Hello to everyone!
Here comes the last chapter of the story, the conclusion.
Thanks again for the amazing reviews and for your support, you truly made my day(s)… :-)
Athelassa
----------------------------------------------
It was very late in the evening when Bant finally left the quarters of her friend. Obi-Wan had assured her over and over again that he felt fine and would not need her help anymore. It seemed that a bit of exasperated shouting, cursing and muttering had finally helped to convince Bant that her friend felt truly better.
Eventually alone, Obi-Wan had sat for some time on the sofa in the dark before he had gotten up. He had quickly taken a shower and dressed himself in some new clothes before he had left his quarters.
The turbo lift brought him to the higher levels of the Temple and he stepped out. It had always felt strange for Obi-Wan to walk on this level. Even though the surrounding was not much different than anywhere else in the immense building with its long corridors, these parts often seemed deserted and it was much more quiet than anywhere else. No wonder, for the inhabitants of this wing were most of the time scattered over the whole galaxy and when they were for once at the Temple, it was to rest, recover or work on reports. This was the Knight's Wing, for all of the younger, often newly minted Knights without a Padawan.
Close to getting wistful, Obi-Wan realised that he would never reside in this part of the Temple. With Anakin reaching Knighthood he was considered from now on a higher ranking Master and had the right for bigger quarters. He would probably stay in his old apartment if the Council did not decide otherwise.
Obi-Wan went down the corridor and halted in front of apartment 13 479. "Skywalker" was written on a new tag to the right of the door. He could make out some voices from the inside, but most of the visitors would have left by now. Obi-Wan knocked softly.
The door hissed open and Anakin stood in the door way, looking surprised when he saw Obi-Wan.
"Master! I mean… Obi-Wan. Where have you been? I came looking for you at your quarters when you didn't show up, but you weren't there. After your stunt this morning you had me really worried… But please, come in."
Obi-Wan chose not to comment on where he had been all the time but instead entered the new quarters. The other guests, most of them in Anakin's age, stood in the kitchen and waved at him. Obi-Wan nodded shortly in their direction before he turned again to his former student.
"Well, hello to you, too, Anakin."
The newly minted Knight sent him a forced smile, but there was an insecure uneasiness in his gaze.
"You know me, I've never been one for small talk."
Obi-Wan laughed softly but even to his ears it sounded strained. To keep his mind from worrying too much about the new awkwardness in their relationship he gazed at his surroundings. The quarters were much smaller than their shared apartment but it was already as messy as Anakin's old room. There lay boxes, empty bottles of muja juice and somewhere between mechanic tools and some old pairs of socks, nearly buried by Anakin's discarded cloak, stuck out the handle of his former Padawan's lightsaber.
Obi-Wan involuntarily had to smile. It was so typical. Anakin followed his old Master's gaze and grinned sheepishly.
"I promise to tidy up later, Master," Anakin teased lightly and Obi-Wan chuckled heartily, this time with all sincerity.
"I trust you're feeling better, Obi-Wan?" ¨
The Jedi Master nodded. "Yes, thank you. Bant has looked after me, as usual."
Anakin smiled fondly.
"It's good to hear that some things never change. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you."
The Jedi Master snorted and waved the comment away. He was by all means very relieved that Anakin had not been present to his more disgusting troubles in the afternoon.
"You still look pale and tired."
Obi-Wan shrugged the concern away.
"I will recover."
There was a short silence in which both of them seemed to struggle for safe ground to discuss before Anakin decided to approach the tender topic head on.
"It feels strange, doesn't it? To live without this bond. I've grown so used to have your presence always in my mind, it's really weird to be totally on my own."
"Please, Anakin, let's talk about something else. At least tonight," Obi-Wan requested softly. He could tell by the look on Anakin's face that his former student felt rejected. Again. Obi-Wan wanted nothing so bad as to see Anakin happy on this evening, but he just could not bring himself to talk about anything even suggesting a Master-Padawan bond anymore.
Again there was a strained silence and Obi-Wan already regretted his decision to see his former student this evening. He should leave and let Anakin have fun with his friends. He had often enough played the part of a spoil sport, in Anakin's point of view. However, his former Padawan seemed determined to keep Obi-Wan a bit longer.
"The Council has already given me a first mission," Anakin began, knowing exactly that he was finally entering safe ground with this kind of discussion. That was what Obi-Wan truly seemed interested in. "A small intelligence, sent by the Chancellor himself, has reported that Dooku and the Separatists have their main accounts on planet Lunaret, known also as the "bank-planet". They draw most of their financial resources from these accounts. The government of Lunaret, however, is strictly against the Separatists movement and a highly respected member of the Republic. It seems, as if there had been used violence in order to force the Lunaretese to cooperation. The Council chose me to investigate."
Obi-Wan felt both sadness and immense pride at the same time. Sad, because he would have to let Anakin go without him, and proud, because it showed the great deal of faith the Council had in his former student to give him such an important mission.
"I'm very proud, Anakin. I'm sure you will do well, as you always do."
Anakin actually had the grace to blush.
"Thank you, Master."
The slip with the title went unnoticed by Anakin but it cut in Obi-Wan's heart.
"However," Anakin continued and he fixed the Jedi Master with a determined stare, "I requested that my next mission, after this one, will be a mission that is based on team work. I asked for you as a partner."
Obi-Wan just gaped at his former Padawan, dumbstruck. Of all the things he had expected to hear from Anakin this evening, this possibility had never crossed his mind.
Anakin fidgeted uncomfortably, unnerved by the silence of his former Master.
"Well, I mean, we've always been a good team, there's no need to stop that only because…"
"You don't have to do this for me, Anakin, I'll manage well on my own. You should enjoy your long-expected freedom, now that you finally have it."
This time Anakin looked horrified.
"No! You don't understand! I won't do that out of charity or anything in this direction. It is just that we make the perfect team, I think. You've always been the better planner while I've been better at improvising. You're a really amazing negotiator while I've always been better in the rescue missions… I think we make a good team."
And Anakin truly meant it, Obi-Wan realised. A warmth he had missed the whole day finally surged through him. Perhaps his teachings had not been that bad after all and perhaps Anakin had heeded them more than he had originally thought.
Obi-Wan sent him a full-fledged grin that made his next words irrelevant.
"I'll think about it."
Anakin laughed and boxed Obi-Wan in the arm.
"You're unbelievable! Can't you just say "Yes" without mulling over everything a dozen times? We've fought beside each other for twelve years, it isn't as if you had to test a total stranger of his abilities!" Anakin exclaimed, exasperated.
"It isn't that, my former very young Padawan. I am only calculating if the dizzy spells and bouts of nausea that ail me during your flight manoeuvres truly outweigh the misery of ending my days lonesome in the Temple."
Anakin groaned good-naturedly.
"."."."."."."
When Obi-Wan wearily entered the turbo lift again to get down to his own quarters, he had a smile on his face. The pains and worries of the day were nearly forgotten, only a small, hidden part of his brain still noticed the lingering effects and doubts that had been raised by the day's events. The other part felt truly content, for the first time since months, when not years.
Why had he felt this anxious before? Why had he doubted the boy he loved so much?
Obi-Wan just shook his head, still smiling faintly. Everything would turn out fine, he was sure of it.
Z Ändi THE END Z Ändi