Trial of the Times

Chapter 16 - Confrontation

"Anakin?" exclaims Obi-Wan, incredulously, "But you were dead! Everyone on the Council thinks so. How can you still be alive?"

"I think I shall let you speak with your master alone, Skywalker," Dooku remarks, turning to the younger man, "I know you have much to discuss with him. I will not bother you."

Anakin smirks, his blue eyes – which have an edge to them Obi-Wan has never seen before – never leaving his former master's face. "I'm grateful, Count." With a brief nod, Dooku sweeps out of the room.

"Now, Master, I think we have some things to discuss," Anakin snaps, the playful look disappearing from his face. His eyes turn to ice, and he glares daggers into Obi-Wan. Never had Anakin thought their confrontation would go anything like this. Dooku had taught him how to remain calm, but everything keeps slipping from his mind as he stares at the man who has broken his heart. Anger and pain vie for the upper hand, both emotions reflecting on his face.

Obi-Wan suddenly looks weary. Maybe he'd expected Anakin's reaction. Maybe not. It doesn't really matter. "I can explain –" he begins.

"Explain?" cries Anakin, "I don't think you have anything to explain. Did you ever, for one moment, stop to think about how I might feel? Or maybe it's just that you didn't even care! Did you ever care about me? Because I certainly know that you never trusted me!" He pauses, taking a deep breath before he continues, "If I'd known what was going on, I could've helped you! Too bad the Council didn't trust me."

Anakin turns around and stalks to the window, staring outside as he tries to regain control of his temper. Obi-Wan looks stung by the accusation, but he doesn't lose his cool. "Anakin, it was my decision to keep the truth from you. I knew if you were convinced I was dead, Dooku would believe it as well. And speaking of Dooku, what are you doing with him?"

Anakin glances over at him, giving him another icy glare, "You are in no place to be asking me questions. How could you even decide something like that? Don't you know what could have happened to me? I could have fallen to the Dark Side. I nearly did, and it's your fault!"

"Look, I know I did some questionable things, but I did what I had to do," replies Obi-Wan, seeming unruffled by Anakin's outburst, "I hope you can understand that."

The Dark Side rushes to him, teasing him with its lure of power, whispering to him that hurting someone would help. Anakin closes his eyes. He's never been this furious before. He doesn't need to look at Obi-Wan to know that his former master can feel the Dark Side surge. And he can't lose his temper on his brother like that. Even if Obi-Wan doesn't care about him, Anakin still loves him. If he hurt him, he'd only be hurting himself. But why doesn't Obi-Wan seem to understand anything? No apology. Nothing. Just I hope you can understand. There's nothing he needs to understand except –

"You lied to me!" screams Anakin, clenching his fists, his temper finally snapping, "How many other lies have I been told by the Council? How many other times have you lied to me? How am I ever supposed to trust you if you can't just be honest?" From the stunned, and slightly horrified, expression that appears on Obi-Wan's face, he knows his eyes probably just turned yellow. Who cares?

And Dooku taught him that he needs to control his anger, so it doesn't control him, but his control seems to have been sucked away. He takes a step forwards, not sure exactly what he's planning to do. He's shaking from rage and pain and betrayal. This, this is harder than when he thought Obi-Wan was dead, and some twisted part of him almost wishes that it was true, because even as hard as it would have been to live in a world where Obi-Wan is dead, it will be so much harder to live knowing that his brother lied to him and betrayed him for nothing.