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PART 3 - Alone in the Rainfall

Anakin braced himself for the tirade he expected from his master-the utterance of the Jedi Code as if it were some holy writ-but it never came. Instead, Anakin watched as all the blood drained away from Obi-Wan's face. Stepping to his desk, Obi-Wan sank down in the chair, his face a blank. With a faraway look in his eyes, he whispered incredulously, "Wife...."

Anakin frowned. Why wasn't Obi-Wan telling him how much of a disappointment Anakin was to him? Why didn't his former master take him to task? Where was the typical Obi-Wan reprimand, the one that belittled him and made him feel as if he could crawl under a rock and remain there until he turned to dust? Anakin thought it would be easier to take if Obi-Wan didn't look so defeated.

Focusing on the cityscape reflected in the window, the older Jedi asked quietly, "What is the danger to the senator?"

Anakin felt his whole body flush with something akin to embarrassment. Despite all the measures he and Padmé had used, Anakin's former master was not fooled by their performances of friendship and piety. Swallowing hard, Anakin answered, "Padmé is with child."

Obi-Wan slowly blinked and looked up. "...Child...?!" The word came out like a breath of wind. The older man's eyes squinted with a questioning frown. "...When...?"

Anakin's eyes flickered to the floor and back again, a pronounced frown creased on his brow. "After the battle at Geonosis."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, pain etched over his features. Anakin watched as his master's hands gripped the folds of his robe and pulled tight. Then with a sigh, Obi-Wan released the robe and the conflicting pain within him.

Anakin bent down to one knee before the older Jedi and beseeched, "Please, Master. Padmé will die if she bears this child... ."

Obi-Wan's cold eyes rose up to meet Anakin's. "You should have thought of that before you took her as your wife."

Anakin shuddered, the emotionless rejection of his master passing through him. Why had he thought he could turn to Obi-Wan with this? Visions of his master's horror-stricken face drenched with sweat from their furious fight on Mustafar swam before his eyes. /It didn't happen like that/, Anakin reminded himself as he clamped his eyes shut, willing the remainders of the Dark Vision away. He didn't hate Obi-Wan.

...But he did.

"...Please, Master...," he pleaded again, keeping his eyes averted, hoping that whatever was happening to him wouldn't drive him to insanity before he secured help for Padmé.

Obi-Wan sighed and glanced down at the floor. Shaking his head, he informed his former apprentice, "It is not within my power to say what will happen to Senator Amidala, Anakin." Sorrow filled his blue-grey eyes as they rose again, trying to meet Anakin's. "Nor what the Council will decide what to do with you."



The Council chamber doors opened, and Anakin's skin prickled at the back of his neck. The near-180 view of Coruscant, the seated masters in a semi-circle, but most especially the earthly yellows and reds of the ornamental pattern etched into the floor brought back a floodgate of memories. Forever would he remember the days he stood in the centre of this room, humbly taking whatever admonishment and judgment the Council administered.

Today he would be condemned.

Anakin strode into the middle of the room and paused. Two chairs to his left remained vacant. One was Obi-Wan's, the other meant for him. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had insisted the Council allow him a voice-he was a great war hero and destroyed a Sith Lord, after all. Reluctantly, the other Council members had agreed, just as they had reluctantly conceded to Qui-Gon's dying request to allow him to be trained in the Jedi arts 13 years before.

Mace Windu began, fully expecting the two empty chairs to become occupied in a moment now that they last two Jedi of the Council had arrived. "As many of you are already aware, the clone army has suddenly-" Mace stopped, eyeing Anakin and Obi-Wan who had both remained in the centre of the room. "Is something wrong, gentlemen?"

Anakin turned away from his chair to face the Jedi Master. In a low tone, he spoke, "I do not deserve to be on this Council, Master Windu, and we both know it."

Mace's mouth deepened into a pondering frown. "Why do you say this, Knight Skywalker? You've earned your place here-"

"No," Anakin interrupted, turning again to look upon Obi-Wan who continued to stand behind him. "No, I haven't." The learner and master exchanged a look-Anakin's face full of steely anger, Obi-Wan's face reflected sorrowful defeat.

Anakin continued to circle the room, looking upon each master one-by-one. Each Jedi met his eyes, their thoughts reflected back to him as each made contact. Finally he came to Yoda, and for a moment, Anakin realised how good it was to see the little ancient gnome. Then their eyes met, and Anakin knew the Jedi Master saw right through him. Yoda lowered his eyes, his face sullen.

Yes, Anakin realised, Yoda was remembering what had transpired between them only a few days ago.

Anakin had approached the old Jedi Master in the garden of the thousand fountains where he sat in his daily meditation.

"Master Yoda," Anakin interrupted as he bent down on one knee beside Yoda. The elder gave him a warning glance, reminding the petulant young one the virtues of patience. This forced Anakin to sit still and endure several long minutes of silence until the Jedi Master finally addressed him.

"What urgent matter is this that wait until after meditation you cannot, young Skywalker?" Yoda spoke in his strangely stilted voice, a mix of gruffness from old age and a lighter lilt from his endless amusement with which he viewed the world.

"Master," Anakin implored, "you are the most knowledgeable of all the Jedi, with great abilities to see into the future. I need your help."

"Hmm! Flattery suits a Jedi not!" Yoda reprimanded Anakin for trying to influence him with platitudes. He took up his gimmer stick and stood from his meditative position. He began to walk down the path through the garden. Anakin rose and followed him.

"Master," Anakin continued, "I've had a troubling vision."

"A troubling vision, have you? Think of consulting me, you did?"

"Yes, Master. I-" Anakin realised Yoda had stepped off the path to visit the plant life beside it. As the Jedi Master enjoyed the fragrance, Anakin lowered his voice to confide. "Someone I know-someone very important to me-is going to die. It's something I can't prevent."

"Hmm," Yoda was genuinely concerned, but more so at the implied request than for the young Knight's dilemma. "Seek me out, you have, to save one you cannot."

Anakin bowed his head in humility and shame. "Yes, Master."

Yoda turned to the young man and patted his gimmer stick at the ground to indicate that Anakin sit. Anakin did so, waiting for Yoda to continue.

"Many trials, a Jedi faces," Yoda began, "all of them difficult. None more so than that of losing a friend. Test you, it will, Jedi Skywalker. For all the knowledge your training gives you, preventing death, you cannot. To this, bend to the will of the Force, you must."

You lie, Anakin had thought at the time. Palpatine had told him the tragic tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise-a Sith Lord who had discovered the secret of life. The Chancellor had warned Anakin he would not hear this story from the Jedi-they would not reveal its secrets. Palpatine had been right. When Yoda had refused to help, Anakin realised he had just been a tool to the Jedi Order-someone to fulfill some crazy prophecy. A prophecy Anakin doubted had any credence.

So Anakin had decided that if they were going to use him to spy on Palpatine, he would use the Jedi for his own purposes. His training made him a great Jedi-the greatest of all time. When Palpatine had revealed he was, in fact, Darth Sidious, a master of the Dark Sith arts, Anakin have given himself to the Dark Side to grow in power and discover the secrets of life from the Dark Lord.

But he hadn't.

It had never happened.

And Anakin stood before the Council as a defeated man.

Rage began to build within his tall frame. His lightsabre dangled precariously at his hip, so easy to clasp it, ignite it and end this conflict in one fell swoop. It took all of Anakin's strength not to act on the impulse, his body drawing tautly as he spoke slowly, "I broke the Code. After the Battle of Geonosis, I was secretly married." Anakin's eyes seemed to turn dark as he glared at the Jedi Masters surrounding him, who watched him in stunned silence.

"Master Kenobi," Mace's incredulous stare moved to Anakin's former master who continued to stand patiently in the middle of the Council chambers. "Were you aware of this-?"

"Of course not," Anakin spat impatiently.

Obi-Wan reprimanded him, his ice-cold eyes bearing down on his former padawan, despite the fact that the older man was a head shorter. "I can speak for myself, Anakin."

The two men glared at each other, Anakin's hands balling into fists before he ducked his head and looked away.

Obi-Wan addressed Mace, "I had been aware of Anakin's adolescent crush."

Beside him, Anakin haughtily verbalised his disagreement of Obi-Wan's statement with a simple "Ha!"

The Jedi Master ignored him and continued, "Although it nearly caused a problem at the Battle of Geonosis, I believed his defeat against Count Dooku humbled Anakin."

Anakin startled at Obi-Wan's words. Did Obi-Wan really think Dooku had put Anakin in his place? His efforts to double his lightsabre training had been an act of vengeance. One he gleefully enjoyed when the recent opportunity had come again to challenge the former Jedi. And Anakin had made Dooku pay dearly. Although Obi-Wan instructed his former padawan to take the leader of the Separatists alive, Anakin had had other plans. The burn of his missing limb still lingered in his mind and tore him asunder every time he lifted his right arm to do battle or caress his wife when they made love. In repayment, Anakin had taken both of Dooku's hands and finally his head-proving he was the stronger of the Jedi.

But not to Obi-Wan. And not to the rest of the Council. To them, Anakin was still reckless and foolhardy. Someone who needed to be put in his place, taught a lesson. Controlled.

Obi-Wan continued, "He was more earnest in his training afterward. And more...mature in regards to relationships." The older Jedi looked humbled, as if Anakin's disobedience was his own personal failure.

"Why tell us this now, young Skywalker?" It was Yoda who asked, although he already knew they answer.

Anakin replied, "She is with child. If she bears the child, she will die."

Every Jedi within the Council chambers responded to that with profound sadness. A Jedi respects all life, and yet it was a Jedi's choice that would cause this pain and death.

Mace began to deliver the fatal blow: "It is regrettable when lives are lost-"

"You're going to condemn Padmé? !" Anakin burst out angrily.

"Padmé...?" Mace's eyes grew wide. The rest of the Council murmured and glanced at one another with shock. Mace continued, "Your wife is Senator Amidala of Naboo?"

Anakin opened his mouth to continue to rebuke the Council, but Obi-Wan placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and spoke in his steed, "Yes, Master Windu. I'm afraid this is true."

Mace closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the Force for guidance. Reopening his eyes, he spoke, "The state of the Republic is at a turning point. Senator Amidala has been key in keeping many worlds from joining the Separatists. Her death would be most unfortunate."

"Then do something!" Anakin shouted, leaning forward against Obi-Wan's outstretched arm.

Mace gave Anakin an admonishing look, then sighed and looked at the other Council members, one-by-one. In turn, each of them nodded after a moment of introspection, silently communicating their agreement with the suggestion he had relayed to them via the Force.

Ending with Yoda, Mace returned his gaze to the two men who stood before him. Obi-Wan continued to hold Anakin back, who very desperately wanted to run out of the room, seek out his transport, and return to his wife in order to steal her away from whatever fate the Jedi would impart.

"Obi-Wan," Mace addressed him, "you will bring the senator here to the Temple, and our healers will attempt to save her and the child's life." Relief washed over Anakin like a wave, until Mace spoke again, addressing him, "Anakin, when you return, the Council will decide your fate." Mace's dark eyes met Anakin's, his face stern.

Anakin's face became a blank, his eyes like steel.

He had been right. He would be condemned.