Writer's Block: Double Helix by alchemy dream. This is a Star Wars fic rated M, involves slash (Ani/Obi), and is AU. Alchemy dream is a wonderful writer. She has a large vocabulary, and I love seeing unique words scattered here and there! Even in the first paragraph there were two words that are uncommon, and which I love: 'alizarin' and 'zephyr.' The characters are well-developed and you really get a feel of who they are. This is a very enjoyable read. It only has three chapters right now, and the major plot hasn't been touched on yet, but I'm hoping alchemy dream gets a new chapter out soon (hinthint).
I'm a real sucker for unique words… I'll freely admit it. That's part of the reason why I like reading older classics; they use such great words. I'm currently reading Dracula, and my favorite word from it is 'saturnine.' But 'zoöphagous' is a close second…
Sorry about the last chapter being so short. It had some pretty important stuff in it, but it was just one of those chapters that you can't really lengthen too much, or else it loses its meaning or impact. I'm glad you found the chapter funny. I try to add a little humor in it here and there. Thank you for the reviews, and I hope you continue to enjoy yourself. If you find any mistakes, corrections are loved.
Page Amount: 7Word Count: 5,680
Written 8-4-05
Listening to: frou frou "shh"
Written by Ice Dragon3
Jedi Genocide
Chapter Sixteen: The Question of Communication
Here he was, wide-awake in the middle of night and unable to fall back asleep. And it was all because of that nightmare…again. It had almost become habit, although he hated to use the word in such context, to wake up shivering and sweating.
It was dark outside his window; it was not pleasant to be jolted from sleep only to be greeted by the absolute blackness of night. There was barely any transition from the two atmospheres, from his inner darkness to the outer. He didn't want to remember…he didn't want the gruesome form of rotting death to visit him in dreams… It wasn't his fault that they had died. He hadn't killed them himself; he'd only watched, helpless to act as other, darker forces swept over him and destroyed everything. His clutched the blankets in his hand, drawing them up to rest at his chin. His faint breathing barely dented the thick fabric.
It wasn't his fault. How could he have known?
What was the purpose of continuing now? He shut his eyes tightly, forcing his breath to remain calm and steady. Advice given to him by a man now dead filtered into his mind, unwanted but needed. He had to accept death; it was a natural process of life…everyone died, eventually. Learn to let go.
The hands gripping the blankets loosened. Though his mind was ravaged with grief and guilt, a small spark flickered in the dark recesses of his soul.
There was hope yet. There was still something that he had to do, a promise he had made to the man that was not yet fulfilled.
Obi-Wan entered the Temple alone, yawning at the earliness of the morning. It had only been five standard days since Anakin had become Emperor and made his speech to the Senate, but already the new Emperor was bogged down with work. As an advisor, Obi-Wan didn't have as much work to do. Mainly, as the title blatantly hinted at, he just advised Anakin when he was asked his opinion. So much for having 'grand influence.'
But Obi-Wan was not bitter. In fact, the pros far outweighed the cons as far as he was concerned. The fact that Anakin was kept so busy at the Galactic Empire-Senate building worked to his advantage; three out of the five days Anakin hadn't been able to teach at the Temple. With Anakin not constantly hovering over him, Obi-Wan felt as if he was slowly regaining pieces of his life—not much, but everything mattered when he had so little.
Today was another day where Anakin was too busy to teach. This gave him the perfect opportunity to talk to the younglings without being overheard. Obi-Wan had given the younglings time and space to mourn on their own, but now he had some questions to ask them that couldn't be held off any longer. He wanted to piece together all the parts of the story, and find out exactly what had led up to Tarren and Skraith's deaths. If he could find out what had happened, he could see the telltale signs in the future and prevent a reoccurrence.
It was the least—perhaps all—he could do for their departed souls.
He walked into the silent meditation room. It was not quiet because the younglings were already meditating (he had long ago given up on that happening), but because sadness silenced them. The empty pads where Tarren and Skraith should have sat looked forlorn, almost sinister. It was as if they said, with their concave centers and well-worn state, 'any one of you could go next. All it takes is an accident and one second…'
"We will be meditating again. Try to let go of your feelings, disperse them into the Force. It will help some, believe me," he said gently, understanding the source of their sorrows. "Carra, I would like to talk to you."
The Bothan got up nervously, her eyes shifting. "Yes, Master Obi-Wan?" she asked, wiping her damp hands on her tunic. Instead of possessing her normal cat-like fluidity, her movements had all the coordination of a weak-hearted sparrow.
"If we could converse out in the hallway, please…" He motioned towards the door. "So we don't disturb those who are meditating."
"Right. Of course." She smiled shakily, dragging her feet as she walked out into the hall. As soon as the door shut her mouth began to spew fearful words, "You know that I didn't mean for that to happen, don't you? I didn't think we would find something so—" She cut herself off, shaking her head as if to knock the memories from it like a swimmer with water-clogged ears. "It was something dark. It made me feel like—like, in that moment, nothing good could ever exist again."
"I'm not here to accuse you, Carra. I am simply trying to find the facts, just as you are," Obi-Wan said soothingly. The Bothan was nearly jumping out of her skin, and he knew that in her present state she might clam up if he pushed her for information. He had to gently coax out what she knew. "I need to have knowledge of everything that happened, so that I can prevent it from occurring again in the future. Do you understand why it is imperative that you tell me the truth?"
Carra nodded her head, eyes watching Obi-Wan warily. "Yeah… I don't want it to happen again either…"
"Try starting at the beginning," Obi-Wan suggested, careful to keep his voice level and calm. "How did this all start?"
"I… I found out that…Tarren"—she struggled over the name, and only with effort did it fall from her numb lips—"had a set of six keys with him. I'm ashamed of it now, but I won't lie to you: I snuck into his room to find them. But I didn't know what they opened, so I couldn't just take them and use them. I had a conversation with Darrien a little bit after that, and he told me how he sensed that you and Tarren had talked before your leaving. That made me certain that the keys opened something important. I pressed Tarren," she admitted guiltily, "I pushed him until he agreed to open one door out of six…"
She suddenly stopped talking, her eyes gaining a distant look as they seemed to sink farther into her face. Obi-Wan noted, from the dark bags under her eyes, that she hadn't been getting much sleep. "Which of the six doors did he open?" Obi-Wan asked gently, wanting her to continue on.
"The one with the wooden swords." She barked a laugh, and it was as short and callous as a donkey braying, holding nothing akin to humor. "He opened the wooden sword closet and said they were all like that. I believed him, too; I thought that I had wasted all my time on wooden swords. I never thought that Tarren could be that tricky." She started to giggle, growing hysterical. "He almost tricked me. Me, of all people." Her giggles quieted down to hiccups, her face quickly growing somber again.
She said quietly, "But he wasn't as experienced as I am with deception. He started out strong, but he couldn't go through with it. I started to cry—I don't even know if it was real or fake, but I was so disappointed—and he told me that he had lied. That he'd never opened the other closets."
Smiling wistfully, she reminisced, "The first three were wonderful surprises. Everything that I had hoped for. We found lightsabers owned by great Jedi, some that I recognized but most that I didn't…and the next one held Jedi outfits. I said they were all like yours, and then Tarren held up a four-sleeved one. That made me laugh." She smiled, eyes growing more distant, the gold melting to a dull bronze. "The next storage closet was stacked with cubes. They gave off such a wonderful feeling. With them surrounding us, I felt at peace. Like nothing wrong could happen…it was like floating on clouds…in water…space…" She closed her eyes.
"And the next one?" Obi-Wan said quietly, barely breaking through Carra's reverie.
Her eyes snapped open as if he had physically slapped her. "There were pyramids," she whispered, shuffling closer to Obi-Wan, seeking comfort. "Stacks and stacks of them, just like the cubes. But they were black and sinister. Even with the cubes surrounding me, I felt this wave of…of death and murder. Darkness. If I didn't have the cubes protecting me, I'm sure that I would have been possessed also. But Tarren…he had gotten up to open the closet…and when he turned to me and smiled this sick smile… I knew that Tarren wasn't really there. That thing was something else." She drew in a hissing breath.
"I ran out as fast as I could. I found Darrien and Skraith first. Darrien had known about the keys—from that one time we had talked and exchanged information—and I thought that he could help. When I mentioned the keys, Skraith ran out of the room. I'm sure Darrien would have followed, but I was just so distraught that I clung to him and he couldn't move. Now I'm glad that I held him down. If—if three of them had…died…" She tried and failed to swallow the knot in her throat that threatened to squeeze off her airway.
"What happened after that?"
"Nothing. After that I was as clueless as everyone else as to what happened to Tarren and Skraith. I stayed with Darrien, and he tried to calm me down." Carra smiled wearily, the corners of her mouth barely lifting up. "Is there anything more you need to ask of me?"
"No, you've been a great help and gave me some insight. Thank you, Carra."
"It was all an accident. A horrible nightmare of an accident," Carra whispered, "How could an innocent curiosity lead to something so evil?"
"There is no real explanation for such evils, no phrase that can wittily sum up such horrible happenings in a single clichéic sentence." Obi-Wan could not give her the comfort she wanted; only by facing herself could she could come to terms with what she had done. While accidental, she had caused this. Only now was she becoming aware of the consequences of her actions, of her insatiable habit of digging too deep into life's mysteries. Before the damage had been too little to notice: a friend angry for a week, maybe extra hours of training. Now it was too large to ignore. "You must accept responsibility, Carra."
She shook her head vehemently. "I didn't kill Tarr—him."
"No, but you played a part in what led up to Tarren's execution. The murder doesn't hang on your head, but you must accept that you were involved, and partially responsible, for his death."
She stared at him, eyes wide around red rims and black bags. "I didn't mean to," she whispered imperceptibly, "He was my friend."
"Then, as a friend, you must accept what happened and move on. Learn from this lesson, and you will not have to repeat it. Ignore it, and the pain will grow worse day by day, and you will be a fool for it."
"You're not going to send me to jail?" She asked, bewildered.
Obi-Wan sighed. "You are not the true culprit of the crime. The person who killed Tarren is dead, and cannot be punished for his actions. You do not deserve to go to jail at such a young age for what you accidentally allowed to happen. You are not the murderer, but an ignorant accomplice."
"Who killed—" She stopped herself from asking the question. Tiredly, she said, "Never mind. I don't want to know anything anymore. No more answers."
Obi-Wan nodded, sympathy in his eyes. "You may return to class, then, and begin your meditation. Please tell Darrien to come out; I would like to talk to him." He thought of everything he had just learned. Carra had mentioned that she'd talked briefly to Darrien; perhaps he would know more. And since he wasn't directly connected to the events, he might have a clearer perspective than Carra.
"You wish to speak with me?" Darrien asked quietly. Obi-Wan was a little surprised at the sudden noise, but tried not to show it. The dark-haired boy had been so silent that Obi-Wan hadn't realized that he was there until he had spoken. Darrien made all the noises of a ghost walking.
"Yes, I do." Obi-Wan stared straight into Darrien's unfaltering dark brown eyes. "I want to know what you know about Tarren and Skraith's murder."
Darrien paused for a moment, thinking. He was not one to speak without great consideration and careful selection of words. "Not much…there was that one conversation with Carra months ago, where she asked me what I knew about Tarren and you. She told me about the keys, but I didn't think she'd really find anything important with them. I just assumed it was another one of her silly games. The next time that I even thought about the keys or what she said was when she came bursting into my room. She was such a wreck that I couldn't understand anything clearly. Skraith raced off, and I was left trying to comfort her and figure out just what was going on."
Obi-Wan nodded. It was just as Carra had said—not that he hadn't expected their stories to match up, but he wanted to make sure there was no gaps between events. Because he knew Darrien wouldn't become hysterical if he asked questions that had more to do with speculation than fact, he inquired, "Was Skraith also acting odd before all this? Since you two are close, did you notice anything different?"
"Not to the extent which you are looking for…" he said slowly, eyes flickering off to the side as he dredged up dusty memories in his mind and searched for new meaning within them, "But when I think of it, he did seem more testy. And sometimes he would go away for short periods of time before returning. I didn't think anything of it then, but maybe he was following Tarren and finding out where the closets were."
"What do you think of this entire situation?" Obi-Wan asked. Maybe someone else's opinion would enlighten him.
"…Tarren didn't mean to do anything wrong, but he did. He and Carra made a horrible mistake. Maybe the Sith Holocrons had already influenced his mind a little, and made him more willing to open the storage closets. And Skraith…I think the Sith Holocrons might have been influencing him also. That was why he wanted the keys for himself and went racing after Tarren."
"I suspected something along the same line might have happened." So their thinking was close to the same…while that didn't make his speculation an absolute truth, it did make his idea of what had happened seem more plausible. He remembered something Skraith had said before he died. "There's something else I want to get your opinion on."
"I will answer it to the best of my abilities, Master Obi-Wan."
"Skraith mentioned keeping an eye on three people. We can deduce that two of them were Tarren and Carra—but who could the third person be?"
Darrien was silent. It was obvious to see that he was thinking very quickly. "I…think…" he started out slowly, obviously still trying to figure out his thoughts even as he spoke, "that he was talking about Darth Vader." The end part he said quickly, decisively. He went on to say, "It would make sense, when you think about. If Skraith was worried about people who might interfere, then Tarren, Carra, and Darth Vader would be the most obvious people to watch out for. Tarren because he had the keys, Carra because she was searching for the closets, and Darth Vader because…well, he's Darth Vader." His faint smile was mirthless. "He's an outsider and murderer; the enemy, the oppressor."
Obi-Wan nodded, unsettled, for some reason beyond his comprehension, by what Darrien had said.
"Thank you, Darrien. You may return to class." Darrien bowed, then left Obi-Wan alone to his thoughts. He didn't have much time to sort out everything he'd just heard, as his comlink buzzed urgently just minutes afterwards.
Excited, Obi-Wan went into a nearby, empty meditation room. He turned on the device and Yoda appeared. "Yoda!" he exclaimed happily. After so many months of not seeing his friend, it was good to be in contact with him again.
Yoda looked tired. He leaned heavily on his gimer stick. "Greetings, Obi-Wan," he said. "News I have to tell you; advice as well."
"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked, concerned. With the way Yoda looked, it couldn't be good. The small Jedi's outfit was bedraggled, his claws more wizened than normal, and his face sagging, carrying alert but worn-out eyes.
"Found our spy was, that we placed in with the clone troopers. Executed, she was." Yoda closed his eyes, his entire face expressing his heavy sorrow.
"Who was she?" Obi-Wan asked worriedly. Even though he almost feared having an answer, he had to know who had been sent. At the least, he could send his prayers to the brave Jedi's departed soul. "Did I know her?" It felt like death was playing too large a role in life these days.
"Know her you should, though an old acquaintance she was. Darra Thel-Tanis, her name was. Friends she used to be with Darth Vader, when they were but Padawans. That Darth Vader was going to come and inspect the troops, her last message told us five days ago. Her death I felt the next day. Killed, I fear, by Darth Vader."
He did vaguely remember a young, spry and lively girl. Soara Antana had been her Master. She and Anakin had been on many missions together when two or more Master-Padawan teams were needed. He recalled them working well together and becoming steadfast friends. And now, for this to happen…
"That's terrible," he said. What he said wasn't only about Darra's death, which was horrible in itself, but also about the fact that Anakin had cold-bloodedly killed an old friend of his. It was calculating and malicious. It was not a trait he remembered Anakin possessing when he was a child—it was not a trait he saw Anakin teaching his children as he played with them.
"All I have to tell you, that is not," Yoda went on. "Our inside spy, found he was and murdered."
Obi-Wan thought back to several days ago; of Bail Organa being pushed out of the building at gunpoint. "Are you talking about Bail Organa? I saw him being taken out of the Senate building the day Skywalker became Emperor."
"Sad it is about Organa, but our infiltrator he was not. Accused of treason Organa was when he tried to bring back democracy. Died he did for his beliefs. Searched he did for freedom, and found it he finally did, although not the sort he looked for. A good friend he was, and his loss felt deeply." Yoda shook his head sadly. "No, someone else our spy was. Know who it is you do; only think you must to find the answer."
Obi-Wan paused, thoughts going through his mind on a conveyor belt as he inspected each one for oddities. Finally, as events clicked in his head, he exclaimed in disbelief, "Threepio?"
"Yes, Threepio, our spy was. Decided he did that to best serve his master, he must make him see the errors of his ways."
"But how is that possible? How could Threepio think that when he was clearly programmed against betraying his master?"
"Betray his master he did not." Yoda rapped his gimer stick on the ground emphatically. "Tried to help, he did, and that help Darth Vader spurned. Surprised, you are, hmmm? Think droids can, and have morals. Simply hindered by programs and modulators, it is. Fearful of creating something too likely to themselves, people are, and so warp it they must."
"…I see…" he semi-lied politely, for he did not 'see' just what it was that Yoda's great mind encompassed. He tried not to get involved with mechanical devices anyways.
"Contact you before I could not," Yoda said. "Recently, increased the Imperial Navy's search for our location has become. Forced we are to relocated, time after time. No moment of rest had I, to tell you about these occurrences. Still running we are, but too important it was to contact you to wait for a respite in the Jedi hunt. Advice I must give you." Yoda's green eyes were full of concern. "Marrying Darth Vader, are you, Obi-Wan? Think what do you will come of this?"
"How did you learn of that?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised. "I thought Threepio was your spy, and he was dismantled before that happened."
"A secret it is not. All who watch the Holonet know of this, as displayed it was in a small article written about you after you invoked the curiosity of the people with your public appearance during Darth Vader's grand speech." Watching Obi-Wan's expression go through many different phases, he said softly, "Know this you did not, I see. Send you a copy I will, so you can see for yourself what it is." Yoda's hands scrabbled over the controls of his comlink, and because Obi-Wan couldn't see the communication device in the holograph a very odd appearance was given. It looked as if he were jabbing little nails into thin air.
The comlink in his hand blipped quietly, and he knew that he had received the data. "I got it, thanks." He stared at Yoda, asking, "Just what advice do you mean to give me?"
"Unwise, this is, and foolish." Yoda stared sternly at Obi-Wan with an unblinking gaze. "Only trouble and pain it will give you, I sense. Decline his offer, and to your friendship restore balance. Unhealthy, this liking Darth Vader has in you. Consume him it will, and if you allow it, you also."
"But that's a risk I have to take, at least for the moment," Obi-Wan said pointedly with practicality. "This is the quickest way to get to him. I can find out more information faster, and then once the mission's finished I can leave entirely. So while it's more dangerous, it also puts me in Skywalker's company for less time as a whole, as my mission will be completed at a much faster pace. If you think about it, the dangers are equal; only of different types." At Yoda's reproving gaze, Obi-Wan reassured him, "I won't let anything happen."
Yoda sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Your decision it is; only advise I can. But my warning remember."
"How will you know when to contact me now, since Threepio's been removed?"
"Use the Holonet to our advantage, we can. The main advisor you are of Darth Vader, it says. Correct this is?"—Obi-Wan nodded affirmatively—"Very well then, a plan I have. A code we will use. If need you do to speak to me, when answering questions of reporters for the Holonet, say 'The Empire is a force to be reckoned with.' Watch I will, and if I see you speak this, contact you I will immediately."
"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan said to Yoda.
"May the Force guide you, dear friend, and in these dark times protect you," Yoda said in farewell.
When Yoda's image had faded, Obi-Wan belatedly remembered all the questions wanted to ask Yoda. He'd been trying to answer Yoda's questions insomuch that he forgot his own. But…perhaps Yoda had done that intentionally, so that when he asked it would not be with anger but with level-headedness. The wounds of his younglings' deaths were still too raw, and digging deeper into the truth would only make them reopen and bleed again. He saw the sagaciousness of Yoda's actions, and while it irked him, he would save his interrogation for some later time. Besides, it wasn't as if he actually had a way to contact Yoda and initiate the conversation himself.
Shrugging, Obi-Wan decided that there was nothing he could do about the matter. There were other things he needed to attend to…such as the article, which was a worry of the present. He pressed a button on his comlink to display the small Holonet article that Yoda, being the sly little green—but admittedly wise—man he was, had sent him:
Emperor Vader's Right-Hand Man: Just Who Is He?
Yesterday Lord Vader was named Emperor of the Galactic Empire. He gave a magnificent speech to the Senate, which, in case you missed it, can be found in the government section of Holonet at any time. The Holonet supports Emperor Vader, and we certainly expect to see him do great things. However, there is one unknown about Emperor Vader that we all must ask: who is his right-hand man?—a small picture of him was placed by the text; it was of him standing on the right side of Anakin as the Sith gave his speech. A preoccupied look was on his bearded face—We took it upon ourselves to inform the public and scheduled a meeting with Emperor Vader at once. We were curious: did that distant look on his face symbolize great wisdom or (the unthinkable) a snubbing of Emperor Vader?
Emperor Vader agreed to a meeting, and consented that we could use everything spoken during that time in this article. He wishes for the public to be well-informed about the going-ons of the Empire. As always, Emperor Vader outstands us with his generosity. After a couple minutes of polite niceties, we asked the big question: who was this man? Emperor Vader was happy to tell us that his name is Obi-Wan Kenobi (no known middle name), and that he is Emperor Vader's official main advisor.
"As for his look…well, you know how all advisors are. Always thinking ahead, their heads in the clouds. Hence, the intelligent look adorning his face can be considered official proof of his position," Emperor Vader joked, commenting on his companion's distant gaze.
Unlike his predecessor, Emperor Vader not only keeps the Empire running smoothly but also has a sense of humor.
We dug around for a little more information, and Emperor Vader willingly answered our question: how is Obi-Wan Kenobi connected to the Empire? Emperor Vader told us that they are old friends, and just recently that friendship has turned into something more. He was kind enough to tell us this reclusive fact (that we can guarantee you will only find with us): Kenobi is engaged to Emperor Vader. We asked Emperor Vader when the wedding would take place, but all he would tell us was 'soon.' Our question about 'where' was tactfully rebuked with equal grace. While we cannot send representatives to the wedding, we wish the couple best of luck, and ask humbly for an interview afterwards!
–This Holonet article was written by Garle Upit
Obi-Wan was shocked. When did this happen? He certainly never wanted to be the focus of the media, but for Anakin to announce their engagement on it—it made him angry. Furious. He hadn't even thought that Anakin was capable of something this underhanded.
'But "Emperor Vader" is,' Obi-Wan realized. 'This is something that Darth Vader would do without thinking.' So this was what Yoda was warning him about. He had to remember that he contended with not only the Anakin he was familiar with, but also the 'Darth Vader' side of him.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, holding it a few seconds before letting it escape his lips in a frustrated sigh. He'd discuss this lack of privacy later when he returned home. Despite how nice it sounded to storm up to the Senate building and yell at Anakin, he knew he had to think this through calmly. He had to finish his lessons with the younglings, and then he had to find a time during which he could talk to Anakin privately. He didn't want Leia and Luke to hear them arguing, or for another mutant Hononet article to find its way into the world.
"What were you thinking?" Obi-Wan asked coldly, throwing a printed copy of the article on Anakin's bed. He had felt a desperate urge for physical proof and had impulsively printed out the article. He had wanted to crumple it, rip it up into little pieces, burn the thin sheets of paper until they curled up into nothing—the untouched article laid white and pristine on Anakin's bed, not a crease marring its edges.
Anakin, who had been lying down on his bed, sat up quickly, startled. "I didn't realize you were finished brushing your teeth, Obi," Anakin said.
"Don't change the subject," Obi-Wan demanded. He'd had to wait until nighttime (when the twins were asleep) to find the right moment to talk to Anakin. During all the waiting his anger had grown colder and colder until it had nearly frozen his insides. Only the numbness inside him, and the bitter taste in his mouth, now assured him that he felt anything at all.
Anakin picked up the article and scanned it. He then said in an amused tone, "I don't see the problem here."
The offhanded way in which Anakin dismissed his concerns as frivolous melted some of the ice surrounding Obi-Wan. He felt his anger warming again, stirring from its motionless sleep. His voice rising slightly, he said, "That's the problem."
"That nothing's wrong?" Anakin asked with a quirk of his eyebrow. The motion caused his vertical forehead scar to crunch up.
"No, it's that there is something wrong and you don't see it!" Obi-Wan said stiffly. His body felt so taut that he half-believed, if he moved, he'd snap.
"Then inform me of it," Anakin said with the corner glance of his eyes that he was so fond of using to observe people.
"Don't give me that look!" Obi-Wan snapped, taking an angry step towards Anakin, who still had the audacity to be sitting, relaxed, on the bed.
"What look?" Anakin asked lazily as he continued to look at Obi-Wan from the side of his eyes, head tilted slightly upward and to the left as he gazed unblinkingly at Obi-Wan. He kept his face contemplative and serene. His eyes were the only sharp part of his expression, the only warning given to caution him that he faced not a mild-mannered creature but a violent predator.
"That one!" Obi-Wan growled in frustration.
"You're going to have to articulate better for me to understand your implied meaning."
"You're going to have to stop side-stepping my questions!"
"You should take some deep breaths and calm yourself down. You clearly aren't thinking straight right now."
Taking a deep breath as Anakin recommended, Obi-Wan used it to yell at him, "Why did you tell the Holonet about us! What gave you the idea that I wanted the galaxy to know about my personal affairs?"
"Half of those 'personal affairs' are mine also. I have the right to give the public any information I want pertaining to me. I wanted the galaxy to know that we were engaged, so I told them. It's not a crime."
"But it's disrespectful! Don't treat me like a consort—think of what they'll be writing next about me!"
"You don't need to worry about that; I control what airs on the Holonet. Any information—slander or truth—that I don't want the public to know I can simply take off. Not just the Holonet, but all news-oriented broadcasts and internet sites are under my jurisdiction. See? Everything's fine."
"No, it's not," Obi-Wan said heatedly. Anakin knew that he had complete control over the broadcasts. But if he thought he had Obi-Wan under his fingers, then he was dead wrong. "There are many things wrong, on many levels."
"Well then, if you won't be satisfied with my answer, how else can I appease you? Shall we start with the root of the problem? What has been bothering you, Obi-Wan? I've observed that something's been wrong all along, but I've never mentioned it before."
Obi-Wan lost control.
"Don't think you know me! I'm sick of this—of being your replacement for Padmé! You've decided that it'd work nicely to pick the second-closest person to you and use them to fill the gap! Well, I don't like being used! If you can't accept her death, don't destroy my life trying to bring hers back! You've lost, Anakin. She's gone, and you couldn't bring her back! You've lost, and you're lost, and everything's a lost cause with you!"
There was a strange gleam in Anakin's eyes as he slowly tilted his head to stare at Obi-Wan directly. His eyes were so cold that no cracks could be seen in their frigid field of blue ice. "You're simply overreacting to a silly article and blowing things out of proportion with your false accusations. Honestly, Obi-Wan, you shouldn't just say things in spite." Something shadowy started to stir up from Anakin, a force of dark energy that crackled like static sparks. "You don't really mean any of it. It's not your fault that you don't know what you're talking about," Anakin said calmly.
Obi-Wan was about to yell something more when he suddenly lost his train of thought. His mind was in such a chaotic state that his anger swallowed all processes of thinking, leaving nothing but flames and no source. Feeling the inexplicable need to lash out, he opened his mouth—
"Shut up," Anakin commanded.
His mouth snapped shut as he glared angrily at Anakin.
Anakin's mouth crashed down on his, his hands tugging him persistently towards the bed. Obi-Wan fell down onto the soft mattress, Anakin blanketing over him. He felt cheated and embittered.
He was left with a rage that had no reason, and no means to communicate it.