Ahsoka languished alone in a Temple holding cell while Obi-Wan was forced to endure yet another meeting. He shouldn't be sitting in the blasted chair. He should be out, doing something. He should be below, with his padawan or searching for the real culprit behind the murders and bombing.
Obi-Wan could only hope Anakin was accomplishing what he could not.
Admiral Tarkin's hologram once again appeared before the Council.
"The Senate requests that Ahsoka Tano be indicted for acts of treason against the Republic."
"A fair trial Padawan Tano will have, in accordance with Jedi Tradition," Yoda said.
"Ah, yes. Jedi tradition." Tarkin stroked his chin with an imperious arch of his thin eyebrow. "I'm afraid, Master Yoda, the Senate believes an internal trial would seem biased. Therefore, the Senate requests that the Council expel Ahsoka Tano from the Jedi Order so that she may be put before a Republic military tribunal where she will receive a more impartial judgment."
The insult was nearly unbearable, but Obi-Wan forced a neutral expression on his face and asked, "And who would represent Ahsoka in this tribunal, Admiral?"
"That would be up to the Council, General, but I would recommend someone outside the Order."
It took every ounce of Obi-Wan's experience and willpower to contain his snide retorts.
"The Council will act as they deem necessary," Windu said. "Thank you, Admiral."
Admiral Tarkin ended the transmission.
"Surely we cannot do what Tarkin suggests," Obi-Wan scoffed. "We need to stand together with Ahsoka."
"And yet there is evidence that she is indeed the mastermind behind the attack on the Temple," Mundi said.
"Being found in possession of nano-droids is enough to convict," Master Tiin said. "It is damning evidence."
"She was found near them, not in possession of them," Obi-Wan corrected sharply. "An important distinction. There is no proof Ahsoka did anything more than walk into that warehouse, which she could have done for any number of innocent reasons. She likely did not even know those nano-droids were there! We must investigate this further before anyone is indicted. If we remove her from the Order, we strip her of all our rights and protections. We would be throwing her to ravenous wolves. The Senate has no desire to discover the truth. They would make Ahsoka a scapegoat!"
"This is a military matter, and therefore Senate jurisdiction," Windu said.
"This is a Jedi matter," Obi-Wan snapped. "The Senate goes too far. The Chancellor goes too far. They continually do and we continue to allow it."
It was the first time Obi-Wan voiced such thoughts to anyone but Adrina and he could sense the displeasure and fear of the other Council members.
"Be very careful," Windu warned. "What you are suggesting is treason."
"I am hardly suggesting rebellion and it is not seditious to question a government's decision. I am asserting that we deny the Senate's request. If it is honesty and transparency with which the Senate is concerned, we may allow auditors. But we cannot abandon Ahsoka, a padawan, to their merciless clutches."
Windu frowned. "I understand your concern, but the Republic is in great turmoil and under ever increasing strain. We cannot afford to appear to openly defy the Senate. We cannot risk undermining its authority when it matters the most. I'm afraid we have little choice. She must be expelled; she must stand before a military tribunal."
Murmurs of agreement echoed from the other Council members. Obi-Wan's heart dropped to his stomach. "There is always a choice. Bad circumstances do not remove the responsibility to make good choices," Obi-Wan said coldly.
His eyes swept over each Council member, searching for an ally, but found only Master Plo, who bowed his head in defeat.
"So that's it, then," Obi-Wan murmured. He sank back in his seat.
Another choice.
Another failure.
"The tribunal will discover the truth. Do not fear."
Thoughts swirled in a maelstrom of chaos in Obi-Wan's mind. One thought - one single sentence - rose above the rest. It repeated over and over until everything else faded to silence.
We used to be great.
Look at us now.
Obi-Wan glanced at his comlink. He answered at the urge of the Force. "What is it, Anakin?"
"I can prove Ahsoka's innocence. I am bringing you the true traitor now. Let me in."
Yoda waved the doors open. Anakin, followed by four Temple Guards, escorted a cloaked figure inside. Anakin stepped to the side. Obi-Wan's mouth fell open.
Anakin's voice crashed through the stony silence of the Council Chambers. "Barriss Offee is guilty of all charges levied against Ahsoka Tano." He glared at Barriss.
Obi-Wan sensed Anakin's barely restrained anger. Bariss' emotions were far slippier, far more complex. But he knew the answer he would receive when he quietly asked, "Barriss, are these accusations true?"
Every eye trained on the young woman, the air thick with tension.
Barriss lifted her head high. "I did it! I did it because I realized what many in the Republic have come to realize: that the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war, that we have so lost our way that we have become the villains in this conflict, that we are the ones who should be put on trial. All of us! And my attack on the Temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become: an army fighting for the Dark Side, fallen from the light we once held so dear. This Republic is failing! It's only a matter of time."
Stunned silence followed her speech. In the end, they had been betrayed by one of their own. Yet Obi-Wan sensed he was the only one, besides Master Plo, who heard the kernels of truth in her words.
Obi-Wan stroked his beard in deep contemplation.
Windu's face hardened. "Release Padawan Tano. We will speak with her later. Place Barriss Offee in a holding cell. I will inform Admiral Tarkin that we have discovered the true traitor."
Offee allowed herself to be carted away without further comment, head as high as any queen.
"Well." Windu steepled his fingers when Offee was gone. "I am relieved this matter is concluded."
Master Tiin nodded. "Indeed. Young Ahsoka Tano is to be praised for her strength and resilience. She has displayed the true markers of a Jedi Knight."
"Perhaps," Master Mundi suggested, "This was all part of her Great Trial."
Obi-Wan frowned. Ten minutes prior, they were poised to expel Ahsoka from the Order without even questioning her, yet now they had the audacity to act as if their selfish actions were purely benevolent!
"The Force works in mysterious ways," Windu agreed. "She is a greater Jedi now than she would have otherwise been. Perhaps her time as a padawan is concluded. What is your opinion, Obi-Wan? She is your padawan."
"What is my opinion?" Obi-Wan echoed in disbelief. His thoughts spiraled in a maelstrom. Obi-Wan stared at the faces surrounding him.
Faces he learned from.
Faces he trained with.
Faces he served beside.
Faces he had known his whole life.
Faces, he realized with great alarm, he no longer recognized.
He still remembered the first time he entered the Temple, oh so many years ago. He remembered the joy and pride he felt when he donned his robes for the first time. He remembered reveling in his new family.
And he remembered the first time he entered the Council chambers as a member, feeling like together they could steer the Order back to its former glory. Feeling like he mattered. Feeling like change was not only possible, but within reach.
Now…
Now…
Now the heavy veil was ripped from eyes and crumbling ruins replaced the glittering haven of his fantasies. Fantasies, for that's all it was. How long had he been blind to the ugly truth? How long had he deluded himself from reality? How long had he served an Order that no longer existed? Sacrificed for a people who would not do the same?
Disbelief and betrayal and agony roared in his ears.
I don't belong here.
And it angered Obi-Wan.
"What happened to the Order? Barriss Offee's actions were unquestionably wrong, but her assessment is not without some merit. I have seen it myself. We have lost our way. We have become so mired in politics and appearances that we have lost all sense of right. You would rather abandon one of our own than even consider an alternative. We allow the Senate - fickle and corrupt politicians - to dictate our actions when we are to be a bastion of light in a galaxy plunged in darkness! Where is the balance? Where is the justice?"
"Obi-Wan, you go too far."
Obi-Wan scoffed at Windu. "I go too far by daring to suggest that we have allowed ourselves to become pawns? I go too far by daring to question the Senate? The possibility offends you too much to consider? We have lost our way. How can we hope to guide the Order if we cannot even critically assess our actions?"
"Obi-Wan-"
"I must meditate," Obi-Wan interrupted Master Mundi. He leapt from his seat and strode from the Council chambers, robes billowing behind him.
He needed Adrina.
But Obi-Wan hesitated at the junction. He clenched his jaw and turned left, away from the Halls of Healing and towards the detention block. He needed Adrina, but his padawan needed him first.
Obi-Wan braced himself against the wall outside of the security wing, closed his eyes and exhaled in one last attempt to disguise the pain and anger coursing through him. Ahsoka needed his comfort and guidance, not the maelstrom of emotions raging inside.
Obi-Wan opened his eyes and entered the Temple's detention block. Its muted gray walls contrasted starkly against the rich vibrancy of the rest of the Temple.
Deeper into the wing, Anakin and Master Drallig would no doubt be interrogating Barriss Offee before she was shipped to the military tribunal. Fresh betrayal lanced him.
But Obi-Wan focused on the person who needed his attention the most: his padawan, who sat in the corner of her cell curled into a tight ball. Obi-Wan's heart broke a little further.
"Ahsoka," he murmured and turned off the ray shield pinning her inside.
Ahsoka's head shot up. She frowned. "Master! Are you alright? You look awful."
Obi-Wan's short, broken laugh deepened her frown. "I'm alright," he said and stepped into her cell. He sank down onto the bench beside her. Ahsoka unfurled herself.
Weariness settled in his bones so deep that he feared no amount of rest could banish it.
Ahoksa's keen eyes assessed him. "Something's happened."
"Yes. Good and bad, I'm afraid."
Ahsoka lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. Pride swelled within him.
"Your innocence has finally been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt," Obi-Wan said. Hope lit up her eyes.
"What's the bad news?" She asked cautiously. "It's not Healer Adrina, is it? She's still okay?"
"She's recovering," Obi-Wan assured her. "But the true traitor revealed themself."
Ahsoka inhaled sharply. "Who."
"Barriss Offee." Obi-Wan waited for an outburst of emotion, but Ahsoka only stared at him.
"You're sure?"
"She admitted it all. Vehemently. I am so very sorry."
Her brow furrowed. "She was my friend," Ahsoka whispered, voice cracking. "Tell me exactly what happened."
So he did, delicately omitting the Council's decision to expel her.
"What will happen to her now?"
"She will be expelled from the Order and tried before a military tribunal."
"Justice, I suppose." Ahsoka crossed her arms. "How could she do this?"
"She lost her way," Obi-Wan said simply. "Her grievances are not without merit, but she chose the wrong path."
"How can you say that?" Ahsoka demanded. "The Jedi-"
"Are not perfect," he said gently.
Ahsoka pursed her lips.
"I may not always have been the best master, and I may have too often allowed Anakin to assume duties that were rightfully mine, but I am proud of you, Ahsoka. I am proud of your strength and resilience. I am proud of the Jedi you are becoming. It is an honor to serve as your Master.."
Ahsoka studied him for a long moment. "You sound as if you're saying good-bye. Have you finally decided you're leaving the Order?"
Obi-Wan blinked.
Ahsoka huffed and waved her hand. "Oh, please. I have eyes. I see how you two look at each other when you think no one is watching."
Obi-Wan smiled sadly.
"So are you?" Ahsoka pressed.
Perhaps he might, but not yet. So he merely said, "Let's get you out of here."
Ahsoka leapt to her feet. "Is Maelle still on Coruscant? Or were they deployed again?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "She's still on the planet, though I am not sure if she is with Rex and Fives or if she has returned to the Temple."
Ahsoka frowned. "Rex and Fives? What'd I miss?"
"Fives…. Is accused of the attempted assassination of the Chancellor. He was on the run, but somehow Maelle found him in the lower levels and called in Anakin and Rex."
"Fives would never!"
"I agree. They are working to clear his name, as well."
"Let's go," Ahsoka said. She paused at the threshold of her cell. "No, I'll go. You go visit Healer Adrina. You look like you need it. Don't worry about me." She sprinted away without another word.
Obi-Wan watched her until she disappeared around the corner. Young as she was, he had to agree that she was indeed ready to shrug off the mantle of padawan.
He practically ran to the Halls of Healing across the Temple. Obi-Wan smiled vaguely at the technicians and healers, but he kept his focus on the little room at the end of the hall and the woman within.
Obi-Wan leaned back against the closed door. Alone in the silence, Adrina resting peacefully, Obi-Wan almost felt like he could finally breathe. But anxiety locked his chest in a vicious grip. He sighed and pushed off the door.
Obi-Wan sank into the chair beside Adrina's bed. Bacta and the Force performed their jobs admirably; the lacerations littering her body faded to little more than thick pink lines snaking across her golden skin, peeking out above the white gown. In a few days, with continued bacta, all outward evidence of Adrina's trauma would be erased.
He clutched Adrina's limp hand, the only thing keeping him tethered to reality as the emotions he kept so tightly leashed threatened to break him. He pressed her hand into his cheek.
"Come back to me," Obi-Wan whispered into the back of her hand. "Please, come back to me. I-" his voice broke. "I need you. Nothing makes sense anymore. Everything is falling apart."
Obi-Wan rubbed a slow circle on the back of her hand. "I feel…..adrift. I've lost my faith in the Order and I don't know how to get it back." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm not sure I want to."
What a horrible truth.
A tear slid down his cheek. "Just come back to me. I can't lose you, too. You're…. You're everything."
But Adrina did not stir.
The door slid open and Anakin stepped inside. Anakin balked, paling at the sight of Adrina's still form.
Obi-Wan held Adrina's hand tighter, drawing Anakin's attention.
Anakin smiled slightly and his posture relaxed marginally. "I thought I might find you here. Ahsoka ignored Master Windu's summons and went to find Maelle. But you… I thought you might need a friend."
Obi-Wan caressed Adrina's beautiful face with his eyes. "She'll wake soon," he whispered. "It's only been two days." Obi-Wan swallowed hard. He stared down at Adrina's hand. "I'm going to do it," Obi-Wan whispered. "I can't stay."
And as he whispered the words, he realized their truth. He couldn't stay.
Anakin studied Obi-Wan. "You are certain?"
Obi-Wan silently gathered his thoughts for a moment. Finally, he said, "I have dedicated my life to the Jedi Order. I have freely, happily, sacrificed many things, and until today was willing to continue to sacrifice my entire world, the best thing that could ever happen to me, for the good of the Jedi Order." He stared down at Adrina. "But when they decided to expel Ahsoka before even talking to her…. When I looked around the Council chamber ... I did not recognize what I saw. I looked around and I was ashamed. I was horrified. And I realized I was dedicating my life to an Order that no longer existed….and may never exist again."
A shadow fell over Anakin's face and Obi-Wan knew he bore bad tidings.
"You know I support you, all the way," Anakin said slowly. "But before you inform the Council, you're going to want to come with me to see the Chancellor." Anakin then summarized Fives' assertions, growing more nauseous with each word.
Icy dread gripped Obi-Wan. "Those are serious accusations." The implications if true…
Anakin scrubbed his face. "I don't know what to think. What to believe."
"Have you spoken with the Chancellor about what occurred in the medical bay?"
Anakin shook his head. "But I want you with me, as a friend and as a member of the Council."
Obi-Wan laid his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Of course, my friend."