Trial of the Times

Chapter 10 - Aftermath - Rewritten

As everyone follows the Chancellor and Nubian queen across the hanger bay in the palace the morning after the attempted kidnapping, Obi-Wan lingers in the back. "Ahsoka," he calls, hoping that she'll actually speak with him instead of studiously ignoring his presence like she has been since last night.

The Togruta tenses, finally turning back to look at him as the others walk away. "What do you want?" she asks, tone hostile.

Obi-Wan barely holds back a flinch at the waves of anger pouring off her. He still doesn't have any answers, and a part of him fears what he might hear. That's why he didn't ask Windu about Anakin last night. "I wanted to apologize, Ahsoka," he tells her truthfully. "I know that I did some questionable things, and I have hurt you, but I did what I had to do. This was the only way to protect the Chancellor and ensure the safety of the Republic."

Ahsoka's expression twists with raw fury, and he takes a step back at the potency of it. "If that's all you have to say, you might as well not have said anything at all!" she hisses, a lethal deadliness in her voice. "Everything that has happened – everything – it's all on your head!" Her voice breaks at the end of the sentence, and for a moment, Obi-Wan can see on her face – and feel in the Force – the devastation and pain that she's been hiding. Then, she walks away, hurriedly enough that Obi-Wan knows she doesn't want to be stopped.

He goes to find Windu, hoping that his fellow Council member will give him answers. They find a semi-private place to talk in one of the palace halls. "Where's Anakin?" Obi-Wan questions, getting right down to the point, bracing himself for whatever news he's about to receive.

Windu's face is as blank as usual, but Obi-Wan can see something akin to sorrow in his eyes. He's definitely not going to like this. "A few days after your funeral, Skywalker was found dead," Windu informs him, his expression almost sympathetic. The words don't – can't – register in Obi-Wan's mind. What? Anakin is dead? But that's just – it doesn't even make sense! How?

"And it's all because of you that I lost him and my master in one week!"

That would explain Ahsoka's reaction. She blames him – rightfully, no doubt – for what happened. "What?" Obi-Wan finally manages to say.

Windu looks down at the floor. "His fighter was found. It has crashed on Coruscant." And that, he won't believe.

"Impossible," refutes Obi-Wan, "Anakin is the best pilot. He couldn't have crashed."

"And yet his fighter was found, and we haven't heard from him since," Windu points out, "The Council has not yet determined the cause, which is why we have not released this knowledge publicly. Either he was shot down, or it was intentional." From the way he's talking, it's as if he believes that Anakin intentionally killed himself.

No way. The Council couldn't really think that – it's unthinkable. Anakin wouldn't do that. Except, whispers a very small voice in the back of his mind, he could have because he thought you were dead. You never bothered to tell him the truth. He wouldn't have known.

"Anakin wouldn't kill himself," Obi-Wan insists, though he knows exactly how uncertain he sounds. Because that doesn't sound like something Anakin would do. But Obi-Wan doesn't know that for sure since he only ever faked his death once. He doesn't really have any way of knowing how Anakin would have reacted. And the thought that he might have – unintentionally – killed Anakin is simply unbearable.

He couldn't have done something like though, could he? Would Anakin really abandon Ahsoka and even Padme in such a manner? It seems out of character for him. Although, Obi-Wan remembers how distraught Anakin was after rescuing Obi-Wan from captivity after Jabiim. Those weeks were hard, and he tries not to think of them often, but he'd known how incredibly clingy Anakin was, scarcely ever leaving his side, even though he had Ahsoka to teach.