DARK!OBI 9
THE WEEKS FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATIONS SEEMED TO FLY BY IN A BLUR. A NEW COUNCIL HAD BEEN FORMED, WITH OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN AS MEMBERS. BAIL ORGANA HAD BEEN ELECTED AS THE NEW SUPREME CHANCELLOR, AND THE WAR SEEMED TO BE GRINDING TO A HALT. WITH THE LEADERS OF BOTH SIDES DEAD, NO ONE WAS SURE JUST HOW TO CONTINUE. AS GOOD AS THINGS WERE GOIND, PADME WAS WORRIED, AS SHE HAD BEEN GETTING SICK QUIET OFTEN LATELY. ANAKIN WAS RARELY HOME, AS HE WAS EITHER AT THE TEMPLE HELPING WITH THE REBUILDING, OR WITH OBI-WAN, WHOSE WIFE WAS OFF HUNTING WHO SHE BELIEVED WAS RESPONSABLE FOR ALL THE DEATHS.
RUMORS WERE FLYING THAT A GROUP OF MANDOLORIANS WERE BEHIND THE ASSASSINATIONS, WHILE OTHERS CLAIMED IT WAS THE CLONES, TURNING ON THE REPUBLIC, WHILE OTHERS STILL CLAIMED IT WAS JUST A TRAGIC ACCIDENT AT THE TEMPLE WHICH HAD UNFORTUNATELY SYNCED UP WITH THE CHANCELLOR'S DEATH. NO ONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SITH, THINKING THAT THEY HAD BEEN WIPED OUT WITH DOOKU'S DEATH, SO THEY WEREN'T BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE.
--- IN OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN'S QUARTERS ---
OBI-WAN SHOOK HIS HEAD AS ANAKIN HASTILY STRAIGHTENED UP THE PLACE. "IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT, ANI," OBI-WAN CHUCKLED.
ANAKIN LOOKED OVER HIS SHOULDER, A GLARE ON HIS FACE, "YOU KNOW YOU COULD BE HELPING ME PICK UP, MASTER. YOU HELPED MAKE THIS MESS." HE GRABBED CLOTHES AND EMPTY BOTTLES OFF THE FLOOR, THROWING THE CLOTHES IN A HAMPER AND THE BOTTLES IN THE DISPOSAL UNIT. "SHE'LL BE HERE IN AN HOUR, MASTER. THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE CLEAN."
OBI-WAN LAUGHED, STANDING UP TO HELP ANAKIN CLEAN THE QUARTERS. "YOU'LL DO FINE, ANI. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T LET HER KNOW WHAT YOU TRULY ARE, THAT IS."
ANAKIN NODDED, SIGHING WITH RELIEF WHEN THE ROOM WAS FINALLY CLEAN. OBI-WAN PULLED HIM INTO A HUG, SMILING, "YOU'LL BE A GREAT MASTER, ANI."
LESS THAN TEN MINUTES LATER THE DOOR OPENED AND ANAKIN'S NEW PADAWAN, AHSOKA TANO WALKED IN, REX BEHIND HER CARRYING HER FEW BELONGINGS.
--- --- ---
WITHIN A WEEK OF MOVING IN, AHSOKA WAS ALREADY NOTICING THAT SOMETHING WASN'T QUITE RIGHT WITH HER NEW MASTER. THE SECRET LATE NIGHT COMM SESSIONS, THE SNEAKING AROUND, THE WAY HE SWITCHED THE TOPIC WHENEVER SHE TRIED FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT HIM. SHE WAS SURE SHE HAD SEEN HIM SNEAKING OUT OF OBI-WAN'S BEDROOM ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASSION, LOOKING FLUSHED AND TIRED. SHE FINALLY DECIDED TO TRY A NEW TACTIC AND TALK TO MASTER KENOBI. THE ELDER JEDI HAD KNOWN HER MASTER FOR OVER A DECADE NOW.
SHE FOUND OBI-WAN SITTING ON THE COUCH, READING A DATAPAD, A FROWN ON HIS FACE. SHE CLEARED HERE THROAT, SITTING DOWN NEXT TO HIM. "MASTER KENOBI? CAN I TALK TO YOU ABOUT MY MASTER?"
OBI-WAN NODDED, HIS FACE THE PICTURE OF CALM SERENITY, WHILE HIS THOUGHTS WERE FOCUSED ON WHAT HE HAD JUST READ. "OF COURSE, PADAWAN."
"SOMETHING'S, WELL... SOMETHING'S NOT QUITE RIGHT WITH HIM." SHE SAID SOFTLY.
OBI-WAN RAISED AN EYEBROW, "OH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
AHSOKA WENT ON TO TELL HIM EVERYTHING SHE HAD SEEN, EVERYTHING SHE HAD SUSPECTED WAS GOING ON WITH ANAKIN. AFTER A HALF HOUR OF OBI-WAN LETTING HER SPEAK SHE LOOKED UP AND ASKED, "YOU KNOW SOMETHING, DON'T YOU?"
OBI-WAN SIGHED, "PADAWAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT YOU ARE WORRYING OVER NOTHING. I'LL LET HIM KNOW YOUR CONCERNS." HE STOOD UP, AND WALKED TO THE DOOR, CLEARLY SIGNALING THAT THE CONVERSATION WAS OVER.
--- --- ---
AFTER HIS CONVERSATION WITH AHSOKA, OBI-WAN MADE HIS WAY OUT OF THE TEMPLE AND HEADED TOWARDS LOWER CORUSCANT, DITCHING HIS JEDI ATTIRE BEFORE REACHING HIS DESTINATION. HE WALKED INTO THE BAR, WALKING SWIFTLY OVER TO HIS USUAL TABLE. SINN WAS ALREADY SEATED, ANGER POURING OFF OF THE WOMAN IN WAVES. OBI-WAN WAVED OVER A SERVER, AND ORDERED A DRINK. HE WAITED UNTIL IT ARRIVED TO SPEAK. "WHAT IS THAT BASTARD THINKING," HE GROWLED, SLAMMING BACK HIS DRINK.
"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT NICK IS THINKING," SINN PRACTICALLY SPAT HER TWIN'S NAME, "HE'S THINKING TO TAKE THE GALAXY FOR HIMSELF. MY PLANS, HELLS EVEN ME BE DAMNED."
OBI-WAN NODDED, "I TALKED TO BEN-WA. HE'S TRACKING YOUR BROTHER NOW. HIRED SOME BOUNTY HUNTERS TO HELP HIM. YOUR BROTHER WILL BE STOPPED, IF IT MEANS KILLING HIM MYSELF, SWEETLING."
SINN NODDED, HER EYES FLASHING WITH THE DARKSIDE. "AND ANAKIN? HOW GOES HIS SITH TRAINING, MY LOVE?"
"IT'S GOING WELL. HE IS ADVANCING AT AN EXTREMELY FAST RATE. I'M QUITE PROUD OF HIM." OBI-WAN GRINNED, "PADME MIGHT BE AN ISSUE THOUGH. SHE'S BEEN... UNWELL AS OF LATE."
SINN GRINNED, "SHE'S ABOUT AS UNWELL AS I AM, BELOVED." SHE RAN HER HAND ACROSS HER ABDOMIN, A SMILE PLASTERED ON HER FACE.
OBI-WAN RAISED HIS EYEBROW, A SMUG GRIN ON HIS FACE, "OH, REALLY!?!"
TBC