Obi-Wan Kenobi leaned against the wall of the med bay, watching as his former Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, slumbered on. After Anakin's accusation of the Chancellor being the Sith Lord the younger man's condition had failed to improve, his breathing remaining erratic, and his heart pounding in his chest. The younger Jedi had kept apologising continuously, and crying. On Kix's advice Obi-Wan had agreed to Anakin being sedated so he could be checked over.
They'd found nothing wrong with Anakin, physically. There was no physical reason for this sudden…attack. Obi-Wan, however, had not expected for the medics to find anything wrong. He and Ahsoka had both felt the disruption in the force. Obi-Wan was sure that almost every force sensitive being in the galaxy would have felt it. He'd already been contacted by the council regarding it's cause. He'd been able to confirm that it had centred on Anakin, and had left Anakin…very shaken, but he'd not mentioned Anakin's wild accusation. He didn't know if it was just Anakin rambling, or if there was something Anakin knew that Obi-Wan didn't. Maybe he'd had some sort of vision…Anakin was known to have had prophetic dreams before after all.
As it was both the Resolute and the Negotiator were in hyperspace, returning to the capital, so that Anakin could be treated by the healers at the Jedi Temple, and so Anakin could talk more with the Council about what had happened. Obi-Wan wasn't sure how much Anakin was going to be able to tell them.
At least Anakin's vital signs had returned to their normal levels once he'd been sedated, although Obi-Wan was keeping a eye on them still. He knew after all that Anakin was prone to nightmares, as well as his visions, and Obi-Wan was fairly sure that Anakin was going to have a bad night.
For the moment Anakin was resting peacefully, and Obi-Wan allowed himself some time to consider Anakin's allegation. Anakin was the last person Obi-Wan would pick to make an accusation, especially one about being a Sith Lord, against the Chancellor. Anakin looked up to the man greatly, defending the Chancellor's decisions and actions on multiple occasions and at great length. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin often went to the Chancellor for advice, or to vent, if Anakin felt he couldn't do so to someone within the order. It had been like that from Anakin's early years at the temple. In some ways, the Chancellor had a sort of father role in Anakin's life…in the ways that Obi-Wan couldn't. What would bring Anakin to suddenly turn on his friend and label him a Sith Lord?
Obi-Wan felt a shudder go down his spine as he imagined the implications if Anakin was right and the Chancellor was a Sith Lord, or even in league with the Sith. The Sith's control of the Senate…and consequentially the Jedi order, for one.
The Jedi council knew that the Dark Side was clouding things…that Coruscant seemed to be a beacon for it. It was something Obi-Wan himself had noticed, how the dark side seemed to hang in the air oppressively over Coruscant, but on other planets it wasn't detectable at all. The chancellor being a Sith Lord would be an obvious reason for the dark side to be so noticeable.
The more he thought about it, the more Obi-Wan realised how the pieces of the puzzle fitted together. It wasn't proper evidence, no court in the galaxy would ever convict on such speculation. They would need proof…damning proof, and even then Obi-Wan wasn't convinced. It was the Chancellor, the most powerful man in the galaxy. Was there any judge or jury that would be able to convict the chancellor of his crimes? Obi-Wan doubted it. His elevation to the Jedi Council had only highlighted to him the amount of corruption that plagued Coruscant, the Senate, and the Galaxy in general.
It was a very worrying situation, and Obi-Wan briefly wondered how long the Jedi council would debate and discuss it. A sneaking suspicion told Obi-Wan that he was going to become very familiar with the Jedi Council chamber over the coming days and weeks.
As bad as the situation was if Anakin was right, Obi-Wan's most pressing concern wasn't the Chancellor, or the Clone War, still raging. It was Anakin.
What on earth had happened to his Padawan, and what could Obi-Wan do to help him?
Obi-Wan silently walked into the med bay Anakin was laying in, taking in Anakin's prone figure. Anakin's skin was pale, save for the dark, bruise like shadows beneath Anakin's eyes, evidence that, even prior to this, Anakin hadn't been sleeping well. Unable to help himself, Obi-Wan brushed back a few stands of Anakin's hair that had fallen onto his face, before he sat on the edge of Anakin's bed, watching over Anakin protectively.
Anakin had always been strangely resistant to most medications. The drug they'd used to sedate Anakin probably would be close to wearing off by now, unless whatever had happened to Anakin had slowed the process down. A glance at the chrono on the wall told Obi-Wan that it had been six hours since he'd been awoken by the disturbance in the force that had either caused, or been caused by, whatever had happened to Anakin.
Obi-Wan lost track of how long he spent sitting beside Anakin before he felt the first signs of his former Padawan stirring back to consciousness through the force. Obi-Wan sent soothing waves through their bond, although Anakin's shields were still firmly up.
Obi-Wan waited as Anakin slowly began to wake up, although he frowned when Anakin's breathing hitched and the younger man began to cough and wheeze, his eyes flashing open as he faught to breathe. Obi-Wan grabbed hold of Anakin's shoulders
"Anakin…Anakin…can you hear me? It's obi-Wan, you need to calm down."
"Here" a medical droid was by their sides and an oxygen mask was pulled onto Anakin's face
"Breathe, Anakin, breathe," Obi-Wan coaxed, watching as Anakin breathed once, and then twice.
"Master?" Anakin croaked out, as his eyes fluttered open, still slightly glazed from the sedative, but alert enough.
"I'm here, I'm right here," Obi-Wan soothed.
Anakin's fingers clutched hold of Obi-Wan's robe tightly, but Obi-Wan said nothing about the show of affection, something that Anakin had done quite a lot in his first few years at the temple, the habit persisting up until Anakin was around thirteen or fourteen. Instead, Obi-Wan ran his finger's gently though Anakin's hair, the action soothing both of them.
"Obi-Wan…I"
"If you're about to apologise…again…I'm going to need to stop you there, because I have no idea what you're apologising for."
"I…Master, I…hang on…where are we?'
"In the Med bay of the Resolute…you should know, you spend enough time in here."
Anakin's eyes were darting around in shock, and Obi-Wan's brow furrowed in genuine concern. Had Anakin hit his head at some point, was this the result of some sort of concussion gained during their last mission? No…they'd tested for that, after they'd sedated him. Anakin had been perfectly healthy physically.
A monitor beeping caught Obi-Wan's attention, "Anakin…you need to remember to breathe."
Anakin let out the breath he obviously hadn't realised he was holding, and then breathed normally for a minute. Slowly…hesitantly…Anakin detangled the fingers of his prosthetic hand from Oni-Wan's robe and lifted his hand, glancing at it curiously, before he carefully, almost gingerly, took the oxygen mask off.
"Anakin…" Obi-Wan began, not sure where he was going with the comment. Anakin still held the mask close to his face, not casting it aside like he might have done in the past (and had done so on numerous occasions).
Not saying anything, Anakin just breathed in and out deeply. His shields against Obi-Wan lowered fractionally, and Obi-Wan could sense the wonder of the younger man…bordering on glee.
"Anakin…you're not hurt…breathing is normal…you have been doing it for twenty years without help," Obi-Wan gently teased. Anakin smiled, although it was weak, and didn't reach Anakin's eyes.
"You have no idea, Obi-Wan."
"Anakin…when you…when you were last awake…you said something."
Anakin nodded, relaxing a grip on the mask, leaving it resting on the pillow beside his head.
"The chancellor is a Sith Lord."
"Yes…that was what you said. I…I thought you were friends."
Anakin's breathing hitched, but only the once, "I thought so too."
"How do you know, the Council have been trying to figure out who the Sith lord is for years."
"I…" Anakin broke off, and Obi-Wan was surprised by Anakin's fear…his sudden nervousness. Nervous was not a word frequently used to describe Anakin Skywalker.
"It will sound mad," Anakin finally settled on, "and you will never forgive me…no-one will."
"Try me, I dare you," Obi-Wan crossed his arms confidently. Anakin loved being dared.
Anakin gave another brief smile, although it remained a half-hearted effort. He looked up at Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan felt his own breathing hitch and the tortured look in Anakin's eyes. Eyes that had seen far too much. Anakin was only twenty years old…and yet the look in his gaze, the pain and torment and guilt
Oh the guilt…Anakin was drowning in the guilt.
"Obi-Wan…I know…because I was a Sith Lord too."