Anakin stood before the council proud with his chin up high and his eyes
meeting firmly with Windu's. The council circled him with Cyu on the end.
"Anakin we have heard that you have tired to attack Padme and kill her, is there any reason that this could be false?" Windu questioned noticing Anakin's light saber attached to his belt.
"Yes because it's not true Master Windu." Anakin replied firmly.
" Well what evidence do you have to prove this?" Windu asked.
"Evidence that convicts Anakin of crime we show first hm?" Yoda suggested seeing Anakin's desperate situation.
"Yes well I believe that means me since Padme has chosen me to stand for her today." Cyu replied getting up from his seat.
"That's not justice, I demand that Padme be in here for this." Anakin cried looking at Cyu.
"Your demands will not be met because you are the one on trail Anakin." Obi-wan told him taking Cyu's seat.
"Alright let's hear what you have to say Cyu." Windu asked waving his hand at him.
"Padme reported that her attacker entered the room and turned on his light saber. He then started to say how she cheated on him and this was the reason he gave for killing her. He then proceeded to hit her over the head with his light saber and was about to finish the job until he heard a noise in the hallway and decided to leave it and try to gain her trust back like nothing happened." Cyu told the council as their eyes drifted to Anakin.
"Did she tell you the exact words of the attacker?" Windu asked.
"No master, she was much too frightened to remember them." Cyu replied.
"Hmmm…" Yoda sounded as the council turned to him. "Hitting over the head is a coward act, Jedi never do this he would. Like Anakin I think not."
"Well master Yoda and I found Padme in the hallway bleeding from the back and we went back to the room to find Anakin with the light saber and blood stains on his clothing which were tested and it was Padme's blood and no other finger prints were found on the light saber." Windu reported.
"I had blood on my clothing because I had walked in the room and found her sobbing on the floor and I tried to help her by helping her up and that's how the blood got there." Anakin told the council.
"Wouldn't we have seen you in the hallway?" Windu asked suspiciously.
"Another entrance you use boy? Hm?" Yoda questioned.
"Well, I came in through the window in the main room…" Anakin admitted.
"He lies see!" Cyu accused.
"Cyu calm down, let him speak." Obi-wan encouraged.
"Why did you do this Anakin you are not suppose to be with the senator when she is asleep." Windu pointed out drumming his fingers together.
"I…um…I had to see her…" Anakin stuttered.
"After she was asleep?" Cyu questioned.
"Well yeah I have a right to." Anakin snapped then realized his mistake.
"What right is that Anakin?" Obi-wan asked raising his eyebrow.
"I…just…do" Anakin answered.
"Telling the truth you are not." Yoda replied shaking his head.
"Anakin is there something else we should know? Sneaking around Padme's room while she is sleeping and getting mad because she cheated on you?" Windu asked.
"Padme and I…we…are…" Anakin started looking at the council in shame. He knew this was going to shatter all his relationships with them and their trust. He hung his head and finished, "We are married."
"What?" Obi-wan answered sitting up in disbelief.
"This is an outrage, Anakin you know the Jedi law." Windu scolded.
"I know master but don't you think it's unfair? Love makes our world work; with out it none of us would be here. Love is a great feeling and no one should be kept from it. Padme and married because we love each other and nothing could have stopped us. We were destined for each other."
"It's the law Anakin, it's in place so nothing like this happens." Obi-wan replied.
"So we have proven that Anakin was the attacker? Council?" Windu asked looking around.
"Agree I do not." Yoda replied, "Easy this is to frame someone. Greed taken over his heart it has and moved him to the dark side."
"I am sorry my old friend but the council rules against you." Windu replied bowing his head.
"No…" Anakin whispered looking hardly at Cyu. An evil smirk spread across his face like he had won. Anakin knew he couldn't let this happen.
"Master please I haven't even…"
"Anakin take the punishment, trust me I think it will be less harsh if you try to argue." Obi-wan cut Anakin off.
"Yes master." Anakin replied obediently.
"Anakin the council had decided that if we had convicted you of this crime we would send you to Hoth with Obi-wan to continue your training as a Jedi." Windu told him.
"And the marriage?" Cyu asked.
"What about Padme she will be unprotected" Anakin added.
Windu held up his hand and replied, "The marriage will be ended by a divorce and Cyu shall protect Padme."
"What!!!" Anakin cried but Obi-wan led him to the hallway.
"Anakin just go along with it, if you fight this you will have no life. Try to pick up where it was left off, you don't need Padme." Obi-wan told Anakin.
"No! I won't! I didn't try to kill her!" Anakin protested.
Cyu exited the meeting room and nodded to Anakin in a mocking way and walked down the hallway and was met by Padme who gave him a quick hug and proceeded to Anakin.
"Ani?" Padme asked as Anakin turned around to see her the last time. "I am sorry this has happened to you. You're a great guy and I am sure you'll be happy somewhere else."
"You still think I killed you don't you!" Anakin snapped at her.
"Well…"
"Padme I thought you were smarter than that!" Anakin spat at her as Obi-wan pushed him away.
Padme watched him walk down the hallway and knew she would probably never see him again. She felt a little piece of her heart being torn from her, it hurt but she knew that is was necessary. She still loved him for some reason and wanted to believe him but the facts went against her feelings. A tear splashed off her cheek and onto the golden floor. She looked down at the sparkling droplet and promised herself that it would be the last tear shed because of Anakin.
Anakin looked back and Padme and promised himself that he would be back to set things right and to give Cyu is rightful punishment, even if it cost him his own life.
"Anakin we have heard that you have tired to attack Padme and kill her, is there any reason that this could be false?" Windu questioned noticing Anakin's light saber attached to his belt.
"Yes because it's not true Master Windu." Anakin replied firmly.
" Well what evidence do you have to prove this?" Windu asked.
"Evidence that convicts Anakin of crime we show first hm?" Yoda suggested seeing Anakin's desperate situation.
"Yes well I believe that means me since Padme has chosen me to stand for her today." Cyu replied getting up from his seat.
"That's not justice, I demand that Padme be in here for this." Anakin cried looking at Cyu.
"Your demands will not be met because you are the one on trail Anakin." Obi-wan told him taking Cyu's seat.
"Alright let's hear what you have to say Cyu." Windu asked waving his hand at him.
"Padme reported that her attacker entered the room and turned on his light saber. He then started to say how she cheated on him and this was the reason he gave for killing her. He then proceeded to hit her over the head with his light saber and was about to finish the job until he heard a noise in the hallway and decided to leave it and try to gain her trust back like nothing happened." Cyu told the council as their eyes drifted to Anakin.
"Did she tell you the exact words of the attacker?" Windu asked.
"No master, she was much too frightened to remember them." Cyu replied.
"Hmmm…" Yoda sounded as the council turned to him. "Hitting over the head is a coward act, Jedi never do this he would. Like Anakin I think not."
"Well master Yoda and I found Padme in the hallway bleeding from the back and we went back to the room to find Anakin with the light saber and blood stains on his clothing which were tested and it was Padme's blood and no other finger prints were found on the light saber." Windu reported.
"I had blood on my clothing because I had walked in the room and found her sobbing on the floor and I tried to help her by helping her up and that's how the blood got there." Anakin told the council.
"Wouldn't we have seen you in the hallway?" Windu asked suspiciously.
"Another entrance you use boy? Hm?" Yoda questioned.
"Well, I came in through the window in the main room…" Anakin admitted.
"He lies see!" Cyu accused.
"Cyu calm down, let him speak." Obi-wan encouraged.
"Why did you do this Anakin you are not suppose to be with the senator when she is asleep." Windu pointed out drumming his fingers together.
"I…um…I had to see her…" Anakin stuttered.
"After she was asleep?" Cyu questioned.
"Well yeah I have a right to." Anakin snapped then realized his mistake.
"What right is that Anakin?" Obi-wan asked raising his eyebrow.
"I…just…do" Anakin answered.
"Telling the truth you are not." Yoda replied shaking his head.
"Anakin is there something else we should know? Sneaking around Padme's room while she is sleeping and getting mad because she cheated on you?" Windu asked.
"Padme and I…we…are…" Anakin started looking at the council in shame. He knew this was going to shatter all his relationships with them and their trust. He hung his head and finished, "We are married."
"What?" Obi-wan answered sitting up in disbelief.
"This is an outrage, Anakin you know the Jedi law." Windu scolded.
"I know master but don't you think it's unfair? Love makes our world work; with out it none of us would be here. Love is a great feeling and no one should be kept from it. Padme and married because we love each other and nothing could have stopped us. We were destined for each other."
"It's the law Anakin, it's in place so nothing like this happens." Obi-wan replied.
"So we have proven that Anakin was the attacker? Council?" Windu asked looking around.
"Agree I do not." Yoda replied, "Easy this is to frame someone. Greed taken over his heart it has and moved him to the dark side."
"I am sorry my old friend but the council rules against you." Windu replied bowing his head.
"No…" Anakin whispered looking hardly at Cyu. An evil smirk spread across his face like he had won. Anakin knew he couldn't let this happen.
"Master please I haven't even…"
"Anakin take the punishment, trust me I think it will be less harsh if you try to argue." Obi-wan cut Anakin off.
"Yes master." Anakin replied obediently.
"Anakin the council had decided that if we had convicted you of this crime we would send you to Hoth with Obi-wan to continue your training as a Jedi." Windu told him.
"And the marriage?" Cyu asked.
"What about Padme she will be unprotected" Anakin added.
Windu held up his hand and replied, "The marriage will be ended by a divorce and Cyu shall protect Padme."
"What!!!" Anakin cried but Obi-wan led him to the hallway.
"Anakin just go along with it, if you fight this you will have no life. Try to pick up where it was left off, you don't need Padme." Obi-wan told Anakin.
"No! I won't! I didn't try to kill her!" Anakin protested.
Cyu exited the meeting room and nodded to Anakin in a mocking way and walked down the hallway and was met by Padme who gave him a quick hug and proceeded to Anakin.
"Ani?" Padme asked as Anakin turned around to see her the last time. "I am sorry this has happened to you. You're a great guy and I am sure you'll be happy somewhere else."
"You still think I killed you don't you!" Anakin snapped at her.
"Well…"
"Padme I thought you were smarter than that!" Anakin spat at her as Obi-wan pushed him away.
Padme watched him walk down the hallway and knew she would probably never see him again. She felt a little piece of her heart being torn from her, it hurt but she knew that is was necessary. She still loved him for some reason and wanted to believe him but the facts went against her feelings. A tear splashed off her cheek and onto the golden floor. She looked down at the sparkling droplet and promised herself that it would be the last tear shed because of Anakin.
Anakin looked back and Padme and promised himself that he would be back to set things right and to give Cyu is rightful punishment, even if it cost him his own life.