Chapter 17 A Plot Emerges
"Have I missed something?" Obi-Wan whispered back.
"Nothing you need to be concerned with right now." Anakin answered.
"What happened, Anakin?" Obi-Wan whispered.
"You were right; I should have never trusted JK; he betrayed us." Anakin admitted. "Just like you said he would; he led us straight to more renegade clones. I almost got us all killed."
"Well, he did unlock that door. Your mistake was letting him take the lead; you should have trusted your instincts to find your own way." Obi-Wan replied.
"I know that now; the Force showed me the way out, but I should never have trusted JK any further than that." Anakin answered.
"We learn by our mistakes, Anakin." Obi-Wan said.
"If it hadn't been for Master Windu, that lesson wouldn't have done any of us any good." Anakin replied.
"Master Windu?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes, he, Master Yoda and the Chancellor showed up with squad of Clones and some of the Jedi just in time." Anakin explained.
"How did he know?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I don't know, and I really didn't have time to ask; I had something else on my mind at the time." Anakin said.
It was only then that Obi-Wan noticed the smaller hand clutching his and glanced at his young Padawan standing at his side, "Zak? What is it?" He asked.
Zak looked down at his feet, uncertain of what to say.
"Tell me, Zak." Obi-Wan instructed.
"I…I can't." Zak said.
"Not now, Obi-Wan; when you're stronger, maybe tomorrow." Anakin said.
"I…I murdered Lord Grel." Zak blurted out.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No, he didn't, Obi-Wan; we can talk about this tomorrow." Anakin told him.
"I think we should talk about it now." Obi-Wan replied.
"You should rest first; this can wait." Anakin argued.
"Zak, tell me what happened." Obi-Wan said without listening to Anakin.
"Obi-Wan…" Anakin started.
"Tell me, Zak." Obi-Wan repeated.
Zak looked up at Anakin, "Don't look at him, look at me and tell me what happened." Obi-Wan told him.
"I…I…" Zak began, "No, we should wait until tomorrow."
"If you expect me to rest, then you had better tell me now." Obi-Wan said.
Again, Zak turned to Anakin, "Stop that, Zak. Come on, out with it." Obi-Wan ordered as he started to reach out to turn Zak's face towards him; however, the tubes in his arm restricted his ability to do this.
Zak sighed, knowing that there was no way out now. I wish I had never brought it up, he thought.
"I killed Lord Grel. He's dead, and I killed him." Zak said.
"I know that much; tell me what happened." Obi-Wan replied.
So Zak told him the whole story from the beginning. Obi-Wan listened silently, never interrupting until Zak was finished.
"You didn't murder anyone, Zak. You did what you had to do; and I know what you are going to say. I don't care what Lord Grel called you, you are not a murderer." Obi-Wan told him patiently.
"Then why do I still feel like I am?" Zak asked.
"Did you want to kill Lord Grel?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No." Zak admitted.
"Did you mean to do it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No." Zak repeated.
"Are you glad that he's dead?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No." Zak answered for the third time.
"Then why in blazes do you feel like a murderer?" Obi-Wan asked, exasperated.
"Because he…" Zak began.
"Zak, he said that because you stopped him from freeing Lord Amedda; you fought with him, and you won. He was not unarmed, and he did not surrender to you." Obi-Wan explained wearily.
"Zak, I think that's enough for now." Anakin said, sensing that Obi-Wan was tiring.
"You think about it tonight, Zak; and we will talk again tomorrow." Obi-Wan told him.
"Come on, Zak; we should let Master Obi-Wan rest." Anakin said.
Zak realized that Anakin was right and followed him to the door.
"I'll be right back, Obi-Wan." Anakin said just before he left the room.
"That won't be…." Obi-Wan started, "…necessary." He finished even though Anakin was already gone; he sighed, stubborn, he thought, always so stubborn.
"Master Gallia, Obi-Wan is conscious now, so there is no need for you to stay; could you take Zak back to the Temple when you go?" Anakin requested.
"Yes, yes, of course. But I don't understand; how could he be conscious already?" Adi asked.
"I guess he was stronger than we thought." Anakin answered.
"Are you sure, Anakin?" Adi questioned.
"That's the only logical explanation." He replied.
"I have spoken with Declan…"
"Oh not that again. That's just nonsense." Anakin said.
"Is it? Did you touch him?" Adi asked.
"Well, yes, but…"
"This is the second time this has happened, Anakin. I don't believe it's a coincidence." Adi insisted.
"And both times it was with Obi-Wan; so it could be that he is just has a stronger connection to the Force than we thought." Anakin argued.
"But then why did he become ill to begin with? If he was that strong, he would have never gotten sick." She countered.
"I really don't want to talk about this now; please take Zak back the Temple; when this whole mess is finished, I promise that I will sit down with Declan and with the Council and talk about." Anakin said.
"Alright; but I really think you should not dismiss this so lightly, Anakin." Adi told him. "Come, Zak."
"But can't I stay? I won't get in the way." Zak protested.
"I will stay with Master Obi-Wan tonight; you have had a long day, a very hard day. Go back to the Temple, eat and get some sleep." Anakin replied.
"Yes, Master Skywalker." Zak answered obediently.
"And, Zak; no more thoughts about what Lord Grel said; alright?" Anakin added.
"I'll try." Zak said.
"Zak, do…"
"I know, or do not there is no try." Zak finished.
"Contact the Temple if there is any change." Adi instructed.
"The only change will be for the better." Anakin said confidently.
"You are very gifted, Anakin; why do you fight it?" Adi said.
"Just go, I'm not in the mood for this right now." Anakin replied.
Adi nodded and left with Zak to return to the Temple; Anakin returned to Obi-Wan. When he walked back into the room, the med droid was with Obi-Wan once again. It turned when its senses picked up another presence in the room., This is not logical." It said. "Master Kenobi should not be conscious."
"He's a Jedi; they aren't like normal people….umm…what is your designation?"
"EMD421." The droid said. "However, we have noted that, and it still is not logical."
"Well, EMD421, it must be. Would you be happier if he were still unconscious?" Anakin asked sarcastically.
"I do not understand 'happy', emotions are not programmed into my data base." It answered.
"Alright, would you prefer it if he were still unconscious?" Anakin asked.
"No, however, it is still not…"
"…logical; yes you have made that perfectly clear." Anakin finished, "But the fact is, he is conscious; so what are you going to do now?"
"Umm…hmm…I should alter his treatment." The droid finally concluded.
"Very good; now why don't you go do that and let me be alone with him for awhile." Anakin told it.
"I should do this now." The droid answered.
"Fine, you do that; and then go find something else to do." Anakin said, evenly.
"There is no need to be rude, Master Skywalker. My function is to see to the proper treatment of my patients." EMD421 replied in a tone that so reminded him of C3PO that he had to smile.
"Then, by all means, perform your function." He said.
"Thank you." It said.
EMD421 made several changes to the equipment and then turned back to Anakin, "I will come back to check him in one hour. Do not touch any of this equipment." It instructed.
"Why would I do that?" Anakin asked.
"You are not a logical being; I cannot predict what you might do." It explained.
Anakin rolled his eyes, "Fine, I promise not to touch anything." He said.
"I will check him in one hour." EMD421 replied.
"And I thought Threepio was bad." Anakin said when the droid had gone.
"Yes, it was rather fussy, wasn't it." Obi-Wan replied with a weak laugh. "Listen, Anakin, you should go back to your family."
"Obi-Wan," He sighed, "we've talked about this before, you are family; you're my brother."
"No, I'm not; I may be your friend…"
"That hurt; how many times have you called me your brother? Were you lying?" Anakin asked.
"No, but Padme and…"
"Then why did you say that?" Anakin asked.
"Because you should be with Padme and your children. Not nursemaiding some broken down Jedi." Obi-Wan answered.
"Maybe that broken down Jedi needs me to nursemaid him." Anakin answered. "I'm staying."
"Anakin, what do make of all this Order 66 business resurfacing?" Obi-Wan asked, as he finally accepted the fact that Anakin would not leave.
"I have been thinking about that; it doesn't make any sense. They kept talking about Order 66 but I thought that meant all Jedi." Anakin replied.
"Well, yes, it does; so what doesn't make sense?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"When JK led us to those other Clones, the leader said that they would let Zak go; and then there was this whole thing about a trial." Anakin said, "I wasn't aware of Order 66 mentioning anything about that."
"What trial; Anakin…."
"Oh, that's right you missed that; the Clone leader said that you had been convicted on Champala and that they were to carry out your death sentence; I was to be 'arrested' and convicted for the murder of Chancellor Palpatine and they were going to let Zak go after my sentence was carried out." Anakin explained.
"You're right, it just doesn't add up. What crime was I accused of?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.
"Well, that's just it; your crime was being a Jedi. What's going on here?" Anakin wondered.
"I don't know. It makes no sense; if they were executing Order 66, Zak should have been targeted too." Obi-Wan answered.
"I know; and they were willing to let him go until JK told them he had killed Lord Grel…" Anakin started to reply, "Oh, I just realized something."
"What, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.
"When I asked them under whose authority they were acting under, one of them said the late Chancellor Amedda." Anakin told him.
"I'm sorry, Anakin, I'm not thinking clearly; what does that have to with this?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"Don't you see; how could they know that Amedda was dead?" Anakin explained, "They weren't in that courtroom, they didn't see his body and none of us had mentioned anything about either him or Lord Grel until after he said that."
"Oh, then who told them? You're right, Anakin, something is very wrong here." Obi-Wan agreed.
