Obi-Wan thought deeply. How can I find Anakin?
He reached out through the force. No, there must be another way. He had met Padme but she refused to tell him where he was. I cannot blame her… Obi-Wan thought. He is the father of her child. How could he have gone so far ahead? The boy I trained, my dearest friend.
He always had anger and fear.
I cannot deny the evil Anakin has done. He has gone far further than anyone: Dooku, Ventress have ever gone. I don't think there is any reasoning with him. Yoda is right. The sight of dead younglings on the floor of the temple. Slain by the blue lightsaber of Anakin.
I was recalled to the Tantive IV once again by Senator Organa. Yoda had rendezvoused there.
Where have Anakin, Padme and Ahsoka gone to? Why was Ahsoka so confident? Perhaps Anakin would not harm her because she is not a Jedi, but why did she appear so collected and unworried? I cannot go by how she feels. A person who has slaughtered the order at the temple is a threat to anyone. He must be eliminated.
I must contact the star-fighter again.
Yoda had just left to deal with the Emperor. Obi-Wan grew worried. Yoda may not be able to defeat Sidious. But there is no other choice. This is the chance we have to take. To protect the thousands of Jedi out there in the galaxy and rid the galaxy from the tyranny of the Emperor.
Obi-Wan contacted Padme's shuttle again. But there was no answer. The ship had kept itself off from tracing.
I must speak with Senator Organa again. Check what else he knows about Padme.
Obi-Wan walked up the corridor to the Senator's room.
"Master Kenobi."
"Senator, I am afraid I have to press on. I must find Anakin and Padme. They had shielded themselves from tracing. But I have to find them." Obi-Wan pushed forward.
"I have told you, Obi-Wan, that I do not think it wise to immediately go after and kill. You may not know how you escalate things." Organa replied.
"Anakin is a great threat, Bail. He may be killing Jedi right now." Obi-Wan said forcefully.
"Our best bet is to work through the Senate. We must find a way."
"You know, there is no chance of that, Senator." Obi-Wan easily rebuffed. "Palpatine has firmly established himself. It is too late. The galaxy now believes the Jedi are traitors and Palpatine has seized that opportunity."
"You are right," said Organa. "We cannot do anything openly. But we can lobby certain neutral Senators. It will take time.
"Obi-Wan, going straight on to kill Skywalker may not be the right choice. I have already told you. It will break Padme's heart.
"I know Skywalker. There must be something that turned him. You have to reason with him. Calm him down. Placate him, if you must."
"I am not a politician, Senator," Obi-Wan said. "I cannot afford to negotiate with a murderer. That is what Anakin is right now. There is no knowing what he is capable of.
"Bail, we have to reach Padme."
"Very well, Obi-Wan," Organa agreed. "I will contact Padme. By myself. Without you. But this will be my meeting with her. It will be my call. I will try and see how she is feeling, what she believes. I will tell you only what I feel is necessary."
"I can only ask for that, Senator."
"Why do you not assist us in setting up a resistance? Let go off your Jedi robes. You are known as 'The Negotiator' after all," Organa smiled slightly. "Help us here."
"Senator, you do not think Yoda will defeat the Emperor?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I do not know. I am not a Jedi. I hope so. That will be what will solve much.
"Mind you, if he does kill the Emperor, there will still be a mess in the Senate. We will have to work very hard to clear it up."
"At least there won't be the Sith causing genocide and massacre." Obi-Wan said roughly. His whole world had just gone upside down. From working with clones to defeat Grievous, they suddenly turned on him, to then finding the Jedi at the temple massacred, helped by his closest friend and then to be in a galaxy that was beyond despairing.
"That is true.
"I will see what I can do to contact Padme, Obi-Wan. Her Starfighter is not picking up right now."
"They could have landed on a planet," Obi-Wan pointed out. "How will you contact them there?"
"I will try reaching out through the ship still. I know certain secret codes. And I have her transmitter. We communicated with each other when we did our own convert missions.
"But I will also give her space.
"Think, Obi-Wan, that if Anakin is with her, he may not be on a killing splurge. She and Ahsoka have convinced him to be on a ship with them. I can hardly see those two cheering as he kills Jedi wherever he is going. Just as Padme is compromised – and she rarely ever gets comprised, the strong queen and senator – with Anakin; so, too, is Anakin with Padme."
Obi-Wan dismissed this entirely. These were all conjectures detached from reality. Jedi who turn to the dark are consumed by darkness and therefore, bloodlust. They cannot be easily turned by one's wife's love. I wish it were otherwise... but Yoda has said... it's impossible. If Dooku couldn't be turned, why would Anakin?
"Senator, there is nothing else to do but find Anakin and defeat him. I love him too. But duty has always come first for me, as always it should for the Jedi Order."
"I understand. I will contact Padme, as her friend, and do my work in the Senate."
Obi-Wan could only wait.
He tried to reach Anakin through the force but he found he was completely cut off. Instead of emanating a radiant and energetic force signature, he expected darkness and cold. But instead he found nothing. Anakin seemed to not exist.
I do not know what is happening. Anything could be. Nothing can be unexpected. If I cannot reach Anakin, through here, I will try and do so through Organa. I must find any way.
Now, I can only hope Yoda defeats the Emperor. There is nothing else for me to do. I am numb; is this how all surviving Jedi must be feeling?