Oh my, it has been so long since the last update. Sorry for that! Hope you're still with me :D
As night fell, the temple was even quieter than it had become anyway. As the war progressed, the numbers of Jedi became fewer and fewer. Parents decided against giving their children to the Order, fearing they would end up as generals on the front lines. He could not blame them.
Plo let his eyes wander over the empty corridors. Not for the first time, he wondered if they had strayed from the right path. The Senate should have no influence over them. They should not be its puppets. And instead, they were betraying their own people.
His stomach cramped painfully at the thought, and the Jedi forced himself to continue on his path. He had already checked on Obi-Wan a few hours ago, but it just didn't feel right to leave his friend alone when he was so obviously struggling. Obi-Wan had insisted that he was fine on his own, but Plo had seen through the lie. The news had frightened the other jedi. More than he would let on. Obi-Wan Kenobi was terrified and Plo could not deny that he did not feel the same. Deep down, he knew the man would leave as soon as he got the chance. It was a selfish thought, but Plo dreaded the day he would most likely see his friend for the last time. Even though it was probably for the best.
A bitter thought crossed his mind. For Obi-Wan to decide which path to take, he had to survive long enough in the first place. Whatever the chancellor was up to, it did not bode well.
He reached the apartment door and was about to knock when he noticed that there were two presences inside. He immediately identified one of them as Obi-Wan, even though it no longer carried its former strength around it. But the second made him pause. Perplexed, he lowered his hand again and stared at the closed door.
"...Ahsoka?" he muttered to himself, his breath catching in his throat. The girl had found her way back. His heart leapt and he would have liked nothing more than to rush into the apartment and embrace the Padawan. He had long considered taking Ahsoka as his student. They had a connection since he brought her to the temple as an infant. For years he had watched her progress and when the day came that she was finally ready, he had been told that she had already been assigned. His heart had broken that day, but he had seen that Ahsoka could not have been better matched with Anakin and Obi-Wan as her masters.
Plo took a step back from the door and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He would not disturb Obi-Wan and Ahsoka in this sacred moment. Perhaps it was the last occasion where the two would see each other for a long time. Again it stung inside him as he remembered how this lineage was torn apart. He had seen it in Obi-Wan's face, when the smile and the glow in his eyes had vanished little by little. He had seen it in Ahsoka as she grew quieter and quieter. And he had seen it in Anakin, how the rage that was simmering inside him broke out again and again.
They had all failed them. Personally, he had failed as a friend. He should have been more supportive of Obi-Wan when the Council forced him to take full responsibility for Anakin. That had not been right. And instead he had looked away.
Now it was too late. Things had started rolling and Plo was aware that no one could stop the chancellor. The only thing he could do now was to find out why Anakin had done what he had done.
Plo pushed himself off the wall, feeling in the Force for a moment for Obi-Wan's and Ahsoka's presence. They were intertwined, giving each other strength despite the fear and sadness that surrounded them.
Heavy-hearted Plo turned away. There was no place for him here.
His legs carried him again through the too silent corridors as he moved toward the turbolifts. They held Anakin in the detention cells deep inside the temple. A deserted place, meant to shield whoever was down there from the outside world.
Plo never thought these cells would ever be used again. It was a place abandoned by the Force, even though it was directly under the temple. Once, the cells had been built to hold Sith or renegade Jedi who posed a threat.
Now they held Anakin. Because he had attacked the person who probably trusted him the most and would give up everything for him. The man he should consider his brother.
A feeling of coldness settled in his bones as the Jedi Master finally entered the turbolift and it moved down into the depths. He did not know how he should face Anakin. There was this unspeakable furor burning in his veins over the fact that the boy still hadn't understood that Obi-Wan had only ever wanted the best for him. No matter what it had cost.
But now was not the time for anger. Plo wanted to understand what had driven Skywalker to this act.
The elevator came to a stop with a jerk. Determined, Plo stepped out and scanned the hallway in front of him, which looked more like a prison. The walls were reinforced with durasteel and the individual cells were sealed with ray shields. Two temple guards were positioned in front of one of the cells.
They acknowledged his presence with a brief nod in his direction, but made no effort to stop him. As a council member, he had the right to be here. Plo stopped short in front of the ray shield and took a deep breath before instructing one of the guards to open the cell. With a hiss, the red wall was removed and the Jedi Master could enter.
Like the corridors before, the cell was more than bare. In the middle of the room stood a small table with two chairs, all mounted on the floor. On the far wall was a door that led to a small refresher unit. And then there was the narrow bunk that was set into the wall. From there, Anakin looked at him with wide eyes. A mix of different emotions surged toward him, but one thing was clear. Skywalker had not expected him to show up here.
A little awkwardly, the Jedi Knight stood up and tipped his head down. "Master Koon, I... I wasn't expecting a visitor."
"I wonder what that's about," Plo bit back more sharply than he had first planned. Anakin winced visibly, fiddling nervously with the force-dampening cuff on his wrist. The young man, usually brimming with self-confidence and arrogance, was hardly recognizable.
Plo sighed and motioned at the table. "Come, sit down, Anakin."
Anakin hesitated and bit his lips, but finally took a seat on one of the chairs. Plo followed shortly after and took the seat opposite him, his eyes never leaving the young Jedi. Skywalker had lowered his gaze, his fingers folded on the table in front of him, though that did not hide the trembling.
"What are you doing here?" he murmured after a moment.
Plo tilted his head, but still it was impossible for him to catch the boy's gaze. "I want to understand you, Anakin."
The fingers on the table suddenly stilled. "... How is he?" asked Anakin quietly.
"How would you feel in his position?", Plo decided to ask back.
No response. Skywalker continued to stare at the tabletop in front of him.
Plo continued to probe. "Your hit blinded him. Did you know that?"
The silence stretched for another moment - until Anakin broke. He sobbed and put his head in his hands as his shoulders slumped.
"I don't know what drove me..." he sniffled, finally raising his head so Plo could look into the tear-filled blue eyes, "...If I could, I would take back everything I have ever said or done... please, you must believe me…"
Not that this would change anything about the current situation.
"Why were you so angry with Obi-Wan?" The question sounded simple as he let the words slip from his mouth, but he knew it was anything but.
Anakin shrugged his shoulders, tears still slowly dripping down his cheeks. "I don't know that either. Maybe because I felt betrayed...," his voice became quiet, "... or maybe because I always felt like a burden to him."
Plo frowned. "What do you mean?"
The young Jedi pursed his lips. "I know he took me in because he promised Master Qui-Gon... I just could never understand why he didn't pass me on to another master all these years. Especially in the early years, I could see how it was eating him up inside to see me. The boy who had taken away his own master." Anakin plucked at his fingers. "It's stupid, but somewhere it made me angry. I pushed him away, again and again."
Plo studied his counterpart closely. "You wanted to know how far he would go for you."
Anakin swallowed heavily and croaked: "If you want to call it like that."
The guilt was written all over the other man's face, but Plo was not here to console him. "At some point, you must have realized that he wasn't going to give you up."
The boy nodded stiffly.
Plo decided not to say anything about the council's influence over his training for the time being. "So what's changed? I know you two have been getting along worse and worse over the past two years."
"The war," came the quiet answer, "After I was knighted and I had men under my own command, I felt… I felt like I could do so much more than they let me."
Once again, the jedi master became aware of how young Anakin still was.
"You thought that Obi-Wan was holding you back?"
Another nod. "The chancellor… he always told me about the great things I could achieve. If Obi-Wan would not be standing in my way all the time."
Plo could not do much to hide his surprise. "And you believed him."
"I guess."
"And when Obi-Wan took on his mission as Hardeen you felt like he always had lied to you? That he did not care about you?"
Anakin's gaze hardened and for a second Plo could sense a brush of anger. "I considered him my brother. How would you feel if your own family betrays you…? That maybe after all… you weren't a family."
Plo's heart ached at the boy's words.
His throat was dry as he spoke next, the words heavy as he finally managed to get them out. "Obi-Wan did not want to accept the mission."
Confusion spread over Skywalker's face. "What are you talking about?"
"Your master refused to go on this mission," Plo clarified again, "But the chancellor forced our hand. We had the choice between sending Obi-Wan onto this mission or facing repercussions for the Jedi order."
Confusion turned to shock as the words sank in. "You say he was forced," he gaped.
This time it was up to Plo to just nod silently.
Anakin rubbed his hand over his face, his gaze suddenly blank, but his eyes were shining with unshed tears again. "I never let him explain himself… and I asked him to leave."
He knew that. Plo remembered exactly the day he found out by chance. He had trained with Obi-Wan.
His feet slid across the training hall mat as Plo ran his katas again and again. When he had already gone through the steps for the fifth time, he glanced at the chrono again, only to find that his friend was already half an hour late.
This was unnatural for Obi-Wan. Even though he had just returned from a mission in the Outer Rim yesterday, he was never actually late. As if on cue, the door of the salles opened. Obi-Wan strode toward him and Plo couldn't help but notice that the man was pale and looked exhausted. Moreover, some of his hairs seemed to be out of place. Something was wrong - more than usual.
"Sorry I'm late," Obi-Wan skipped the greeting and strode past Plo to one of the benches against the wall, starting to slip off his shoes and outer tunic.
Plo hummed, studying his friend insistently. "It's all right... You don't look so good. Are you okay?"
His friend halted his movements for a moment, his back still turned to him. "No need to worry," Obi-Wan finally said, grabbing his lightsaber and clipping it back to his belt, "Just didn't get much sleep, that's all."
At last he turned and took his position facing Plo on the mat. He flashed him a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Methodically Obi-Wan began to warm up but Plo couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't a good idea. "Listen, we can train another time when you're a little more rested."
In response, Obi-Wan sighed and straightened up. "I'm fine, Plo. Now come, let's get started."
Still unconvinced, he finally gave in and activated the blade of his sword, adjusting the strength. Opposite him, Obi-Wan did the same, only to assume his typical Soresu position. One hand outstretched straight, the sword arm above his head. The fingers pointing to him trembled a little.
When Plo was ready, he took a step back and assumed his own position.
With a small nod from both parties, the fight began.
He went directly on the offensive, and for a moment it seemed as if Obi-Wan would counter his attacks with ease, as always. But then something changed. Something seemed to occupy the thoughts of his friend, because in the next moment he made a mistake. His right foot slipped too far back and he lost his balance when Plo's blade met his. Obi-Wan's blade twisted too far to the side and Plo's own blade now had a clear path - and hit the back of his friend's hand with a sizzle.
With a yelp, Obi-Wan dropped his lightsaber and experimentally flexed his now injured hand with a pained face.
Plo cursed softly, worried, and deactivated his saber. "Force, I'm sorry. Is it bad?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Nothing a little bacta won't fix."
"Maybe you should sit down for a moment," he suggested and motioned at the benches, "I'll get the medkit."
It was even more worrisome when Obi-Wan only grunted silently in response and began to trudge over to the wall.
Plo made his way to the adjacent refresher to get the medical supplies from there. Fortunately, he found the kit relatively quickly and was able to return to the training halls. Obi-Wan had indeed settled down on the bench in the meantime and now sat bent over, his head supported in his uninjured hand. The other hand hung limply over his knee. He seemed to notice Plo only at the last moment and flinched a little as the Kel'Dor settled down beside him.
"Show me your hand," Plo said gently, holding out his own.
Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes and sat up a little. "I can do that myself," he grunted, "Just give me the bacta."
Their eyes met, and once again the exhaustion in his friend's eyes was unmistakable. But there was more. Sadness and pain.
"Obi-Wan, let me do this."
The other Jedi Master's gaze hardened for a moment, but finally, wordlessly, he held out his hand.
"Thank you," Plo murmured, and began to inspect the wound. It was only a minor burn, thankfully. Nevertheless, he knew from experience that they could hurt just as much. Carefully he applied the bacta ointment and then closed the area with a small bandage.
When he was finished, Obi-Wan withdrew his hand directly, his gaze averted.
Plo busied himself with packing the medical supplies away. "Now perhaps you'd like to tell me what's wrong?"
"I don't know if there's much to tell," came the evading answer.
He wouldn't give in that easily. "Did anything happen on your last mission?"
Obi-Wan had already given his report to the council yesterday, but perhaps he had left something out.
The redhead shook his head. "The mission went fine...," he glanced at the chrono, "I think I need to get going too, I have something to do."
Obi-Wan started to get up, but Plo stopped him with a hand on his upper arm.
"Obi-Wan, you can't be serious now."
His hand was shaken off rudely. "I told you not to worry," his friend hissed, visibly irritated, and stood up.
Plo did the same, now a little angry. "No worries? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You look like you haven't slept a minute in the last few days. Now tell me what's wrong."
Obi-Wan clenched his teeth, balling his hands into fists. "It's nothing."
Lie. Plo didn't even need to use the Force for that. "Did something happen between you and Anakin?"
"No," Obi-Wan bit out tight-lipped.
Another lie. "You know I am your friend, not your enemy?"
The other man shifted uncomfortably on his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course."
"Then why are you lying to me?"
Obi-Wan averted his eyes again. "Maybe because I just don't want to talk about it," he grumbled, defeated.
"I can see it's obviously bothering you," Plo tried, "Let me help you."
His friend worked his jaw and then bit his cheeks, thinking. "Anakin wants me to leave," it suddenly tumbled out of him. His shoulders sagged visibly.
Plo was shocked by this revelation. "What, why?"
His friend shrugged his shoulders. "He said I would interfere with Ahsoka's training as long as I was there...," his voice cracked, "that I'd better go, since we wouldn't be working together anymore." Pain seeped through Obi-Wan's normally well-maintained shields.
He could hardly believe what he was hearing. His heart ached. "You can't take that lying down."
"And what do you think I should do?"
Plo shook his head in despair. "Can't you try to talk to him?"
"Anakin won't listen to me."
"But..." began Plo, but was interrupted.
"I can't take it anymore, okay?" snapped Obi-Wan suddenly, his eyes filled with tears, breathing heavily, "I'm done."
He took a step back and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "I still have to see the quartermaster. Excuse me."
Before Plo could stop him, Obi-Wan turned and walked briskly out of the training halls, ignoring how he was called after.
"You hurt Obi-Wan more with that than he probably showed."
Anakin sobbed. "I know. I see that was wrong. I'm so sorry."
He brushed tears from his face and faced Plo. "Do you think... do you think maybe I can talk to him?"
At that, he had to shake his head. "I doubt he would like that, Anakin."
The boy lowered his head again. "I understand that. Can you at least tell him I'm sorry?"
"I'll see what I can do about that." He would not traumatize Obi-Wan further. The man was already struggling enough.
Skywalker tipped his head. "Thank you."
"Just so you know, Ahsoka has returned to the temple. She's with Obi-Wan right now."
Anakin let the words sink in before he spoke again. "What about her trial? Have any more clues been found?"
"She is innocent. There will probably be the official announcement from the Senate tomorrow."
The young Jedi rubbed his hands over his face, still stunned. "That's good...even if I wish none of this had ever happened."
"I think Obi-Wan would only agree with you on that," Plo thought out-loud, causing the boy to flinch again.
"What's going to happen now?" he finally asked.
"Well, you and Obi-Wan will be on trial the day after tomorrow."
"What, why Obi-Wan?" Anakin blurted out, "He didn't do anything."
"The esteemed chancellor never told you that, huh?" replied Plo calmly. He hadn't expected it any other way. It had seemed from the beginning of Anakin's training that the Chancellor held a grudge against Obi-Wan. Of course, he would never tell his personal favorite Jedi what his master had done to allow him to train.
"What are you talking about, Master?" queried Anakin.
Something told him it was not his place to tell this story.
"You know, it's getting late. I think you'll understand what I mean by the trial at the latest."
Skywalker looked at him still confused, opened his mouth to say something, only to close it again directly.
Plo rose from the table.
"I'll talk to Obi-Wan and see if he's willing to talk to you. But don't get your hopes up too high."
Anakin pursed his lips. "...Of course. I can understand if he doesn't want to."
He could see the boy was serious. Remorse surrounded his Force signature.
"Rest, Anakin," the Jedi master finally sighed, "You too will need your strength."
With that, Plo moved toward the exit of the cell, leaving the troubled jedi behind. As he again strode toward the turbolift, he didn't quite know what to make of the conversation.
Anakin seemed just as confused as Obi-Wan, if not more so.
Somewhere he couldn't get rid of the feeling that something sinister was waiting for them and they were heading straight for it.
I'm still struggling with the decision if I should let Anakin and Obi-Wan meet before the trial.
As always comments and kudos are appreciated :)
Hope to see you on the next chapter!