PART ONE
(...ten years later)
"Blood pressure: normal."
"What about his heart rate? Breathing rate?"
"Heart rate: normal. Breathing rate: normal."
"Will he be all right?"
The medical droid spun around and faced him. It wasn't programmed to answer such questions, but Anakin could've sworn it gave a shrug before wheeling out of the room.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost noon, and he was aching to see Padmé again, but he had been ordered to stay with his master. He sighed, secretly wishing Obi-Wan could wake up sooner.
His master slept peacefully on the infirmary bed. The room was silent except for the occasional beeping from the cardiograph and the sound of Obi-Wan's steady breathing. Anakin allowed himself to examine Obi-Wan's sleeping face. For the first time, he realized Obi-Wan aged just like everyone else: a permanent crease had established itself between Obi-Wan's eyebrows and the hair around his ears was beginning to grey—perhaps from the stress Anakin had caused him for all these years?
Anakin smiled unconsciously and lowered himself into the chair beside the bed; seeing his master like this was almost endearing.
The cardiograph indicated an increase in heart rate. Obi-Wan stirred, and Anakin automatically reached out and took his wrist. His master's arm seemed unusually frail under his own metallic grip.
Anakin.
They couldn't speak through their mind links, but somehow, Anakin knew Obi-Wan was calling his name. Sometimes he wondered if there was anyone else for his master to call for.
"I'm here, Master," he whispered. He could almost see his own words moving in a tender caress across Obi-Wan's face. These were the moments he treasured—the moments that strengthened their bond when they were least aware of it.
Obi-Wan squinted, adjusting to the brightness of the room. "How did we get back?" he asked dazedly. He tried to sit up, but Anakin held his shoulders down firmly.
"If your question is, 'Did you get us back here all by yourself?' then the answer is yes." Anakin chuckled lightly at his own insolence. In truth, he felt a little sorry that the warm moment was over. He watched as Obi-Wan replaced his groggy expression with the usual passive look. "You're not supposed to be up just yet. They told me you need time to regain your health."
"Who's they?" said Obi-Wan, trying to throw Anakin's hands off. "You don't need to grip me so tightly. I'm not going to run away."
Anakin raised his arms in feigned defeat. "Just following authority."
The moment Anakin released him, Obi-Wan pulled himself out of bed, standing so that he was above Anakin's eye level. "I wish you would," he muttered, clear enough for Anakin to hear.
"You're supposed to stay here in the Temple for a few days," said Anakin, ignoring the comment. "Won't that be fun?"
Obi-Wan took a few seconds to idly look around the room. "Perhaps."
"Well? What are you going to do without me?" It sounded like Anakin was joking. Or at least Anakin hoped it sounded that way.
"Meditate in absolute peace," replied Obi-Wan. "Where's your next mission?"
Anakin laughed. "Right here."
"What?"
"Here," repeated Anakin, but this time, his mind was focused on something else—someone else. "On Coruscant. Aren't you glad I'll be here to bother you?"
"You seem to be in an awfully good mood."
"Well, Master, we just came back from an awfully long and dangerous—"
"You're anxious to be somewhere else," noted Obi-Wan immediately, crossing his arms. He studied Anakin's face for a moment before waving him off hastily. "Go on. You have my permission to leave. I'll explain your absence to the Council if they ask."
Anakin stood motionlessly, wondering if this was some kind of test. He searched Obi-Wan's eyes for evidence, but he knew it was useless. Half of him was still grounded, but the other half was already flying out the door.
"Are you waiting for me to change my mind?"
Nearly grinning, Anakin shook his head. He thanked his master briefly before grabbing his robe and heading straight for Padmé's apartment.
- - -
It was one of the tallest buildings on Coruscant, with nearly a thousand living quarters, but Anakin knew exactly which landing platform belonged to Padmé. She was still putting up her hair when he arrived, and she immediately dropped the brush in her hand without second thought and embraced him the moment he stepped into the room.
Anakin held her tightly for a second before lifting her into the air and kissing her passionately. "Oh, Padmé, I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever see you again," he whispered into her hair. He knew how cheesy it sounded, but it didn't even matter. In fact, what he said made no difference because he was practically glowing with joy.
Padmé laughed, and for a moment, nothing mattered anymore. "How can you say that, Annie? Your thoughts are always so negative!"
"Not when you're here." Anakin closed his eyes and they remained silent for a long time. When he opened his eyes again, he was being pushed away.
"I've completely forgotten about the conference!" cried Padmé. She picked up her brush and began to work on her hair again. "I'm so sorry I can't stay with you today, Annie. I need to be somewhere. But I promise I'll spend the entire day with you tomorrow. Will you even be here tomorrow?" She paused. "Oh, Annie, what is this war doing to us?"
Anakin sat down on the couch and watched her frantically braid her hair. C-3PO offered him a cup of tea and they exchanged a few words, but Anakin was in no mood to talk with him. He couldn't decide whether he wanted to stop time forever or make it race faster.
"Annie, I'm leaving now." She kissed his lips lightly and planted another chaste kiss on his cheek. "You can stay here if you'd like. Threepio gets rather lonely."
She was gone. Anakin wasn't sure what to do, but he didn't want to stay in the room anymore. Being in Padmé's room when she wasn't there made him feel lonely. The smell of her perfume lingered in the air, distant but sweet. It was almost as if she would never return again. He shivered at the thought and headed for the door.
"Master Anakin, won't you stay for another cup of tea?"
"No, Threepio, I have something to do," Anakin lied. He left the room and took off on his speeder without waiting for the droid's response.
The city streets were crowded and noisy as usual, but something had changed. Above all the traffic and drinking was a sense of dread. The people knew all too well about what was happening beyond the Coruscanti system. Anakin parked in an empty spot along the sidewalk and climbed out. He paused as he noticed a group of intermingled species speaking in hushed voices. They appeared to be saying something about gambling; Anakin couldn't help but think they might be using code words. He quickly dropped his suspicion and pulled his hood over his head.
Chancellor Palpatine's office building appeared at the corner, and Anakin hesitated for a moment before allowing his hood to drop and walking through the automatic doors. A droid stopped him in the lobby.
"Please state your name and business."
Anakin's idea to visit the Chancellor came truly out of nowhere. Besides, he had never entered through the lobby before. He muttered something about wanting to talk to the Chancellor and needing to use the bathroom. The droid was just about to sound the alarm when Palpatine appeared and sent it away.
"Glad to see you back," he greeted, clapping Anakin on the shoulder. "I heard you and Master Kenobi arrived on Coruscant yesterday and I was beginning to wonder when you would come to visit me." His focus drifted toward the glass doors and lingered there for a moment.
Anakin turned, but there was no one outside. Or at least not anymore.
"Come," said Palpatine, leading Anakin to the elevators. "We can talk upstairs in my office. So how are you?"
"A little tired," admitted Anakin. He leaned back against the elevator's glass walls and looked up, watching the sky grow closer. "I wish the war would end sooner, but it's still spreading. And I can't do anything about it. I know I shouldn't worry myself with these thoughts, but somehow I feel as if I am this war…"
The elevator door opened and they stepped out.
"It's only natural for you to worry," said Palpatine calmly as he motioned for Anakin to sit across from the desk. "You truly have an extraordinary mind—able to take on so many emotions at once. It seems only yesterday you were that thoughtful little boy from Tatooine." He smiled down at his desk, tapping his fingers lightly across the surface, as if he were conjuring up the image of Anakin's younger self.
"But I'm an adult now," said Anakin. His hand involuntarily flew to his braid and he stroked it gently, almost lovingly. "I can feel myself growing up, but sometimes I wonder if others can see it. Can you, Chancellor?"
"Anakin, you have matured so much since the day I met you." Palpatine closed his eyes and sighed. He suddenly appeared very old and exhausted. "If only I could tell you in words how proud I am of you. But I must not allow myself to be carried away with my sentiment—what was it that you came here to talk to me about?"
There was a chip in the desk that Anakin hadn't seen before and he reached forward to touch it. He had been in the office too many times not to recognize the damage as recent. "Honestly, I don't know," he said, writing into his memory the exact area of the tiny chip. For a second, he almost felt as if there were no secrets between Palpatine and himself. "I'm sorry, I guess I was just feeling upset. You always have some way to cure me of that. I'm feeling better already."
"Well, in that case, may I talk to you about something?"
"Anything, Chancellor."
"What would you say if I decided to hand you an army of twenty-five thousand clones?" Palpatine didn't wait for a response before continuing. "That will give you a fair chance to prove yourself to the Jedi Council. You can have your own army to command on your next mission, which is quite a large step for you, but I believe you will handle it well."
Anakin would believe it, too, if only it were possible. "The Council wouldn't allow it. I'm still a Padawan Learner."
"Of course, I will speak with the Council and ask for their approval," explained Palpatine. "They are, after all, short on commanders. I'm sure they will make… exceptions."
"I—I don't know what to say," Anakin stammered. "I'm honored you think so highly of me."
"Oh, I think I'm underestimating you, Anakin," said Palpatine, smiling kindly. He looked almost sad to Anakin. "This may sound like flattery coming from an old man like me, but you have far more potential than anyone can imagine. Even your master. I think you understand best yourself."
Anakin stiffened at the mention of Obi-Wan.
"What's wrong, Anakin? You looked so tense for a moment."
"It's just… my master still thinks of me as a child. I wish I could change that." Anakin felt better the moment those words left his mouth. Palpatine's undivided attention encouraged him to go on. "He's always lecturing me about the same things and he never speaks much to me on a personal level. I'd never be able to tell him the things I say to you."
"Your master cares about you very much," said Palpatine. "If there is one flaw the Jedi have, I'd say it's the way they carry themselves around other Jedi. My first impression of Master Kenobi was that he was a very quiet man. But I was deceived. I have caught him outside the Jedi Temple, and believe me, he has quite a rowdy group of friends."
"He does?"
"You wouldn't know, Anakin. Everyone has their little secrets, and that is perhaps the Jedi's greatest secret of all. Sometimes I wonder why they have so little trust in their peers."
Anakin shifted in his seat to suppress the small shiver he felt in his spine. The thought was a little irritating at first, but now it seemed almost romantic. "Is there anything else you know about my master?" he asked, hoping he didn't seem too excited.
Palpatine sighed. "I'm afraid not. I don't see him very often. Is he with you?"
"No," said Anakin, a little confused.
"I thought I saw him standing outside just moments after you arrived downstairs. Are you sure that wasn't him?"
Was it? Anakin clearly remembered Obi-Wan telling him he had permission to leave, so it was possible his master had followed. But he also remembered Obi-Wan had just woken up from a coma and was probably not ready to leave the Temple yet. No, it couldn't have been Obi-Wan.
"I'm pretty sure," said Anakin. "He was still in the infirmary when I left. Maybe you saw another Jedi."
Palpatine looked doubtful.
- - -
The infirmary room was completely empty, except for the same medical droid from that morning. It was neatly folding the used bed sheets and piling them on a metal tray. "How many I help you?" it asked automatically.
"I'm looking for Obi-Wan Kenobi," said Anakin. "When did he leave the room?"
The droid gave him an empty stare. "Kenobi was dismissed."
"Yes, but when?"
It didn't answer, and Anakin made a note to himself to upgrade the medical droids later, or at least suggest it to the Council. He headed for Obi-Wan's room and felt his master's presence inside before he reached the door. He trailed a finger against the door, listening to the sound of metal against metal, and sighed before pressing the switch. Was he relieved? Disappointed?
His master was lying on his side on the couch. He wasn't asleep, but he looked as if he'd been resting for a while.
"How are you feeling?" asked Anakin, moving Obi-Wan's legs aside so he could sit.
"Not as dizzy as this morning."
Anakin smiled a little. "You were dizzy? I wasn't aware."
Obi-Wan didn't respond, but Anakin knew he wasn't amused. For all Anakin knew, his master had three emotions: slightly amused, slightly annoyed, and blank. And right now, it was a combination of the latter two.
"Well, I'm back. Aren't you going to ask me what happened on our mission?" Anakin was pushing it, but Obi-Wan seemed too tired to argue. "I mean, you slept through most of the exciting part, you know, when I—"
"Master Shaak Ti already filled me in on the details, but thanks for the concern." The 'slightly amused' was back.
"So?"
Obi-Wan shrugged. "What are you expecting me to say?"
It was now Anakin's turn to be annoyed. He cursed angrily under his breath. Only less than a few hours ago, he had been complaining to Palpatine about Obi-Wan's lack of confidence in him, and he was already wishing he could be back in that office again. Or even better, in bed with his wife. Anywhere far away from Obi-Wan's cold presence.
"Watch your language, Anakin."
Anakin frowned. "You need to loosen up, Master."
"Since when do I take advice from my apprentice?"
That was cold. Anakin nearly stormed out of the room. In fact, he probably would have if Obi-Wan hadn't quickly apologized. He felt sick, suffocated, like he needed to cling onto something—preferably something alive. Then he glanced at Obi-Wan and decided it was probably better not to hold onto anything at all.
They sat in silence for what seemed like hours until Anakin couldn't take it anymore. He quickly wished his master a good night and left.
On his way to his room, Anakin came across Shaak Ti, who stopped to talk to him.
"Has your master returned?" she asked. Even her dark murky eyes seemed warm compared to Obi-Wan's clear grey. "I spoke to him earlier and he told me he was going somewhere briefly. He should still be resting."
Anakin blinked in surprise. "He left the Temple? I didn't know."
The Jedi Master looked at him strangely, as if she couldn't understand how Anakin wouldn't know. "So he's resting now?"
"Yes, he's in his room."
"That's good to hear. Have a good night, Anakin."
Anakin watched as she disappeared down the corridor. Even after she was gone, he stood there wondering if he should be angry, sad, or simply indifferent.