"So?" Anakin asks when Obi-Wan returns. He's sprawled on his couch, flicking through channels on the holonet, but as soon as Obi-Wan enters, he clicks the device off and tosses the remote aside. Sprawling back casually, his gaze eases over toward Obi-Wan.
"So, I think you should get to know her yourself," Obi-Wan answers, settling on the chair next to the couch and helping himself to the dinner that's been left for Anakin. Someone must have brought it while he was escorting the young Senator back to her room. Typical. Force forbid Anakin would ever go fetch his own dinner.
Though Anakin glances at the food as Obi-Wan reaches for it, he says nothing about it. "I will. But I want your opinion."
"You know I approve of her. I suggested her."
Sighing, Anakin kicks his feet up a little higher on the couch and sinks back further into the cushions. "Oh? And here I was under the impression that the Emperor selected her."
"Yes, just as I'm sure Palpatine was under the impression that those files were not edited."
"You did that. I just hacked the system so you could do it."
Yes, and a clever thing it had been. It's not that Obi-Wan particularly likes deception and misdirection—quite the opposite, actually—but finding out that Palpatine wanted Anakin to marry and produce an heir… "It was a situation that could have gone so disastrously wrong. I knew it. You knew it. It was enough that we both knew it."
Anakin shrugs, but the way his fingers fidget over the cushions of the couch hint at agreement. "I just didn't want to be stuck with a simpering idiot for a wife."
Quite true, yes, but that's not all of it. After some persuasion, Obi-Wan is fairly confident that he managed to make Anakin realize that, if someone was properly selected, not only could he avoid associating with someone very dim, but he might even gain a person who could actually aid him. A wife with intelligence could be an asset. Still, he can't quite blame Anakin for his lingering hesitance. Marriage is… binding? Unknown? Difficult? Complicated. Definitely complicated.
Obi-Wan takes another bite of food just to hide his frown. No, he can't blame Anakin for that hesitancy. There is still so much that could go wrong.
"She's not a simpering idiot. She's quite smart, actually."
"Of course she is. She wouldn't serve your purposes if she weren't," Anakin drawls, glancing over at Obi-Wan out of the corner of his eye. The glance may seem casual, just like the way Anakin is sprawled back against the couch, but, oh, it isn't, and that look is underwritten with danger just as surely as that sprawl could turn into a chokehold.
Still, Obi-Wan ignores his comment. Best not to touch that until he has to—and he will have to, because the truth is, he did have other motives. Anakin had known that, of course. He always knows when Obi-Wan has other motives, and even if he doesn't quite know what they are (though, occasionally, he does), Obi-Wan is aware that he trusts they won't explicitly cause him harm. And when Obi-Wan's motives can be used to aid his own—well, more the better, and he's certainly more than willing to let Obi-Wan get what he wants so long as he does too.
Like now.
"I didn't rewrite her file," Obi-Wan says stiffly, pausing before taking another bite. "I just changed a few of the other files to make their subjects less desirable. Naboo already made Miss Naberrie valuable to Palpatine."
Reaching out, Anakin snags a piece of food, hardly even noticing when the sauce smears on his fingers. "Share that," he says, fending off Obi-Wan's attempt at a particularly good looking piece of meat. "Yeah, his home planet. I know. She could make it look like he still gave a—"
"Anakin."
"Like he still cared. Force, Obi-Wan, I'm not nine anymore. Stop trying to correct my language."
Obi-Wan grabs the piece of meat Anakin had wanted. Ignoring the other man's glare, he pops it into his mouth, taking his time chewing, before he acknowledges Anakin's point. A stall? No, not particularly. Not at all, actually. Just a way to make Anakin wait, because it saws at his nerves, and over the years Obi-Wan has learned how to push buttons. "It's not diplomatic."
"I'm not a diplomat. If I don't like something, I can send an army to go settle it."
"In no way does that mean you should."
"Like I shouldn't force a girl to marry me?"
"Precisely."
There's some satisfaction to be had in the fact that, clearly, Anakin didn't expect him to agree. Goodness, had he really thought Obi-Wan was in favor of forcing some poor girl into this? He was the furthest thing away from being in favor of it. But, regrettably, it had been sure to inevitably happen, and so he'd done the best he could: he'd picked someone strong, and someone, who, Force willing—and Obi-Wan certainly hopes it is—might be able to bring out some good in Anakin. It hadn't been an easy thing, this business of finding a woman who possessed those qualities yet whom Palpatine would still find acceptable.
Padme Naberrie.
She is… well, he hopes he's picked well.
"I wasn't in favor of this, Anakin," he comments dryly. "Just realistic about it. Palpatine was going to do it—I thought it best to have some say in the matter."
That at least earns him a mischievous smile. "Some say? Obi-Wan, we hacked into Palpatine's system. Is that what you call 'having your say' now?"
If that's the only way he can get it, perhaps. "I got my choice, didn't I?" he answers, shrugging and dabbing at his mouth with a napkin.
"Yeah," Anakin admits. The way he shakes his head disbelievingly, like after all these years he still can't believe Obi-Wan's propensity for doing things like this—it's almost amusing. "You're not going to make me regret letting you, are you?"
Which, of course, is Anakin's way of asking if Obi-Wan made his choice based on what would be best for the rebellion. The rebellion that's trying to overthrow Emperor Palpatine. Anakin's father. The rebellion that is trying to overthrow a regime that will someday be Anakin's.
Honestly, some days Obi-Wan is more than a little insulted by the fact that Anakin doesn't seem to think the rebellion enough of a threat to really bother to find out exactly what Obi-Wan is doing. Yes, Anakin wants his father dead as much as the next person, but he's got to know that he's taking a very large risk in assuming that if Palpatine falls, his son will be able to hold onto power. It's simply another situation where Anakin is letting Obi-Wan chase after his own goals since, for the time being, they correspond with what Anakin wants. But Obi-Wan does have to wonder, what happens when they stop corresponding? It's an unspoken rule that Obi-Wan won't try to harm Anakin, even if he'll muck up every single one of Palpatine's doings. It's like a game for Anakin, trying to figure out what Obi-Wan is going to destroy next, just so long as it's never his plansthat Obi-Wan is trying to destroy.
But if that day comes, what then?
And Anakin has to know that eventually their goals won't line up.
Obi-Wan wants democracy. And Anakin wants to rule.
"Obi-Wan?" Anakin prompts, not having gotten an answer to his question.
Right, yes. Will he make Anakin regret letting him choose Padme? "Do you regret associating with me?"
Anakin laughs. "Some days?" Obi-Wan doesn't smile, though, and Anakin's humor quickly fades. "Fine. No, I don't."
"Then you'll probably find her tolerable."
"Well, it's not like I didn't figure that you'd chose someone who agreed with you. I let you do it anyway. Figured that, if you liked her, she probably wouldn't be an idiot who followed my father's every whim."
Ah, yes, there is that willingness to let Obi-Wan do what he wants when it fits Anakin's agenda. Splendid… and slightly worrying, because Obi-Wan really doesn't want to be so closely aligned with Anakin's agenda.
"C'mon, Obi-Wan, tell me about her."
He's like a child, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands propped under his chin, half smearing the smile he's wearing. There's such an energy about him, crawling just under his skin, and Obi-Wan is reminded of that little nine year old boy he was charged with caring for. The one who would crawl into his lap for a story. And he's asking for a story again now. Only, this one is real.
"I know about as much as you do, Anakin. I was only in her company about ten minutes more than you were."
"Don't lie, Obi-Wan: ten minutes might give another person nothing, but you can probably give me a full character analysis."
Yes, regrettably that is a talent of his, learned by necessity. After the fall of the Jedi, it became of utmost importance to be able to read a person's intentions. Will that man hit you? Is he kind? What sort of thing should you say to convince him you're not doing anything forbidden when, in fact, you are? And when/if you're caught, what will best assuage his anger?
Oh, yes, he's very good at reading people.
Now the question becomes, does he want to keep holding out until Anakin makes his request an order? The conversation will certainly become much less pleasant if he does, and while he could probably get away without answering, it means he'll get away with less in the coming days. The system he and Anakin have—it's always like that. If you take, you better be ready to give: Anakin will give orders and revoke privileges if Obi-Wan irritates him, but Obi-Wan can make himself very unpleasant company while still being quite technically polite… and Obi-Wan is about the only company Anakin trusts and spends time with, which puts the voluntary attention and affection that Obi-Wan gives him at a premium. They balance each other that way… but if the situation were to collapse, there is no doubt who could play the final trump card.
Obi-Wan would not be the victor.
"She's clever," he says slowly, because he doesn't much favor a few days of not visiting Satine for something as trivial as this. "Opinionated. Doesn't like you."
Anakin rolls his eyes and tosses Obi-Wan one of the muja fruits resting in a bowl by his plate. "Only you would choose me a wife who doesn't like me."
"If I picked one who liked you, she'd like Palpatine too."
The implications of that don't seem entirely pleasing to Anakin: his jaw clenches, and he bites into his own fruit a little more vigorously than necessary. "You like me," he points out once he's swallowed.
"I gave you baths. I tolerated your temper tantrums. I helped you with training and schoolwork. You climbed into my bed when you had nightmares. And there was that one horrid time when you fell down that hill into the stream and I had to drag you out, and I caught that terrible head cold... At this point, I have invested far too much in you to dislike you."
And you saved me, he doesn't say.
Anakin won't make him say that, either. He never does. Not ever.
But they both know.
The tension at the corners of Anakin's eyes eases, and he laughs a little, chewing thoughtfully while he absently jostles the fruit held in his fingers. "So, opinionated and doesn't like me? You did this on purpose."
"I've already told you that. You need a hobby. It might as well be a worthy one."
"A hobby? As if preparing to eventually rule the Empire isn't enough?" He stops then, grasping the fruit tightly in his fist. Silence. Cold silence. Obi-Wan feels himself stiffen in time with Anakin. "Oh, I see," Anakin says finally, eyes opening a little wider before narrowing in anger. "You're trying to make me get a different hobby."
"Ideally." Obi-Wan takes a bite of his own fruit, eyeing Anakin over the top of it. He doesn't like the steadily cooling manner that he sees: Anakin in an icy mood is never a good thing. A temper might be better, because all the ice really means is that there's fire bottled up, boiling, just beneath. He'd rather just have the fire out in the open.
"And pay less attention to the things you do?"
"I'm not doing anything."
They both know he's lying, but Anakin lets him, because when he gets tired of not knowing exactly what Obi-Wan is up to, he'll try to catch him at it. Naturally, Obi-Wan will attempt to evade him. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but Anakin lets him do it, long after Palpatine would have had him shot like so many other Jedi already have been.
But tonight, Anakin doesn't seem to much want to play at this game. That's not entirely surprising: he's mercurial in his moods, especially when he hasn't gotten what he wants… and he does want Obi-Wan's loyalty. Perhaps the idea that Obi-Wan would take advantage of his marriage as a means of diversion has upset him? Probably not—that's rather expected. More likely it's the fact that it's fairly obvious Obi-Wan is doing something Anakin won't like—if it were only something Palpatine wouldn't like, Obi-Wan does have to concede that he wouldn't be working so hard to hide it.
"You have plans tonight?" Anakin asks, setting the fruit aside. His gaze has narrowed dangerously, and all sense of play has vanished.
Oh, this won't be good. "Nothing particular." Don't ask further. Don't ask. Don't guess.
"Oh? So you weren't planning to go see Satine?"
Ah, well, so much for that. He's got a fairly solid hunch that he won't be going to see her now. "It might have been on my list."
Anakin just nods. "And now it's not."
"Anakin-"
"And now. It's not."
He would like very much to swear, but what sort of example would that set for Anakin when he's so adamant that Anakin shouldn't do it? But sometimes, it's tiring to be a good example, especially when he seems to have so little effect—when Anakin is still cruel like this. And Obi-Wan can't change it.
Life—it could have been so different. He could have been a Jedi. Both him and Anakin. And it wouldn't have been like this. They could have been partners in the true sense. A team.
"This, I think—this tendency to be slightly unreasonable—is why all the intelligent women don't like you, Anakin."
Yes, wrong thing to say. He ought to know by now when to stop pushing, but Anakin—he has a way of getting under Obi-Wan's skin. Or, rather, Anakin's position of power does. It's not that Obi-Wan has a problem with authority, but the way Anakin ended up in authority over him—it's not quite a situation that's conducive to a happy acceptance.
And Obi-Wan's never been much for rolling over and giving up anyway.
"Guess we'll both be sleeping alone tonight then," Anakin answers rather nastily. Shooting Obi-Wan something that's halfway between a glance and a glare, he tosses his fruit onto the dish that holds the remains of his half-finished meal. That's petty. Obi-Wan was going to eat the rest of that, and Anakin knows it. Of course he does. That's why he did it—Obi-Wan's going to be getting supper in the kitchens tonight like all the other former Jedi rather than getting food meant for the ruling family.
Reason would dictate that it's time to leave now before this situation escalates.
Raising both his eyebrows in what Anakin could never really prove was a rebuke—so much easier to do things like that non-verbally, where it won't be on record—he heads for the door. "I'll leave you to whatever has you so irritated," he tells Anakin, palming open the door.
"You know exactly what has me irritated."
Oh? Does he? Does he ever really know just what gets Anakin in these moods? "Anakin, it's a bit late to start doubting me now, don't you think? If I wanted to harm you, I could do it in far more clever ways than suggesting a wife who doesn't like you, especially when you knew from the beginning that she doesn't like you."
Anakin leans forward on the couch, resting his hands on his knees, staring intently at Obi-Wan. There's focus in his manner now, and Obi-Wan knows very well that Anakin is trying to read his intentions, with methods both visual and deeper… and, yes, there is that touch of the Force, poking at his shields.
It's foolish of Anakin to think he didn't reinforce those shields before this conversation reached even its early stages.
"Doesn't mean you wouldn't try to distract me from whatever it is that you're doing," Anakin says finally, letting the touch slip away from Obi-Wan's mind as he apparently realizes he's not going to find any carelessly unprotected thoughts. "And you're doing something. You always are."
That at least, is fairly true. And while Anakin may be willing to let it go for now, the day Obi-Wan gets caught will be the day Anakin gets angry. In some ways, Obi-Wan can't quite blame him: it won't be a pleasant experience for Anakin to explain to Palpatine how he had no concept of what Obi-Wan was doing, destroying, planning… Palpatine will probably advocate having him killed just to punish Anakin for not knowing what was happening right in front of him, and a situation like that… it will greatly displease Anakin.
Ideally, he won't be displeased enough to forgo trying find a way to dissuade Palpatine, but, if that's not the case, some things are undeniably worth dying for.
Obi-Wan picked his cause a long time ago.
"If, theoretically, there were things that I do which I'd rather you didn't notice, that still provides you with little reason to just now begin doubting my motives. Again, theoretically, if I am doing these things you accuse me of, I have been doing them for years. Why use marriage as a distraction now?"
Anakin takes that as the rebuke it is, and he does have the good grace to at least look a little contrite. Not too contrite, however—probably because he still doesn't entirely believe that, on some level, suggesting Senator Amidala wasn't a well-played ploy of Obi-Wan's to further some sort of ulterior motive.
And he's not entirely wrong. He's just wrong in what he thinks Obi-Wan is trying to accomplish. This, at least, is not a bid to distract Anakin. This, Obi-Wan thinks as he crosses his arms, staring Anakin down, is a bid to force Anakin to spend time with someone else who holds views similar to Obi-Wan. This is an attempt to help Anakin see some of the things that need to change—to recognize those things he won't listen to Obi-Wan about.
"Obi-Wan—"
"Goodnight," he says, cutting Anakin off.
Anakin's lips purse—a good indication that he's frustrated with how this is going. His anger has faded, however, and that, at least, is a blessing. Pity that Obi-Wan is feeling more annoyed than before. If Anakin hadn't thrown this very pointless fit of temper, Obi-Wan could be spending the evening with his wife—not that he'll get to now, even if Anakin does realize just how readily he jumped to conclusions. No, Anakin will not be so blunt as to take that back. He'll apologize in other ways—ways that don't undermine his authority.
There are times when Obi-Wan very much wishes he had possessed the authority to take Anakin over his knee when the boy had been younger. It might have forestalled some of these problems before they started.
Regrettably, he never had any true disciplinary power at all, at least beyond what Shmi was able to give him, and now that she is gone, he's left only with what Anakin tolerates.
That is, very little. Mere suggestions only.
Ah, yes, suggestions. And that reminds him: "I told your wife you'd be calling on her for breakfast."
Anakin's brows shoot straight for his hairline; his alarm is almost comical. "You can't be—"
"I am serious. She's your wife. You at least need to speak to her before you sleep with her."
That deflates him to some degree. "Fine," he mutters, stringing his fingers through his hair roughly enough that a few strands part company with his scalp.
"I find her quite charming."
"Then you're more than welcome to help yourself."
"That was tasteless, Anakin."
He shrugs unapologetically. "I guess it was."
Help yourself. Goodness, he tried to teach Anakin better than this… but the problem remains: Anakin doesn't seem to see the details of the finer issues of this nature. He meant what he said: he sees no reason why, beyond social protocol—which he, for the most part, disregards—it isn't perfectly reasonable to tell Obi-Wan he can sleep with Padme if he'd like. And that—it's the concept behind that which worries Obi-Wan. Anakin views people as expendable until he becomes attached to them. Padme, at this point, means nothing to him.
And Force help him, Obi-Wan hopes he hasn't underestimated her capacity to teach Anakin—better than he himself has been able to—that people can't be thrown about like that.
"Goodnight, Anakin," he says, shutting the door behind him and effectively ending the conversation before it plunges back into the irritation Anakin is apparently experiencing tonight. Though, Obi-Wan is not so surprised about that—Anakin has always been remarkably touchy at the idea of Obi-Wan betraying him. It's the converse of his proclivity to view people as dispensable: once he begins caring for someone, they become utterly indispensible, and he grows very concentrated on ensuring he won't lose them, whether by their own doing or someone else's.
The walk to the kitchen does at least help him clear his head. As irritated as he is that he won't get to see his wife tonight, he doesn't need to aggravate the situation. Satine will understand. She always does.
He's not really surprised to find there's a meal waiting for him in the kitchen when he gets there. It's not as good as he might have gotten if he'd had the rest of Anakin's dinner as he usually does, Anakin being in the habit of ordering extra for that exact reason, but it's hot, and he can bet it's better than the other Jedi received tonight. Apparently, Anakin called to let them know he was coming. An apology, then—this would be one of the "other ways" of apologizing in place of actually swallowing his pride and acknowledging the occurrence of a mistake.
Thanking the cook, Obi-Wan sits down at the edge of the room—empty now, as it's fairly late, and the other Jedi will have no doubt eaten already—and proceeds to pick his dinner apart. The food is passable—again, probably because Anakin made sure it would be—and he's reminded vaguely of the refectory at the Jedi Temple. Lunches with friends, dinners with Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon.
Force, things could have been so different.
He doesn't think much after that—just eats. It's easier that way. Hurts less. It's slightly mind-numbing, this not-thinking, but he does it sufficiently, and a couple of minutes later, he finds that at some point he's gotten full. Well, then. That's enough for tonight.
Leaving his plate for the cleaning droids, he exits the kitchen and heads back to quarters for the night.