger and resentment as the match wore on. Troubling, to be sure, but rational, not violent. No hatred or personal dislike. More like anger turned inward, toward his own incompetence.
Suddenly Kenobi stopped, nodded, bowed, and turned his back to the boy. Yoda fully expected to see the boy swipe at the young Master as his back was turned.
But he did not. Anakin turned, and ran from the room as he deactivated his light saber. Just as in the holo. But, critical difference - There had been no attack. No sudden, intense hatred . . . No thirst for retribution . . . No emotion at all.
The small green Master went back, reexamining the point at which memory and fact diverged. He felt . . . something. A presence in the boy's memory, in his mind. A shadow, elusive, secretive, and totally foreign. Yoda felt certain this mysterious impression was NOT Anakin Skywalker. But, whatever it was, it resided in the boy, no doubt there. Very troubling, indeed.
The Master also felt a slight fissure in memory. A line, as if a crystal had been broken, then spliced back together. A slight hitch where memory had been, but no longer was. A piece taken out, then smoothed over as one would smooth dirt on a grave. Yoda felt certain that the dark presence was responsible for this breach in the boy's memory. He sighed in agitation, then resumed his mental examination.
Yoda fast forwarded through the boy's memories. He watched as Anakin returned to the room he shared with three other initiates, sat at his small desk, studied his mechanical engineering text, chatted with one of his roommates, went alone to the cafeteria, began to eat the mid day meal. Another boy his age spoke to him, and Anakin's memory pulsed with shock, surprise, and fear. Suddenly he was racing down the halls of the Temple, his food forgotten. He ran until the door to the Healing Center opened, looked around quickly, and froze as he spied Obi Wan floating in bacta. A brief glance at Healer Bant, then the boy dragged a chair over to the tank and sat. Worry. Surprise. Grief. Confusion. Sadness. And . . . hidden very deep, a small glimmer of . . . Guilt.
Very interesting.
Yoda opened his eyes, exhaust evident on his face. "Very taxing, that was. Done now, we are."
Mace and Bant looked at him expectantly. Anakin slowly raised his head, pained and pinched expression intact.
"Replace your shields, you may." Yoda instructed the boy. Then he fell silent.
Mace sat patiently . . . Then could not wait any longer. "Well?" A small amount of exasperation leaked into his tone.
Yoda stood and hobbled around the bacta tank. His eyes scanned the young man floating there, and he noted with satisfaction that Obi Wan had put himself in a healing trance. Trust Kenobi to try to shoulder responsibility in all things.
Finally, the small Master came to stand before the three beings. All eyes locked on him in anticipation.
"Attack Kenobi, Anakin did." At this the boy began a high-pitched squeak, silenced by a hard look from Yoda. "Quiet, you will be!" Thump-thump- thump, the gimmer stick protested. "Attack him, he did. But REMEMBER it, he does not." His gaze softened and he looked pointedly at Anakin. "More importantly, aware of his actions, he was not."
Bant spoke up, as Mace brought his hand up to rub his temple. "Master Yoda, I don't understand. You say Anakin did do this . . . yet is not responsible. How can that be?"
"Not in control of his own actions, was he. Must study on this further. A puzzle this is. Guilty the boy is . . . Yet, also innocent." Yoda flung a pointed glance at Mace Windu. **Not the time or place to speak of this, my friend.**
Mace nodded. **We must convene the Council.**
**Yes.** Yoda replied, their mental conversation obvious to the other two people in the room. **Until then, supervised Anakin must be. Cannot allow something like this to happen again.**
"Anakin," Mace began, "the Council must discuss this. Until we decide how to proceed, you must be supervised." The man turned to the healer. "Bant, I want Anakin to stay in a room here until further notice. You have security that will assure us he does not leave the center. He will take his meals with you, and is only to leave if either Master Yoda or I come for him. Understood?"
The healer tried to hide her dismay at the decree, and failed miserably. "Yes, Master, I understand."
Yoda began walking toward the door, patting Anakin's hand quickly before shuffling away. "Have a Padawan bring your texts and books down, we will. Bring your latest droid project and tools as well, they will. Here at least until Obi Wan heals, you will be." With that, the old Master departed, a serious-faced Mace Windu following him out the door.
Anakin slumped dejectedly in his chair, staring at the floor.
Bant resumed her place at her desk, thoughts a jumble, mind reeling. She reflected that her earlier thought had been incorrect.
It looked as if Obi Wan might just be paying for Qui Gon's mistakes, after all.
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TBC . . . Please review!
~~ personal thought ** Force communication CAPS emphasis
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--Chapter Two: Innocent Guilt --
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Obi-Wan only made it a few steps out of the training room before chills and dizziness overtook him.
~~I've seriously underestimated my wound.~~
Mace Windu or no, he was not going to make it to the council chamber. Reversing direction, he began to make his way toward the healing center.
A few paces later, nausea overtook him and his vision began to swim. He slumped against a wall, trying to stabilize himself.
"Are you all right, Master?" A small voice asked, both concerned and a bit fearful. The delicate hands played over each other, nervous tension apparent in their quick movements.
The small boy looked to be about six, and Obi Wan tried to focus. In defeat, he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, gasping as his back came in contact with the hard surface.
"No, little one, I'm afraid I am far from all right." Obi Wan whispered out as he struggled to remain conscious. Sweat popped out on his forehead as he concentrated on getting the words out. "Would you be so kind as to fetch me a healer, please? I thought I could make it on my own, but . . . evidently not . . . " The last words came out slurred as Kenobi sank down onto the plush carpet of the hallway.
He vaguely heard small footsteps rushing away from him. Then his battle was over as he allowed himself to fade out. He only hoped the little boy returned with help soon.
*****************
Sticky. Wet. Slimy.
~~ What in the hells . . . ~~ Then, a realization. ~~ Bacta ~~
Obi Wan would have done just about anything to avoid being put in a bacta tank. Scarring? Sure, it adds character. A few patches of the ointment could have healed the wound, he imagined, but someone in their infinite wisdom had elected to submerge him in the nasty stuff.
~~Bant. Gotta be Bant. She *knows* how much I hate this cursed tank.~~
In reality Obi Wan knew that Bant would not put him in the tank unless it was necessary. He had always hated going to the healers. It brought out a petulance in him that he would have liked to disown.
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to slip into a healing meditation. Not much else to do in a bacta tank, and anything to make the time go faster was a plus.
******************
"Any idea how this happened?" Bant raised her bulbous silver eyes to Mace, who was intently staring at the floating form in the tank.
Obi Wan's back was to him, and seeing the angry red gash brought a purse to Windu's lips as he shook his head. "No. He said there was an accident in the training room, but I don't know who was with him. I've made some inquiries, no one else seems to know, either." More head shaking. "I find it hard to believe THAT" he pointed to Obi Wan "was an accident. I find that VERY hard to believe. No way was Obi Wan moving when that happened. The line is too even. He must have been standing still. And that means someone attacked him on purpose." Mace nodded as he worked it out in his mind. "Right after he answered my comlink call."
Bant nodded her assent. "I can't be one hundred percent sure how it happened, but I CAN tell you it WAS purposefully done. It looks like someone just drew the tip of a saber across his skin for a split second. Just enough to sever through skin and nerves . . . and through the muscles in the way. Thankfully no bone injuries though. Although with a hot saber, that's a very fine line to tread. I'd have to assume whomever it was wanted to injure him, but not kill him." She got up and walked to the tank, staring at her unconscious friend through the glass. "Why would anyone at the Temple do this? Why didn't Obi Wan FEEL it coming?" Her brow knitted and she resumed her seat at the desk. "This just makes no sense!" Her large silver eyes turned to Mace, and he could see the unshed tears there. He knew Obi Wan and Bant had been close since childhood, and understood the depth of her emotion at seeing her friend so seriously wounded.
Windu himself liked the boy quite well. ~~Boy? He's a man now, Windu . . . Times change.~~ Mace realized Obi Wan had grown into one of their best and brightest, but even so he had no enemies that the man knew of. Besides, ENEMIES, at the TEMPLE? Who could even think of such a thing? Jedi don't harbor those kinds of grudges. Sure, not everyone likes everyone else, but to be so enraged with someone as to deliberately wound them out of spite? Unthinkable.
Yet it had happened. The proof of it floated in goo not 10 feet away from him.
Mace sighed and put his broad, warm hand on Bant's shoulder. He sent the girl waves of serenity, knowing she would not cease to worry, but hoping he could ease her anxiety somewhat. "I have to go speak to Master Yoda about this. How long do you expect him to be in there?" He jerked his thumb toward the tank.
"Two or three days, I think." Bant showed a small smile. "Anyone but Obi Wan, maybe longer . . . But he has always been a fast healer. I think it's because he hates it here." Her smile grew into a grin, remembering all the times Qui Gon had to literally drag his apprentice into the healing center. For someone who despised healers so much, Obi Wan sure got injured a lot. Far from clumsy, he was, nevertheless, accident prone. Or just too brave for his own good, running into situations where walking would have been preferred. "You want me to call you when he wakes up? When he sees where he is, he won't be happy. Might be nice to have someone else here to shoulder the death stares he'll be sure to give me." Smiling up at the tall Master, Bant realized she was speaking too familiarly with Windu. He was a council member, after all.
Mace smiled down at her, no hint of offense on his face. "He's already awake, Bant. And no, he was not happy with his surroundings. But he is in a healing trance now, so maybe he will be able to get out even faster than you think."
Bant showed surprise, realizing that the Master had felt Obi Wan's waking and dismay, yet she had not. ~~That's what separates the men from the boys.~~ Nodding ruefully, "Yes, if he helps himself along he will be able to get out that much faster. And I am sure that's his top priority at the moment."
"Ok then, healer Bant, keep me posted. I'm sure Master Yoda will have much to say about this little development." He knocked twice on her desk, a strange habit he evidenced when leaving a room, and departed.
Bant walked to the bacta tank and stared at her friend, arms crossed and head cocked to one side. The redness on the wound seemed to be fading, but she could still see the frayed muscle and tissue between the skin of the gash. While not life threatening, it was still a horrible wound. The cauterization of the saber had kept Obi Wan from bleeding to death within minutes. Even so, if left untreated, infection would have set in and the injury could very well have been fatal.
The healer returned to her desk, waiting for her obstinate patient to wake up and commence glaring at her.
******************************
Mace Windu and Master Yoda sat in the Temple Security office, reviewing the holo tapes from the training rooms. The camera system had been installed after the infamous Xanatos incident. The break in and attempted kidnapping and murder had convinced the Council that they were not as secure as they had once thought. For the past several years, cameras had been active in all public areas.
Having no clue which training room Obi Wan had used, Yoda and Windu slowly checked each holo individually. There were a great many training rooms. At least they knew the exact time frame, and so the search was not as hideous as it could have been.
Finally, Mace stared at an image of Kenobi sparring with someone, approximately an hour before his comlink call to the young Knight. Obi Wan bowed, and the match began.
Pausing the image, Mace signaled to Yoda. "Here it is, Master. Room 241, second level, B wing. Near Obi Wan's quarters. We should have thought to start there." The Masters had easily gone through more than 100 holos before finding this correct one.
Yoda thumped over to where Mace was sitting, and took up residence in the chair next to the dark imposing man. The hover chair adjusted its height, and Yoda was brought up even with Mace. "Thankful, I am. Many more tapes, there are. The sooner the attacker is identified, the better."
Yoda pressed the button that resumed the holo image to 'play' mode. The quality was not very good, and identification would have to wait until Obi Wan's partner came into closer range. The Masters could see that the suspect was a boy, no older than 13, assuming he was average height. The boy was more than competent for his age, but it was obvious he was far below Kenobi's skill level. No surprise there. Mace and Yoda both realized that Obi Wan was not focusing on the match, his expression was far away, distracted. He nevertheless was quick and amazingly prescient in anticipating his opponent's moves. Even so, Mace had had the pleasure of fighting alongside Kenobi, and he knew the man was not really trying. Unfortunately, the image of the boy was still too far away for identification.
"There. Freeze and enhance." Windu and Yoda leaned forward to see the image more clearly as the computer magnified and sharpened the holo.
A meaningful glance was exchanged, and Windu leaned back in his chair. "Well. This is not good." Yoda stared at him. "Sorry for stating the obvious. What I mean is: This is worse than I thought."
The picture of the boy in the holo showed a look of intense anger, possibly even hatred. The eyes were narrowed, the lips a straight hard line. The image was obviously Anakin Skywalker.
"Make sure, we must. Resume play." Yoda commanded the computer, and the holo sprang back into life.
For over an hour, the two revered Masters took in the sparring match. The boy wavered between serenity and anger with alarming deftness, one emotion vanishing, only to be replaced with another within moments. The look of anger returned several times, each seemingly more intense than the last.
Obi Wan's preoccupation only wavered a couple of times, and that due to an apparent itch on his right thigh, and a swatch of hair that escaped its tie and fell into his face.
~~ I can understand the boy's emotion. ~~ Mace thought. ~~ He's getting his ass handed to him on a platter by a man who is barely aware of where he is or what he's doing. ~~ But, Mace had to admit, that was hardly Obi Wan's fault. He couldn't change who he was. But it would have been more appropriate for him to at least TRY to APPEAR engaged in the match. Instead he looked like he was musing on what color to paint his 'fresher.
Finally, the moment of truth came. Yoda and Mace watched as Kenobi executed a twisting leap to avoid his partner's well timed thrust, then go still. Both figures stopped abruptly, and Obi Wan looked down to his comlink. Deactivating his 'saber, he bowed quickly to Anakin, nodded at the boy with a slight smile, and turned his back as he raised the device to answer Mace's call.
"Half speed," Mace commanded the computer, and the image slowed dramatically. Both Masters leaned forward, knowing this next part was terribly important indeed.
They noted Obi Wan, standing still, back turned, speaking into his comlink. The boy stood a few meters behind him, saber still glowing. Suddenly Ani's face went slack, empty of all emotion. His eyes seemed unfocused, staring into nothing. His hands made a deft, sure movement on the hilt of his weapon.
"Pause. Rewind two seconds. Magnify quad two, power 300." Mace's voice was clipped. He knew what he had seen, but had to make sure.
The computer made its adjustments, and the boy's weapon hand came into a sharp focus. "Play, quarter speed." The image began to move, and the Masters both saw what they had hoped was not what it appeared. But they saw exactly what they had feared they would.
Anakin's hand on the power switch, notching the intensity of the training 'saber up. One . . . two levels. Not full power . . . just enough power to cut through flesh, but not sever a man in half. Not saw through bone.
Training level one did little more than sting badly. Level two could leave a nasty red burn. Level three and four, blistering, then charring of the skin, shallow cuts. Level five would cut through the skin and organs quite efficiently, stopping only at bone. Level six - full power. Would cut through damn near anything.
The boy's saber had been on level three during the match, an appropriate level for one of his skill.
Anakin had quite deliberately pulled the power knob out, set it to level five, then pressed it back down. When his finger depressed the button a second time, the green glow intensified abruptly.
"Pause." Mace sat back and stared at the small green form beside him.
The small green form stared back. "Magnification 200, full image. Play back half speed."
The holo resumed play, and the Jedi watched as Anakin walked calmly over to Obi Wan. He positioned his light saber at a downward angle, and suddenly struck Kenobi diagonally, a perfect straight line from the man's hip to his shoulder. Just the one sweeping upward motion, and the tunic on the older man's back separated, showing a deep, broad crevice of red muscle and nerves, easily 2 feet long and an inch wide.
A devastating wound.
The calm expression never left the boy's face, even as he deactivated his light saber and ran from the room.
****************************
Bant studied the boy as he gazed at the still floating form in the bacta tank. She knew who he was, of course, everyone did. It had been three years since Qui Gon had brought the boy, with claims of his being the prophesied 'Chosen One'. Three years since Qui Gon had publicly dumped his Padawan in favor of the boy. Bant's mouth tightened with the memory. She was fairly sure that Obi Wan had never really talked to his late Master about his feelings. But he had talked to her. He had talked to her plenty. And every word out of his mouth had contributed to the wall of dislike that she still harbored toward Qui Gon Jinn, even in death.
~~ At least he didn't get his dying wish. Obi Wan won't be made to pay for Jinn's mistakes.~~
The boy had come to the healers soon after Windu had left. He had curled into a chair near the tank, and commenced staring at the man and his slowly healing wound. Once in a while, Anakin blinked rapidly, and although Bant never saw actual tears, she knew the drill. She was well versed in the art of covert crying.
After a while, the boy began to doze, his regular deep breathing occasionally interrupted by small snoring sounds. From the moment he had entered the center, Anakin had not spoken a word, or even spared a glance, to Bant. He had simply made a beeline to Obi Wan, and taken up his vigil.
The healer glanced up as the door to the center swished open, revealing a returning Mace Windu, accompanied by Master Yoda. "Hello again Master Windu. Hello Master Yoda." She turned her eyes toward Kenobi in his floating cylinder. "I'm afraid there's no news, Masters. He is healing, a little slower than I had anticipated. His vitals dipped and he went into mild shock a while ago, we had to remove him from the tank." Windu's eyes squinted a bit at this news. He had thought the man's recovery was a foregone conclusion, not merely an educated assumption. "Anyway, we stabilized him and returned him to the bacta."
A puzzled look crossed the healer's features, and she turned to stare at her patient. "I can't really explain why he went into shock. Not from blood loss, obviously. I have to assume it is just the trauma on his body of having so much tissue damage in one concentrated area." She looked back to her data pad. "Oh, and one of his kidneys had been damaged, that likely contributed . . . " The girl let her voice fade out as she realized that neither Master was paying her any attention.
Both of them were staring at the boy sleeping soundly by the bacta tank.
Yoda turned and addressed her. "The boy, came to see Obi Wan, he did. How long ago?"
"Oh, he came in shortly after Master Windu left to see you, Master." Herlips pursed in thought. "About five hours ago, approximately. He has been sitting there, fidgeting, staring, sleeping . . . trying to hide his tears when he weeps. Poor little guy." She shook her head.
Mace looked at her sharply. "Poor little guy indeed," his low voice barely above a whisper. He looked down at Yoda and their gazes locked for a second. Then the small Master thumped over to where Anakin sat, lightly snoring.
Windu leaned back against the healer's desk, content to let Yoda handle it. Bant resumed her seat and went back to her progress reports.
*********************
Darkness. A voice whispering, too softly to make out, but menacing and scary.
Running. Running. Running.
A sudden stumble and the gloom enveloped him, so thick that no sound could penetrate it. No crying for help, no pleading for mercy.
A white face swathed in black. A smile with no warmth in it. Pain . . .
**************
"Aahh!" The boy fairly jumped in his chair as Yoda's gimmer stick poked at his side insistently.
"Wake up, you must. Bad dreams, good for the soul, they are not." Yoda looked at the boy serenely, his large eyes warm and benign.
"Oh, Master Yoda . . . " Anakin let his breath out, a long shuddering sigh. "I wasn't having a nightmare, Master. At least, not one I remember."
The green eyes narrowed. "A topic for another time, this is. Speak with you, Master Windu and I must. About Obi Wan." The green Master looked to the boy in the tank for the first time. He had seen the wound in the holo, but the monochrome of the tape barely hinted at the horrendous slash in the young Knight's back. Flinching at the sight, Yoda turned to Mace and gestured him over.
Windu requisitioned two chairs from the waiting room and dragged them over to rest in front of the boy. He and Yoda sat and stared at Anakin for a few moments.
"Anakin." Mace began, "Turn your chair so you are facing us, please." The boy did as he was told. He looked from Mace to Yoda, confusion evident on his face.
Mace set a hard glare on the boy. "Tell us what happened, Anakin." His tone left no room for disobedience.
The confusion on Anakin's features intensified. "Tell you . . . ? Tell you about what, Master Windu?"
Mace and Yoda exchanged a glance. "Tell us about Obi Wan's injury, you must, Young One." His tone was less confrontational, but still very serious.
The boy looked from one Master to the other as if each had sprouted horns or extra heads. He scrubbed his hands up and down his legs, a nervous gesture meant to stall for time. It wasn't working.
The small voice finally began. "Well, Healer Bant says he will recover. That the injury is serious but nothing that Master Kenobi won't be able to heal." He got the distinct impression that this is not what the Masters wanted to hear. "I'm sure Healer Bant could tell you about it much better than I can . . . "
Again, the Masters exchanged looks.
"Anakin," Mace began, "You know what we are asking you." The boy looked at him blankly. Irritation seeped into the man's voice. "We need you to tell us why."
"Why?" The boy repeated.
"Yes. Tell us why." Mace's voice was controlled but had begun to fray around the edges.
"I don't understand, Master Windu. You want me to tell you why Master Kenobi will recover?" The confusion in the voice and on the face of the boy was so acute that Windu had to give his acting skills credit.
Yoda's ears drooped and his expression tightened. "This foolishness I will not tolerate." His gimmer stick thumped three times on the hard floor, a certain sign of his great agitation. "Tell us WHY you attacked Master Kenobi, you WILL!"
Silence.
Stillness only broken by Bant's clearly audible gasp from her desk a few feet away.
The shock on Anakin's face radiated out from him, waves practically shimmering in the stagnant air.
"WHAT?!" The boy suddenly shouted as he sprang from his chair. Windu was up a split second earlier, taking the boys arms and firmly pushing Anakin back down to his seat.
The initiate's breathing started coming hard and fast, his eyes taking on a wild look, hands clenching. His voice was small and tight. "What do you mean, tell you why I attacked Obi Wan? I didn't do anything like that!" The last came out sounding small and desolate.
Windu's face hardened. "Do not forget your place, Anakin. You know better than to address your elders so casually." The boy nodded and mumbled an apology. "Now, Anakin . . . Please don't make this any harder on yourself than it already is." Mace's large hand reached out to pat the boy's leg. "We know you attacked Master Obi Wan. We have the security system holotape to prove it."
Bant gasped yet again. Clearly she had doubted the Master's claim until this last statement. Confusion and anger welled up in her at the thought of Anakin Skywalker inflicting that horrid wound on her Obi Wan. She tamped down the anger, releasing it into the Force. The confusion remained. She walked over to stand behind the seated masters, her vested interest as a friend of Obi Wan's prompting her to action.
No one spoke for several minutes. Then the boy's voice, resigned, broke into the silence.
"Masters . . . I cannot tell you why I attacked Master Kenobi . . . Because I DID NOT attack him. I cannot explain how you would have a holo of me doing that, because I didn't do it!" His composure began to slip as his declaration went on. "I wouldn't do that to him, I have wanted to see him for the past three years! He is my friend . . . " The boy began sobbing softly.
The Masters were surprised. Anakin was not known to be a warm or overtly emotional boy. If anything, his reputation was for detachment.
Yoda finally spoke over the boy's quiet snuffling. "Have the tape we do. You in it, we saw. But another alternative, there is." The green Master turned to Mace, and the chocolate eyes met Yoda's in assent. "Drop your shields, you must. ALL of them. See into your mind, I will, and determine the truth."
Anakin's stark fear replaced his sadness. As a slave, he had built very strong shields without even realizing it. Dropping them was abhorrent to him. He had not even known how to do so until Master Yoda patiently walked him through it. Even with Yoda's help, the process had taken weeks to perfect.
"Have something to hide, you do?" Yoda questioned, ice in his tone and fire in his eyes.
"N-n-n-no, Master . . . " The boy sighed heavily and his head hung low. "I will do as you ask." Fear and trepidation made concentrating difficult, but within a few minutes the boy had torn down all his mental shielding, laying his mind bare for any who cared to delve into it. He nodded, keeping his head down, to let the Master know he was prepared.
Yoda closed his eyes and sent the Force out from himself to probe the mind of young Anakin Skywalker. He hated to do this, but given the circumstances, the wizened Master really saw no choice.
Accessing Anakin's memories, Yoda thoroughly examined the boy's activities that day. He went through them critically, searching for any hint of motive that would lead to Anakin's drastic action.
Typical feelings for a 12-year-old boy. Insecurity. Arrogance. Satisfaction. Confusion. Jealousy. Infatuation. Excitement. All centered around his classes, none of it about Obi Wan.
Reaching back in the boy's memories, Yoda focused on the last interaction Anakin had with Obi Wan before the sparring match.
Obi Wan and Anakin sat in the young Knight's apartment. They had a pleasant yet unremarkable conversation. Yoda felt anger and resentment toward Obi Wan, but neither strong enough to warrant the vicious attack. One pulse of anger was incredibly strong, but was gone almost as soon as it had come.
Sighing, Yoda went forward, to the attack itself. He saw Obi Wan and Anakin sparring. Several flares of anger as the boy realized the Knight was not really trying, that he didn't even consider Anakin worthy of his full attention. Fleeting thoughts of resentment, then a sharp longing for . . . Qui Gon. Interesting. More anger and resentment as the match wore on. Troubling, to be sure, but rational, not violent. No hatred or personal dislike. More like anger turned inward, toward his own incompetence.
Suddenly Kenobi stopped, nodded, bowed, and turned his back to the boy. Yoda fully expected to see the boy swipe at the young Master as his back was turned.
But he did not. Anakin turned, and ran from the room as he deactivated his light saber. Just as in the holo. But, critical difference - There had been no attack. No sudden, intense hatred . . . No thirst for retribution . . . No emotion at all.
The small green Master went back, reexamining the point at which memory and fact diverged. He felt . . . something. A presence in the boy's memory, in his mind. A shadow, elusive, secretive, and totally foreign. Yoda felt certain this mysterious impression was NOT Anakin Skywalker. But, whatever it was, it resided in the boy, no doubt there. Very troubling, indeed.
The Master also felt a slight fissure in memory. A line, as if a crystal had been broken, then spliced back together. A slight hitch where memory had been, but no longer was. A piece taken out, then smoothed over as one would smooth dirt on a grave. Yoda felt certain that the dark presence was responsible for this breach in the boy's memory. He sighed in agitation, then resumed his mental examination.
Yoda fast forwarded through the boy's memories. He watched as Anakin returned to the room he shared with three other initiates, sat at his small desk, studied his mechanical engineering text, chatted with one of his roommates, went alone to the cafeteria, began to eat the mid day meal. Another boy his age spoke to him, and Anakin's memory pulsed with shock, surprise, and fear. Suddenly he was racing down the halls of the Temple, his food forgotten. He ran until the door to the Healing Center opened, looked around quickly, and froze as he spied Obi Wan floating in bacta. A brief glance at Healer Bant, then the boy dragged a chair over to the tank and sat. Worry. Surprise. Grief. Confusion. Sadness. And . . . hidden very deep, a small glimmer of . . . Guilt.
Very interesting.
Yoda opened his eyes, exhaust evident on his face. "Very taxing, that was. Done now, we are."
Mace and Bant looked at him expectantly. Anakin slowly raised his head, pained and pinched expression intact.
"Replace your shields, you may." Yoda instructed the boy. Then he fell silent.
Mace sat patiently . . . Then could not wait any longer. "Well?" A small amount of exasperation leaked into his tone.
Yoda stood and hobbled around the bacta tank. His eyes scanned the young man floating there, and he noted with satisfaction that Obi Wan had put himself in a healing trance. Trust Kenobi to try to shoulder responsibility in all things.
Finally, the small Master came to stand before the three beings. All eyes locked on him in anticipation.
"Attack Kenobi, Anakin did." At this the boy began a high-pitched squeak, silenced by a hard look from Yoda. "Quiet, you will be!" Thump-thump- thump, the gimmer stick protested. "Attack him, he did. But REMEMBER it, he does not." His gaze softened and he looked pointedly at Anakin. "More importantly, aware of his actions, he was not."
Bant spoke up, as Mace brought his hand up to rub his temple. "Master Yoda, I don't understand. You say Anakin did do this . . . yet is not responsible. How can that be?"
"Not in control of his own actions, was he. Must study on this further. A puzzle this is. Guilty the boy is . . . Yet, also innocent." Yoda flung a pointed glance at Mace Windu. **Not the time or place to speak of this, my friend.**
Mace nodded. **We must convene the Council.**
**Yes.** Yoda replied, their mental conversation obvious to the other two people in the room. **Until then, supervised Anakin must be. Cannot allow something like this to happen again.**
"Anakin," Mace began, "the Council must discuss this. Until we decide how to proceed, you must be supervised." The man turned to the healer. "Bant, I want Anakin to stay in a room here until further notice. You have security that will assure us he does not leave the center. He will take his meals with you, and is only to leave if either Master Yoda or I come for him. Understood?"
The healer tried to hide her dismay at the decree, and failed miserably. "Yes, Master, I understand."
Yoda began walking toward the door, patting Anakin's hand quickly before shuffling away. "Have a Padawan bring your texts and books down, we will. Bring your latest droid project and tools as well, they will. Here at least until Obi Wan heals, you will be." With that, the old Master departed, a serious-faced Mace Windu following him out the door.
Anakin slumped dejectedly in his chair, staring at the floor.
Bant resumed her place at her desk, thoughts a jumble, mind reeling. She reflected that her earlier thought had been incorrect.
It looked as if Obi Wan might just be paying for Qui Gon's mistakes, after all.
***********************
TBC . . . Please review!