Chapter 22 - Framing

Author's Note: And the truth comes out. ;-;

~ Amina Gila

Anakin had no idea what happened to Luke when he showed up at their appointed meeting spot in the Underworld to see no one, but he'd... assumed police droids must've been close. But it only made him more afraid of what could happen to him out there, because if they failed to meet up once, he doubted Luke would risk trying to call him again.

But Luke is here now, in the middle of a burning warehouse of nanodroids and Anakin has no idea how he got here, but it looks beyond incriminating. He gestures for the clones to wait – not that any of the 501st would be inclined to shoot at him – stepping forwards. "What happened?" he asks, urgently.

It would be pointless to ask if he's alright, when his face is bruised, and his clothes are a mess, an obvious indication of a fight.

"The Dark Sider led me here," Luke replies breathlessly, "They could still be close."

"Search the perimeter," Anakin orders, "And warn the police the suspect might still be in the area."

"Yes, sir," Rex calls, taking off.

Luke practically teleports into his arms a moment later, clinging to him tightly. Anakin holds him, taking a few moments to just breathe. Having Luke away from him, under these circumstances, was terrifying. Someone is trying to frame him, and Anakin doesn't know who or why. What would anyone have to gain from it?

Sometimes, he really wishes his son could stay somewhere safe so that Anakin wouldn't have to worry about him constantly.

"I saw that Dark Sider. That's why I couldn't stay," Luke tells him.

"We'll catch them," Anakin promises, "But right now we... need to deal with these charges." He really doesn't want to have to take Luke back to face that, knowing they're going to immediately arrest him again, but there's nothing else he can do without getting him in more trouble.

Luke looks slightly nervous now. "What'll happen now?"

"I don't know," Anakin confesses, "The evidence, no matter how forged it is, looks pretty incriminating. Padme is... she'll try to help, and so will I, but until we have the person who's really behind this, I don't know how much success we'll have in getting the charges dropped." And that's what he's afraid of most of all. If Luke is convicted... he'll be executed, and that is not something he can let happen, even if it means leaving the Republic.

He senses Luke's obvious fear, and he – he wishes there was more he could do. They have to find who did this, no matter what it takes. "I got this from them," Luke says, stepping away to pick up a lightsaber thrown on the floor nearby. "I don't know who's it is, but..."

Anakin takes it, studying the design. His flare of hope instantly dies to disbelief, anger, and betrayal at once as he realizes who he's almost certain this belongs to.

"Who's is it?" Luke asks, frowning.

"We'll have to take it to the Archives to identify," he replies, almost faintly. He can't believe this without tangible proof. "Many lightsabers can look... similar." So he can only hope that he's wrong.

**w**

Luke hates prison cells more than he ever thought possible right now, and he's beginning to wonder who ever decided that's where they should stick criminals. Unless the point is to drive them insane... assuming they weren't already.

Which he is not, thank you very much.

He can't even say how relieved he is when Padme finally arrives. She pulls him into her arms the moment she sees him, and Luke melts into her embrace, clinging to her. "I'm sorry for taking so long," his mother says, holding him tightly. "There were some questions about me defending you, considering our relationship."

Luke makes a face. Laws are stupid. "I don't see why."

"Now's probably not the time to talk about it," she points out.

"Never will be," he grumbles. He doesn't care to hear the explanations. The only thing he cares about right now anyway is getting out of here. "What's happening?"

"While we wait for Anakin to find something, we need to work on your defense. The Senate is expediting the trial because of the public outcry over what happened."

Fear and anger tighten inside of him at once. Because in the end, he has no idea if his father will find something, even if he can't believe he won't. And after everything he's done in the war, they're just so willing to believe he would do this? To be fair, it's not like he's that famous and there is evidence, but still. "Can't we just tell them what actually happened?"

"That will be a start," Padme agrees, moving to sit on the duracrete ledge in the corner of the cell next to him, "Why don't we start with going over that. We can start by building a defense from there."

**w**

Anakin goes to find Obi-Wan the moment he has the confirmation about who's lightsaber this is. He can't believe this is happening, that Reva would have betrayed them like this. He's angry and betrayed at once, and beyond that just confused because none of this makes any sense. "Master, I found who did it," Anakin tells him in a rush, "It's – they fought Luke at the warehouse where he was taken in again and dropped their lightsaber. I identified it in the Archives."

But Obi-Wan's recognized who is it before he even finishes talking. "It can't be," he objects, disbelievingly.

"I don't understand either, Master." She's always been darker, and it's grown worse throughout the war, but this is still a stretch. And it's not like someone could've just taken her lightsaber. That doesn't make any sense. "But we'll have to confront Reva now. The trial is going to be starting soon."

And Anakin hates having to ask this of Obi-Wan, but this was Reva's choice, not his. It's not something either of them could've predicted or stopped, and there's a small part of him that wants to think she's just being set up, too, because he doesn't want Obi-Wan to lose his second padawan. They weren't nearly as close as he was with Anakin, but he still raised her. Still, deep inside, Anakin knows the truth.

It was her, and he doesn't know why, but it doesn't make sense, either. Reva worked with him and Luke. They weren't friends by any means, but they'd found some kind of mutual understanding – or at least that's what Luke read the situation as. Why would she ever do something like this?

Reva is in her room when they enter, and Anakin's mildly surprised she hasn't already taken off. He'd almost wonder again if she isn't guilty, but she feels way too on edge when they enter, even if her face is carefully blank. "Do you need something, Master?" she asks.

With Obi-Wan's already simmering anger, Anakin's pretty sure this conversation is... going to blow up in seconds. Not that he can blame him for that. "You were at the warehouse where Luke was found," Obi-Wan accuses, pointedly holding up her lightsaber as proof.

Her expression only flickers slightly. "I was trying to look into the bomber on my own."

Does she actually think they're going to believe that? "And that is why you attacked him there?" Anakin demands, sharply.

"I didn't expect to see him there," she argues, "I heard he was accused, and I didn't want to believe it, but then I saw him there and I didn't –" Is she just stalling for time, trying to find a way out of this?

"We know you're lying, Reva," Anakin cuts her off.

"You betrayed the Order," Obi-Wan accuses, "You attacked the Temple –"

Her lightsaber is abruptly yanked from his hand to hers, and she ignites it. "It was the only way to make a point," she snaps, glaring.

Obi-Wan draws his own blade, blocking her when she lunges at him. Seriously, where is this sudden change coming from?! Anakin is admittedly curious, but he's too angry to ask for an explanation.

"A point?" Obi-Wan repeats, furiously, "You've betrayed everything we stood for. You've become the very thing you swore to destroy."

Reva Force-shoves him back, and they somehow end up out in the hall, exchanging blows. "The Order is already being destroyed by the Council's refusal to take action!" she yells.

Now that they're out in the open with some room to maneuver, Anakin draws his own blade, moving to join the fight. Reva was already out-matched but fighting her is going to be hard for Obi-Wan, not so much for him. Even if it does hurt that she's so willing to fight both of them. He doesn't understand why she's doing this, even if Jedi are always trained not to get attached. Nor does he even understand what she's talking about.

"Take action against what?" Obi-Wan snaps, "Threats like the one you've chosen to become?"

"The war, everything!" she yells back, "They're too hung up on principles to do what needs to be done!"

So that's what she's upset about? The Jedi already have violated so many principles that it's bothering Anakin. If she really thinks the opposite, then she's... already grown far darker than he thought. He doesn't know how nobody noticed but then again, it's not like there's anyone really close to her.

Obi-Wan Force-shoves her back in response, and she flies at him again with a furious shriek. Anakin blocks her blow before she reaches him, shoving her back. "Violating all our principles will only destroy what we're fighting for."

She doesn't have the chance to reply, before Temple guards finally show up, immediately moving to restrain her.

**w**

Luke's heart is pounding as the clone guards come to take him from his cell, leading him to the assembled Senate room. He doesn't know how he'll ever be able to look at any of this again – mostly, this room where he often spent so much of his childhood, but where he's now on trial for something he could be executed for.

He can feel all the eyes on him, and he loathes it. He's never really cared for attention – Anakin and Leia are the same way – but now he's in the spotlight in a very negative way. Even if he gets out of this, he doesn't know that the whispers will ever end. No one here will forget what he... could've been accused of. For a fleeting, desperate moment, he hopes it's not going to impact Padme's position, that her son is accused of treason like this.

He doesn't know if it's better or worse that Palpatine is at the front of the room, in charge of leading the trial. He knows Palpatine would never believe he's guilty, but this entire experience is awful and nerve-racking, and he just wants it to be over.

"Luke Skywalker, you have been charged with sedition against the Jedi Order and the Republic itself," Palpatine says, though Luke's certain he can sense he's upset by this, despite what he's outwardly showing. He's a politician and he has to act like one. Luke knows he doesn't like it, but that doesn't make it easy to hear him being the one to lead it. But maybe that'll mean it's more likely for him not to be convicted. He can hope. "This court will decide your fate. Prosecution, you may begin your arguments."

"Commander Skywalker, I shall prove that you were the mastermind behind the attack on the Jedi Temple and have eliminated your other accomplice," Tarkin begins. "If you are found guilty, the court may bring the full extent of the law down upon you, including penalty of death."

The death penalty?!

Technically, it's – it is something they can do. Luke is used to his life being on the line. That doesn't bother him, but this isn't fighting. It isn't in war. He's not in danger because he's helping people and fighting – he's in danger for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Because the Republic itself is threatening his life.

Really, he just feels sick. And hurt and betrayed.

Palpatine, no doubt, will step in personally if things reach that point to stop it, but it still hurts to see him standing there at the front of the room. Does it bother him this much, too?

"Look at the facts," Padme speaks up, "Luke was in Letta Turmnd's cell to see if she could identify the Jedi who she collaborated with. Before she could answer, she was strangled to death by way of the Force. Why would he kill Letta in a method so obviously tying him to the murder, when he was already part of the investigation?"

"And yet, he left his cell during the ensuing prison riot, killing clones in an effort to break out," Tarkin argues.

"He was tracking the Dark Sider really behind this, presumably breaking out after concealing themselves in the prison when they killed Letta previously. There were even clones who mentioned spotting a blue lightsaber used, not an orange one like Luke's."

He can't help wondering how many of them are even listening to her. It does sound incriminating, but still, everything is circumstantial.

"I find it very difficult to believe that someone else could have gotten into the facility to begin with."

"And yet, if it was so secure, why were most of the cameras in the area not working?"

Heh. That's a fair question, and Luke doubts Tarkin will be able to explain that part away. Because it isn't something they can answer, either way.

It goes back and forth for a while, and Luke doesn't really think either side is gaining ground. He could be wrong though. He doesn't really know.

He can feel something is wrong, though. Anakin is upset, which isn't surprising, but Luke somehow thinks this is something a bit... more.

They're still arguing when the door suddenly opens, Anakin comes in with several Temple guards, with... someone between them he can't see. "Chancellor," Anakin calls.

"I presume more evidence has come to light?" Palpatine asks.

"I'm here with the confession from the true person responsible for the crimes Luke was accused of," Anakin replies, moving aside. The Temple Guards step aside, parting way for...

Is that Reva?!

"I did it," she says, sounding cold and angry. There's no regret there. She – she framed him. Why?! What – How could she have blown up part of the Temple?! "The Jedi are failing their duty. They aren't using the force it takes to the win the war, and my attack on the Temple was meant as a reminder to them."

She... what? That doesn't even make any sense.

"And your decision to frame Commander Skywalker served what purpose?" Palpatine demands. Yes, he's definitely angry about it.

"If the Jedi believed their Chosen One was compromised, perhaps they'd finally see what they really should be doing." This was all to make the Jedi suspicious of Anakin? Why? How could she do this, with how well they must've known each other? And even if that didn't matter, wouldn't she at least care about how much this could've hurt her former master? Or does that... He doesn't understand.

Hurt and rage are burning inside him, and he's never felt the urge to hurt someone with the Force before, but after seeing Letta get strangled to death, he wants to do the same now. Reva did all this to him to get to Anakin, to hurt him, and she did. She hurt them both.

"Take her away," the Chancellor orders. "The other charges will be dropped immediately."

He's... free to go. This is over. But somehow, it still doesn't feel like it.

**w**

Even if it's over, Luke still feels exhausted. And he's angry because he thought he and Reva had formed... something, even if he didn't like her per se. Why would she have chosen him? Unless it was to undermine Anakin, and...

"It's hard to believe a Jedi would do something like this," Padme says, as Luke trails her and Anakin out of the Senate building. He truthfully hopes he won't have to see it in a while.

"Me either," he replies, glumly.

Anakin touches his shoulder, comfortingly and at least for a moment, he can feel safe, for the first time since this all started. "Many of the Jedi are losing their way," Anakin admits, gravely.

"I've heard people say that before," Padme replies grimly, "But I never expected this would go so far, even on the Republic's end." His mother is unusually upset at the system itself, and it's slightly surprising. Usually, she always speaks in its defense.

"I've heard the public's opinion on the government and the Jedi is falling," Luke says. There was even a protest right outside the Temple steps that could've gotten violent.

"I've seen that too," his mother acknowledges, "The... amount of corruption everywhere concerns me. I don't know where it will lead."

"I wonder that as well," Anakin replies, quietly.

Somehow, the entire exchange only leaves him feeling increasingly unsettled.

Ahsoka's waiting for them when they get back to the Temple. "Hey, Skykid," the Togruta greets, "Good to see you back here."

"Yeah," he offers, "You too."

"I must say, I wasn't expecting to come back to Coruscant to hear this news," she says.

"What matters is that it's over now," Anakin interjects.

She nods, nudging him. "Still, it was pretty impressive that you were able to track that Dark Sider all the way through the Underworld."

"I think she was letting me," he points out.

"Maybe, but she's a Knight. You've only been trained for a couple years."

Despite himself, he smiles back at her at the compliment, even if it feels hollow. Reva was perfectly willing to hurt him, and he doesn't understand how Jedi can be so cold to people they know so well.

Even as he moves through the halls now, he can't stop thinking about how he still doesn't even know who here he can trust.

"Luke!" He looks up, to see a familiar black-haired padawan running towards him.

"Ezra?" he asks, surprised. It's been a long time since they've seen each other.

"I heard what happened," Ezra replies, skidding to a stop next to him.

"Hasn't everyone?"

"Word's all over the Temple," he admits. "I just wanted to see if you're okay."

Not really. Not at all, but with Anakin's hand on his shoulder and with Ahsoka's close presence, he feels safer, at least. "I will be," he offers, finally.

"If I hear any more padawans gossiping, I'll unleash Chopper on them – or I would, if he'd actually come back," Ezra adds.

He doesn't want to know any more about what they're probably saying. Even if it's unsurprising. "Thanks," Luke replies, dryly feeling a momentary flare of amusement.

"One of these days, I'm gonna go pick him up," Ezra decides, "Even if he doesn't want it."

"Then he'd really make your life miserable, right?"

"Oh, he already did."

"Then why do you want him back?" Ahsoka asks, amused.

Ezra shrugs, then smirks. "Maybe because he annoys Master Caleb?" he says, in a whisper.

Luke chokes on a laugh, the first time he's felt a little better since before this all started. "That's always a good reason."

"I shouldn't agree, but I... do," Ahsoka interjects, shooting a grin at Anakin.

He huffs out an amused breath. "I think there's few padawans who couldn't say that."

Since Luke distinctly remembers hearing about all the times very young Anakin tried to prank Obi-Wan, yes, he agrees too. "Like that time you dressed a protocol droid in Jedi robes and made Obi-Wan think he was talking to a person?" Luke asks. He'd like to hear that story again. It would be a good distraction. "I still don't see how he couldn't sense it."

"To this day, me neither," Anakin replies, dryly.

**w**

Even with this over, Anakin can't help sticking close to Luke's side. He can't stop fearing something like this is going to happen again. Maybe he should've gone to talk to Letta himself, or... Not that there's anything he can do to change the past now.

But he still can't believe that Reva did it, or the reasons why. He doesn't know how to feel about how this was directed at him, either. It's another reminder of why he's always disliked hearing about the Chosen One prophecy, and everything that comes with it. It wasn't a burden he ever wanted, wasn't something he ever thought himself capable of handling, even if everyone else seemed to think it was.

Luke didn't really want to go back to the Senate building so soon, but they stop by there briefly anyway to see Palpatine.

"I regret things came this far," he says, sincerely, "I considered stepping down from the trial, but that would have left me with no influence on the results."

Anakin figured as much; this wasn't easy for anyone. "I know you did what you could, Chancellor. Thank you."

"I know this ordeal has not been easy for you," he adds, approaching Luke. "Had things gone any further, I would have vouched for you personally. That would have swayed the decision of many."

Luke practically hug attacks him in response, and Palpatine catches him almost awkwardly, though he loosely returns it. It's very obviously a gesture foreign and maybe uncomfortable to him, Anakin can't help noticing, even if he lets the twins do it.

He doesn't know much about Palpatine's background, but it's obvious enough, at least to Anakin, that he never had the same family Anakin himself does. He... considers himself fortunate for that, at least, because even if he and his children don't have nearly as much time with each other as they ought to, it's better than some can say.

"I find it distressing that Knight Sevander was behind this," Palpatine says, when Luke steps away. "Sometimes, I question what the Jedi are... becoming, especially for one to have such a personal attack against you. Of course, many are sincere, but this is not the first time one of them has betrayed the Republic."

It makes Anakin uneasy, too, to think about. Krell only happened months ago. "It concerns me as well."

"What will happen to her?" Luke wonders.

"Her trial will be held soon, but the Senate wants to guarantee they have the right person before proceeding so it doesn't look bad to the Republic again. By accordance of law, if found guilty, she will be executed."

What she did was treason. It's expected. That doesn't mean Anakin knows what to... think of that. Obi-Wan's going to lose his second padawan permanently. Anakin can't imagine what it would be like for someone he raised to die – not only die, but at an official execution. It was bad enough with his mother.

And even if it was Reva's choices that led to this and she's far from innocent, that doesn't mean it's going to be easy.

**w**

Leia hears what happened on the news before Anakin and Luke have the chance to call her. Though she's been pretty much pushing redial every moment she has free time until their time zones and free times are actually able to line up.

"I won't ask if you're okay," Leia begins, bluntly, "That would be... rude."

"Rude?" Luke echoes, "Yeah, I suppose that's true." He looks exhausted, and she can only imagine how he must be feeling. She can't imagine what it would be like to be on trial like that, for something she didn't even do, and she's furious something like this happened to her brother. He was being framed. And she might be forgiving, but that is not something she's ever going to forget.

"I want to come over," Leia tells him, because that's the most important thing in her mind right now. She can't just drop all of her duties on Naboo, and she hates that, because Luke is more important to her than anything else.

"It's okay," he assures, "I know you're busy."

"Doesn't mean I should be too busy to be with you," she huffs. She's admittedly looking forward to when her second term is over. Though she doesn't know what then. It's not like she'd want to join the military, too.

"Don't be dramatic," Luke chides, "You're a queen. I know you can't just leave Naboo without warning."

Leia reaches out, touching the holographic area where his hand is. "I guess this is as together as we can be until my term's up. Unless you're going to take a short break after all this. You'd deserve it."

She desperately wants to ask him how he's feeling, what he's thinking, but she doesn't really think he wants to talk about it right now. He'll need time to process himself, and the most she can offer is a calm and steady support, even if there's so much more than that she wants to say and do. His trial was close, too close to going downhill for her liking, and Leia doesn't understand. The Republic is flawed, and she has always known that, but it's never been so personal before.

"Father says I should. I don't know if there's going to be time for that, though."

Leia makes a face at him. "Of course, there is, Luke. A few weeks, even? To just step back for a bit?" A few weeks of him here on Naboo with her, so they could be together again is what she wants most. All of them, preferably. They've been through a lot, and Leia wants some time to just be with them, not having to worry. She used to think that Luke would always be safe on Coruscant, because that was their home and it's where they grew up, but... she was wrong.

"Maybe," he concedes.

"Since we can't be together, this'll have to be enough," Leia says, stepping closer so Luke's hologram is right in front of her and then wraps her arms around... air. But still him.

Luke snorts. "That works." He returns it immediately, and she can at least imagine it's real, even if they can't physically feel it.

Which lasts fine until Leia trips on the end of her very long skirt – maybe she shouldn't have been leaning forward at such a weird angle when there's not actually someone in front of her – and goes sprawling right through Luke.

He bursts out laughing, and it's incredibly weird when the sound is coming from right underneath and above her at once. Leia pushes herself upright with a huff. "I think you tripped me."

"Oh, definitely."

**w**

Despite what Palpatine said about the slowness of the trial, it's over surprisingly quickly. Which also means Reva's execution is happening... soon. Anakin almost doesn't want to know when it is. He can't imagine her being dead, especially not executed by the Republic.

He goes to find Obi-Wan... after. (He would've felt it when his bond with Reva broke, and that couldn't've been easy.)

His former master is in his quarters, and Anakin can't help remembering once so many years ago when he'd sneak in here at night to sleep next to his bed. Obi-Wan's expression is tight and closed-off when Anakin moves to sit beside him, even though he genuinely doesn't even know what to say.

For a few long moments, they just sit together. It's probably the most Anakin even can offer him – that he's still here and he's always going to be – but it feels like he should say something. "I'm sorry," he offers finally, quietly.

Obi-Wan's gaze snaps to him. "For what?"

"You – I know what she did to the Order, but she was still your padawan."

He's quiet for a long time. "I still do not understand how she could have made the choices she did."

"I don't know," Anakin admits, "I don't remember her ever being like that, before." He still remembers Reva from when she was a child, after all. They never really got along, but it still hurts that... she's gone now. And that she's the one who killed so many Jedi and clones first.

"I knew she had a darkness streak. I thought I could teach her to control it."

He'll never tell Obi-Wan to his face that he was... often a hard master and probably far from the best to teach someone to control the Dark Side, but that doesn't mean this is his failing either. Reva's been a Knight for a long time now. "I know you did your best," Anakin offers. It would be foolish to ask if he's alright, both because it's obviously untrue and because it's not like Obi-Wan's ever been one to talk about his feelings anyway.

But after wavering for a moment, he hesitantly reaches out to take his hand, and is mildly surprised when Obi-Wan takes it back without hesitation. And for now, they just... stay there together.

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