The Skywalker Empire

Chapter 4

Truth and Forgiveness

Obi-Wan had been deep in thought when his former Padawan, Anakin Skywalker came into his quarters. Obi-Wan gave him a wary smile. He was happy to see him, but Anakin rarely came into his quarters. He hadn't for awhile. He had been growing distant, and Obi-Wan secretly hated it.
    Anakin was the first one to say something. "Hello, Master," he said quietly. "I was wondering if we could talk."
    Obi-Wan was alerted when he sensed that Anakin was nervous— very nervous actually. It was irregular, and it worried him deeply. "Of course we can, Anakin," he replied. "What is it?" The Jedi Master was nearly afraid of what the younger Jedi had to say.
    Obi-Wan sat down on his bed and silently invited Anakin to do the same. He did, though he refused to look at the older Jedi.
    "Master, I've... I've failed you," Anakin whispered hoarsely. "I have not been a good Jedi."
    Obi-Wan looked at him incredulously. "Anakin... What? How could you say that? You... you are a good Jedi! You've done so much for the Order— for the galaxy," he told him. "You're a far better Jedi than I could ever hope to be. How could you think you're not a good Jedi?"
    Anakin sighed, looking at him anxiously. "I... I broke the Code, Obi-Wan," he whispered. He didn't wait for his former Master to respond. If he waited any longer, he wouldn't be able to say what he needed to.
    "At the start of the war, me Padmè married." If the setting and mood was different, Anakin would've laughed at Obi-Wan's stunned expression. "We wanted to wait, but we were afraid that if something happened to either of us during the war, we would never get to be together. I... I know that it might have been immature, but I don't regret it. I love her."
    Obi-Wan pondered his emotions and feelings before replying to his former Padawan.
    "I- I knew that there has always been something between you and her, but I could've never imagined it was this serious," Obi-Wan responded, his eyes blinking rapidly. He was trying to make sense out of the whole situation.
    "Why are you telling me this now? If you've been hiding your marriage from me for this long, you wouldn't simply cave in and tell me for no reason. Tell me, Anakin. What's wrong?"
Anakin's eyes shut, and he focused to keep his breathing steady. After everything that had happened between them, Anakin didn't want to tell Obi-Wan about his nightmares. When he has told him about the ones he had been having about his mother, Obi-Wan had done nothing. Still, there was a chance that he would listen, and Anakin was determined to do anything to save Padmè.
"I've been having dreams recently. Bad dreams. They're about her. She's... pregnant, and in every one, she dies in childbirth," Anakin choked out, blinking his tears away. He wouldn't dare to cry in the presence of Obi-Wan. Anakin hadn't done that for years. He collected himself before he continued.
"Master, I- I can't let her die. I talked to Master Yoda about the dreams, and he said... he said to let her..." Anakin cut himself off. "Obi-Wan, please. I don't know what to do."
Obi-Wan looked at his former Padawan with deep sympathy in his eyes. When Anakin had told him about the dreams he had been having about his mother, Obi-Wan told him to ignore them. That hadn't gone well. Obi-Wan also knew what it was like to lose a woman he loved romantically. He didn't want Anakin to have to go through what he had. Due to both of those things, he didn't bother to put on the facade of a perfect Jedi.
    He looked up at his former Padawan— no, brother. "Anakin, come here," he requested, his voice gentle and his arms open, an invitation for a hug.
    Anakin looked at him, a cautious and hopeful expression on his face. He only hesitated for a moment before closing the space between them and hugging Obi-Wan.
    "I... I never took your dreams of your mother seriously, and I truly apologize for that," he whispered, regret evident in his tone. "I promise you though, I won't make the same mistake again. Tell me what you need me to do to help you, and I'll do it."
The younger Jedi looked at his former Master with dubiety. Anakin found it hard to think that Obi-Wan would be willing to do anything to help him. Especially considering what Anakin would want him to do if he actually agreed. He decided to voice his uncertainty. "Master, I don't understand. Forgive me for my wording, but why are you acting like you care? Once I thought that maybe you did, but after... after Hardeen, it's hard for me to believe that you do."
Obi-Wan looked at him with such hurt that it made Anakin want to cry. He hadn't meant to cause his former Master pain, he was just confused.
    "Anakin," he started, his voice cracking slightly. "I do care about you. You were my Padawan... I raised you. I'm aware that I have not been... the best at showing or telling you how I feel— I'm sorry about that— but I do care. I just... I have always put the Code above our friendship, even though that is not what Qui-Gon would've wanted me to do. He would've wanted me to openly care for you, to be there for you when you needed me. I have not done either, but I promise that from here now forward, I will do better." Obi-Wan sighed to himself. He had failed both Qui-Gon and Anakin.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin rasped. "I... I didn't mean to make you upset." In response to Anakin's words, the older Jedi shook his head. "Shh, Anakin. It's alright."
    He wanted to say something to Obi-Wan, but Anakin was afraid that anything he said would ruin the special moment. Instead of words, he showed his gratitude by tightening his grip on Obi-Wan— still it was not enough to hurt— just to make the moment seem more real.
They both smiled as they held onto each other, brotherly affection in their hearts. At that point in time, it didn't matter how things turned out. Nothing mattered at all, in fact. Time didn't exist at all. The only thing that did was Anakin's truth and Obi-Wan's forgiveness.