Memories

Chapter 23.

Obi-Wan's POV

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Fifteen minutes earlier ....

 "They don't seem to care!" he almost begged.

Anakin stood stubbornly before me, staring me down, the full height of his sixteen years reaching taller than I had ever grown. "Yes, I did just go against your orders! So what?"

"You can't just do that, padawan!" I scolded him, irritation and exasperation tainting my voice. "I ask you, or tell you, to do things for a reason! I need you to listen to me."

"I knew what I was doing," he retorted hotly, his arms folded tightly across his lanky frame. "You need to listen to me." He emphasized his last word by placing his hand on his chest. "I had a good reason for going!"

"But I had a better reason for you to stay!" I responded in frustration, then sighed. "Anakin, I need you to trust me."

"Why won't you trust me?" he countered, flames of anger and hurt dancing in his blue eyes. "I'm old enough to know what I'm doing! I saved so many people's lives by going!"

"I know, but —"

"You don't listen!" he shouted, moisture glistening in the edges of his eyes. "Do you even care about me?" he demanded, fury burning through the hidden tears as he waited for my answer, but I was speechless. 

"Now you don't even care about me?" he choked out, pain mingling with the anger. "I thought ...." Then he pushed past me and fled the tent.

"Anakin," I kept my voice low, trying not to exacerbate the already-volatile situation while at the same time trying to get Anakin thinking. My eyes flicked to the Council, checking for their reaction. I knew they would be holding me accountable, at least in part, for Anakin's words because they had asked me to talk to him about his behaviour. Needless to say, this wouldn't be winning him any favour with them. "You cannot say that."

"Yes, I can!" Anakin growled, his blue eyes flashing with hurt and betrayal. "If you've come to yell at me, you can go now. It's not like you care, either!" Then he shoved past me and ran from the room, leaving the Council stunned into silence.

I sighed, then turned to them, feeling embarrassment weighing a little heavier on me. "I'm sorry for Anakin's outburst. He shouldn't have spoken to you like that, but I hope you'll understand that he's under a lot of stress at the moment. He isn't thinking straight."

"You haven't talked to him, have you?" Mace commented, unimpressed.

"I tried to, but he took it badly and left before I got very far," I responded quietly.

"He should be listening to correction," he said flatly. "We're very displeased with him. Aren't you?"

I looked up quickly. "I am displeased with how he is. I agree he was wrong to speak to you as he did, but I want to know why he did what he did."

"Do you care to know why he didn't do what he should have?" Mace asked slowly, disapproval carved into his granite features. "Yes, I'm talking about the mission he failed – three times."

"He told me." My voice was low and my eyes down. "He said he was distracted. It must have been something rather important to him for him to get put off so much."

Mace remained grim, his lips pursed in a thin line. "Find him; talk to him. We aren't impressed."

I dipped my head but made no move.

"More to say, have you?" Yoda asked, though I couldn't figure whether his voice was disappointed or kind.

I sighed softly. "Please go easy on Anakin. He's going through more than any of us know – and more than any of us are likely to know." Then I smiled briefly and bowed before leaving the Council chamber.