Note 1: Thank you for all the review/alerts/favorites that I have received, you guys are truly awesome and I know each and every one of you.
Note 2: This takes place during ROTS, right after Anakin and Obi-Wan return from rescuing Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous.
Note 3: Star Wars and its affiliates do not belong to me, only the contents of this Verse.
Note 4: Thank you to my beta readers TACAitsH and Young at Heart21. Some people are gifted writers, but others are gifted editors! Thank you for all of your support, you guys are the true reason this verse continues! You guys are TRULY amazing. =]
Chosen: Restoration
Chapter 8: Decision
By WrittinInStone
Obi-Wan shook his head, wondering, for the third time that hour, how he managed to get himself into these types of situations. After Anakin had fainted, the medical droids had quickly placed him on a bed next to Padmé.
It had taken several moments of employing Jedi calming techniques to prevent himself from panicking. According to the doctors, Padmé was unconscious as a side affect of her pregnancy. But Anakin… The doctors said that the trip to Endor had been unwise. The sickness was progressing more quickly due to the amount of excess activity Anakin had participated in. Now, because of his exhaustion, his body had little energy to fight the illness.
Obi-Wan sighed and began to rub his forehead. He had known for a long time that he was not the Jedi he should be. Jedi were supposed to remain calm at all times, Jedi were protectors of the Universe who put their duty above all, Jedi did not have family. And yet as Obi-Wan gazed upon Anakin, he knew that he did have a family; he had Anakin. He had formed an attachment with his old Padawan and there was nothing he could do to sever it, in truth he did not want to sever it.
The reality of Anakin's disease had not hit Obi-Wan until today. Anakin had always been vivacious and so full of energy; a true force to be reckoned with. But now, lying on the medical bed, he was pale and seemed completely drained; the spark of light that always seemed so bright in him was now dim. It tore at Obi-Wan's heart, threatening to leave it in pieces.
How could he go on without his brother? How could he survive without Anakin? What would he do if Anakin died? Obi-Wan immediately shied away from the thought, refusing to consider it. Anakin was so entrenched in the Jedi Master's life that Obi-Wan could hardly remember what life had been like before him.
Obi-Wan sat down and closed his eyes, thinking about everything that had occurred on the Invisible Hand. It was amazing that they had found that information in the command center. Obi-Wan was sure that the information was never meant to be seen by anyone, much less still continue to exist after the Invisible Hand crashed on Coruscant. It was a miracle that it had remained intact for them to find. It must truly have been the will of the Force for them to find it.
Thoughts of General Grievous' ship took Obi-Wan to the one place he did not want to go. He reached his hand into his pocket and gently touched the storage device there. While watching the holovid on the Invisible Hand, he had covertly imputed the device and recorded the footage in case any of it proved to be useful. Doing so had recently become standard procedure for the Jedi. It was used on non-critical missions where sensitive information was not handled, in these cases, the use of a storage device to record information was appropriate. Little did Obi-Wan know just how sensitive the information on the Invisible Hand would be, if he had known, he would never have recorded the holovid information…
Obi-Wan took the recording device out of his pocket and began to turn it over and over in his hand. This drive had the power to both make and break Anakin Skywalker. Anakin's deeds on the Invisible Hand repulsed Obi-Wan, but he would be a liar if he said that they had surprised him. Hadn't Obi-Wan always sensed the darkness in Anakin? Hadn't Obi-Wan always cautioned Anakin about his anger?
Torn, the Jedi Master slipped the drive back into his pocket. If he gave the drive to the Jedi Council, they could begin work on a cure for Anakin. But if he did, there was a good chance that Anakin would be expelled from the Order for his actions on General Grievous' ship.
Obi-Wan stood up and began to pace. It was a nervous habit that he had not quite been able to get rid of. He turned to gaze upon the young Jedi lying so innocently before him. What could have driven Anakin to listen to Palpatine the way that he had? Why had Anakin gone against everything that he had been taught, everything that he believed was right, just to satisfy the Chancellor?
It made Obi-Wan feel like a failure. How could he have been so blind to what was happening between Anakin and Palpatine? The Jedi Master knew that the two were close, but he had not realized to what extent. The more Obi-Wan thought about the duel, the more distressed he became and the more his thoughts turned to the Chancellor.
Palpatine: Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, holder of many emergency powers, friend to Anakin Skywalker and…murderer? Palpatine had always presented himself as a kindly older uncle-type figure, an upholder of truth and justice as well as an advocate for peace. While Obi-Wan had never been particularly fond of the Chancellor, it was difficult for him to wrap his mind around the man that Palpatine presented himself to be and the monster that showed through on the holovid of the Invisible hand. Yet Obi-Wan could not deny the evidence. Palpatine had essentially tried to kill him. The Chancellor had indeed succeeded in killing Count Dooku, albeit by Anakin's hand.
What was worse, it seemed as though Palpatine possessed knowledge of the Force… But that's impossible, Obi-Wan told himself, shaking his head Palpatine's not a Jedi and his words made Anakin angrier, not calmer. If Palpatine knows anything about the Force, it's definitely not the light side.
Obi-Wan paused, sensing that he was on the precipice of a great revelation. There was something that kept replaying in his mind, something that he could not forget. It was the look on Palpatine's face as he watched Anakin battle Count Dooku; it was relish at the ferocity of the battle, at Anakin's growing fury. It was darkness; it was…evil.
He knew what he was doing, Obi-Wan realized suddenly. Palpatine knew exactly what he was doing. He made Anakin angry on purpose. It was almost as though he was goading Anakin to use the dark si… The thought trailed off as suddenly, the Force hit him like a ton of bricks, almost causing Obi-Wan to physically stagger. He inhaled sharply as revelation flooded him.
Dear, Force. Obi-Wan breathed, the sound of his heart pumping in his ears, Palpatine is the Sith Lord we've been looking for.
#*#*#*#*#
Pregnant.
It was the first thing that came to Anakin's mind as consciousness resurfaced. The word seemed to echo through his mind like the resounding beat of an Ancient Chinese symbol.
P….R…E…G…N…A…N…T…
The words blurred and focused before his vision, alternately and suddenly, he thought he was going to be sick.
Padmé was with child. She was gravid, parturient, expecting, carrying…
The synonyms ran through Anakin's mind at a dizzying pace. His wife was pregnant.
The Jedi Knight lay on the hospital bed, trying to find some semblance of peace in the beeping of the machines and the sound of his wife's breathing. Yet peace would not come.
Anakin was in turmoil. There were so many things going through his mind, so many emotions until he thought that he would explode. He felt regret, for having killed Count Dooku instead of turning him over to the Jedi; shame, elicited from the look of horror on the faces of his wife and mentor upon seeing the holovid footage; anger, at the knowledge that he had once again done that which was wrong; happiness, at the realization that he would soon be a father and worry, due to anxiety over the state of his wife. All of these thoughts and emotions tore through him in a cornucopia of confusion and chaos. Yet the emotion that was the most dominant was fear. Fear for his wife, fear for his unborn child, fear for himself…
Anakin felt as though he was flailing, like he was losing his grip on his life. Everything seemed to be falling apart. He could not help his wife; even now she remained unconscious due to her…condition. His misdeeds on the Invisible Hand had been revealed, casting him into a negative light in the eyes of both Padmé and Obi-Wan. Palpatine, who had once seemed to be his only friend, now seemed, in the objective light of the holovid, to be at the very least, a sick, twisted bastard. On top of that, Anakin felt his illness. Before the events on Endor, he had not really felt the effects of his sickness. But now, it was like all of the energy had been drained from his body. He had been spry and energetic all of his life, but this lethargic feeling, this feeling of fatigue? It was killing him; it was as though he was trapped in his own body.
Anakin needed something, anything to help him anchor himself, something that would prevent him from falling…something that he could cling to in his fear and uncertainty. Anakin needed someone who would understand him, someone he could talk to, someone to help—
"Anakin?"
The young Jedi turned his gaze toward the sound of his name and there stood Obi-Wan, solid and calm. It was like finding an oasis in the middle of a desert storm. Anakin's eyes locked to Obi-Wan's. The steady green of his Master's eyes beheld him, but there was no disappointment there, no anger and no judgment; just acceptance. Then suddenly, all of the anxiety that Anakin felt faded as he held the unwavering gaze of his Master.
"Obi-Wan?" In that moment, Anakin felt exhausted, like he had run for a long time without rest.
Obi-Wan went to him. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and squeezed gently. As he did, he felt the tension leave Anakin's body. "Rest, my friend." Obi-Wan said quietly, "I will watch over you. I am here."
Anakin looked at Obi-Wan with huge eyes, tears of unbridled emotion welling in his eyes. "Thank you, Master." The young man said simply.
Seconds later, filled with a strange peace that was just enough for this moment, Anakin Skywalker was asleep.
#*#*#*#*#
Obi-Wan gazed down at the sleeping Jedi, his stomach in his throat. When Anakin had looked at him, his eyes wide with weariness; when he had said Obi-Wan's name as though seeing him standing there at his bedside steadied Anakin, the decision was made for the Jedi Master.
Obi-Wan took the device and placed it securely in his utility belt. With the information obtained on the Invisible Hand, it was indeed possible that the doctors would be able to help Anakin, or at the very least slow the disease until a permanent cure could be found. But he would not do that; Obi-Wan could not allow Anakin to be expelled from the Jedi Order. He knew how much being a Jedi meant to Anakin, it was as though it was the young man's calling, it was his very life.
In that moment, Obi-Wan made a decision; they would do as Padmé had wanted them to do from the beginning. The three of them would find the cure for Anakin and save him together.
Obi-Wan would tell the Jedi Council the information they had found on the Invisible Hand about Palpatine, but Anakin's role in the fiasco would be…edited. The Council would likely advise them to investigate the matter more thoroughly; they needed more than just circumstantial evidence to arrest the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic; they needed proof and proof he would find.
Obi-Wan did not anticipate telling Anakin that his friend, the Chancellor, was a Sith. He hoped that Anakin would listen. Now that he knew what Palpatine was, Obi-Wan wondered if Anakin's behavior of late was due to the subtle influences of the Chancellor. It was no question that the Sith was a master manipulator. If Palpatine had managed to become Supreme Chancellor of the Republic right under the noses of the Jedi, then what other parts of this war were Palpatine's doing? The thought sent chills down Obi-Wan's spine.
Yes, he would have to contact the Jedi Council immediately…right after Anakin's safety had been confirmed. Obi-Wan inhaled deeply knowing that the information that he had was more important than one Jedi, yet Obi-Wan could not pull himself away from the room.
Obi-Wan knew that he had been compromised as a Jedi. No, he was not Sith Lord; no he was not a fallen Jedi, but he had done something forbidden to the Jedi; he had formed a very strong attachment. He was no longer an impartial participant in the events that were happening. Obi-Wan Kenobi, had chosen sides; Anakin's side.
Obi-Wan walked to the side of the bed. Anakin was still, his face relaxed into the peace. The sight of it stirred something in Obi-Wan. "I won't leave you, brother." He whispered to Anakin. "I won't leave."
The Master looked upon the young man for a moment longer before sitting down in his chair to continue his silent vigil.
End of Chapter 8: If you loved it, review it. I read all reviews over and over! It only takes a moment to make an author ecstatically happy! If you don't, you're a square! =]
9th Chapter: Sex, Lies and Grapefruit: Padmé finds out that she is pregnant.
((***If you simply LOVED this, please check out my other story: Soul's Scars.))