DARK!OBES PART 8
DARKNESS COVERS CORUSCANT. THE REPUBLIC IS IN MOURNING OF THE DEATHS OF THE JEDI COUNCIL AND THE SUPREME CHANCELLOR. FOUR BODIES LIE INTWINED IN BLACK SILK SHEETS, PEACEFULLY SLEEPING WITH NO CLUE WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED. A COMLINK WAS BEEPING LOUDLY, PULLING THE SLEEPERS OUT OF THIER SATED SLUMBER.
RUNNING A HAND THROUGH HIS HAIR, OBI-WAN CRAWLED OVER PADME TO GO ANSWER HIS COMM. "YES?" HE ASKED SLEEPILY, ANNOYED THAT HE WAS BOTHERED.
A YOUNG FEMALE VOICE RESPONDED, "MASTER KENOBI, THIS IS PADAWAN TANO. YOU NEED TO RETURN TO THE TEMPLE. IS KNIGHT SKYWALKER WITH YOU?"
"WHY ARE WE NEEDED AT THE TEMPLE, AHSOKA?" OBI-WAN ASKED, TRYING TO HIDE HIS IRRITATION.
"THE COUNCIL... THE COUNCIL WERE ASSASSINATED... A BOMB" THE GIRL SAID, WITH A SHAKEY VOICE.
OBI-WAN STARTED GRABBING HIS CLOTHES, NOTICING ANAKIN WAS DOING THE SAME, "WE'LL BE THERE SHORTLY."
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WHEN THEY RETURNED TO THE TEMPLE THE FOUND THE PLACE IN UTTER CHAOS. VANE HID HIS PLEASURE AT THE PAIN RADIATING OFF THE COLLECTIVE ORDER, BUT HID HIS REACTION BEHIND THE MASK OF PAINED SERENITY HE WORE. HE COULD FEEL ANAKIN'S PAIN LIKE A BEACON, POURING OFF THE YOUNG JEDI IN WAVES.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'RE ALL GONE." ANAKIN WHISPERED, THEN LOOKED OVER AT OBI-WAN, A HARD LOOK ON HIS FACE, "TELL ME YOU WEREN'T BEHIND THIS OBI-WAN. PLEASE TELL ME THIS WASN'T YOUR DOING." ANAKIN PLEADED HIS FORMER MASTER IN A BROKEN VOICE.
OBI-WAN SHOOK HIS HEAD, "IF I WAS BEHIND THIS, YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN. I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU. THIS IS... SHOCKING, EVEN TO ME." OBI-WAN SIGHED, "THIS WASN'T OUR PLAN. YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME ON THIS, ANI."
ANAKIN NODDED, FOLLOWING OBI-WAN DEEPER INTO THE TEMPLE.
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SINN PROWLED THE STREETS OF CORUSCANT, SEARCHING FOR A FAMILIAR FORCE PRESENCE. SHE KNEW WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE. 'DAMN HIM!' SHE THOUGHT, CLENCHING HER HANDS INTO TIGHT FISTS. 'HE COULDN'T WAIT, COULD HE? COULDN'T WAIT UNTIL FATHER GOT HIS WAY TO TAKE HIM OUT.'
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PADME SAT IN AN EMERGANCY SENATE MEETING, HER THOUGHTS RACING. SHE HAD FOUND OUT THAT MASTER KENOBI WAS A SITH, AND ANAKIN HAD ACCEPTED HIS PLACE AS OBI-WAN'S APPRENTICE ONCE MORE. SHE KNEW THEY WERE PLANNING SOMETHING, BUT NOT THIS. SHE SHUDDERED, REMEMBERING WHAT SHE HAD DONE, WHAT SHE HAD LET THE SITH DO TO HER. HOW GOOD IT HAD FELT. HOW RIGHT.
SHE FELT GUILTY. SHE HAD BEEN IN THE THROWS OF PLEASURE WHEN THE CHANCELLOR AND THE COUNCIL HAD BEEN ASSASSINATED, AND SHE DIDN'T FEEL BAD ABOUT IT, THAT'S WHAT MADE HER FEEL GUILTY.
TBC