Anakin sat in a Council chair, the smell of charred flesh and acrid metal wafting under his nose. He stripped the metal prosthetic off of his arm stump and it fell to the marble floor. His nub ached and he closed his eyes, breathing in as he focused on the Force, willing it to heal the flesh and soothe the stabbing pain.
As he did this, Master Windu was talking into the hologram projector, contacting all the Jedi Council members. ". . . Young Skywalker has been injured, and I have barely escaped dangerous harm to myself. We must all convene immediately. Please establish contact within the next hour."
Turning off the holoprojector, he turned to Anakin, who had wrapped his arm in his robes as he healed the flesh.
"I'm sorry about your prosthetic. Is it—"
"Rendered useless, I'm afraid," said Anakin dully. "The joints have been melted together."
"I see," said the Master Jedi, sounding contemplative. He sat down in a chair next to Anakin, and they both sat in silence. The metallic-marble walls were gracefully reflecting shafts of light from the lights hanging overhead, the marble flagstones in the floor doing the same. The Force radiated throughout the Jedi Temple, and it one of the rooms it could be felt most strongly in was the Council chamber. Both Skywalker and Windu basked in it, the one trying to heal his arm nub, the other trying to forsee the future.
A few more moments passed. Windu rubbed his hands together, before angling his body toward Anakin. "I know that you must be—frustrated—with the Council's decision before to not allow you to take the Trials and become a Jedi Master."
Anakin shrugged. "I have my suspicions as to why that was the case, Master."
Windu looked cautious, and then Anakin gave a dry smile.
"I may be arrogant and headstrong, Master, but I am not ignorant. I know that the reasons encompass the fact that no one on the Council thinks that I am mature enough because of my impulsive nature." He rubbed his arm beneath his robes and winced.
Mace Windu felt something stir within him. Pity? Compassion? Empathy? He looked carefully at the young Jedi Knight.
"Anakin," he began. Skywalker looked up, his blue eyes calm. "You have more than earned my trust today. I will do my best to convince the Council that you can be trusted . . . and with that, that you are ready to take the Trials."
Anakin was rendered speechless. He looked down, unable to fully comprehend what had just been said to him. The Trials? But wasn't it only a few days ago that the Council had told him they would put him on the Council without letting him become a Jedi Master? And then hadn't Master Kenobi told him that the Council was NOT going to let him take the Trials for a long, long time?
Master Windu smiled, feeling Anakin's surprise and apprehension.
"We did not want an impulsive, passionate youngster on the Council, that much is true. But, I believe that you have matured, albeit suddenly, very much. You held strong in the face of the alluring powers of the Dark Side. That means a great deal in a Jedi. Perhaps you are not quite as young and immature as we thought."
There was another moment of silence. Anakin looked up thoughtfully.
"You thought I was too close to the Chancellor— to the Sith Lord," he said, correcting himself. "But I am still impulsive and young, Master. My actions today proved that, didn't they?"
Mace thought on this, then pointedly asked, "Why did you go, Skywalker? Why did you disobey my orders today when I told you to stay here?"
Anakin felt a wave of guilt sweep over him. He wasn't sure he could reveal the true reason to Master Windu.
Master Windu continued, feeling Anakin's guilt. "Though you displayed impulsiveness and disobedience, you also displayed courage. There is something you wanted very much from the Sith Lord. I am sure that he has seduced you many times to pull you over to the Dark Side. But you resisted. That is what is important. No matter what spurred you on to disobey my order and go to the Chancellor's office chamber, you chose the right path regardless. And I think that says something very much about your character."
Silence again. But it was thoughtful. Grateful.
"I will leave you to your thoughts, Young Jedi," said Windu. He stood up and placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder for a moment, then walked out of the Council Chamber.
Anakin fell back against the red cushion, closing his eyes and rubbing his face with his only hand. Well, he had solved one problem. The only thing left was that he lived a double life, and he didn't know how much longer he could keep his marriage to Padme, and his fathering of the child in her womb, a secret.
. . .