Second Chances (An Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi story)

Chapter 8

Obi-Wan

"That makes zero sense. There is no reason Anakin would have someone slaughter innocent people?" I reply once I recover from what Master Windu said.

"We don't have a clear motive for why he's doing it. We just know he's been spotted with the hooded figure, that's more than enough reasons to infer they are working together" Windu answers.

"You infer? So, you're not completely sure then?" I ask, "Also, earlier you said they were seen in the same vicinity, but just know you said they were spotted together. So, which is it? What makes you so sure they are working together?" I ask.

"While we..." he tries to say.

"Furthermore, today is the first time I have seen Anakin leave the house completely by himself. All the other times he's either left the house with the children and me or if I can't make it, it's just him and the twins. So, I'm to assume then that you believe Anakin is bringing his children with him to these so-called secret meetings with this hooded individual" I interrupt.

"Why yes, the children have been present with him the times he's been spotted in the area of the hooded figure. As you can imagine, this deeply troubles us as we fear for the children's safety. It also makes us wonder when we should step in and remove the children from a potential harmful home. The only reason we haven't done it yet is because you're here and we know you wouldn't let anything happen to them" he explains.

I'm left speechless as I begin to fill up with rage. Rage that I know shouldn't be overwhelming me. Rage so strong, that I haven't felt it since I witnessed Master Qui-Gon Jinn be impaled while I helplessly watched, incapable of helping him in time. I remain silent as I try to calm down that rage before finally responding "Anakin would never meet with this dangerous hooded killer with his children present, he would never let it get close to them. He is incapable of EVER putting his children in danger. I see that you still don't really know him at all. Not even the fact that he saved your life has changed your opinion on him, so I don't really know what will. Why do you mistrust him so much? He has proven his loyalty to us time and time again but apparently that isn't enough. By this point I don't think anything he'll ever do will ever be enough to convince you"

Not letting him answer, I continue my rant "However, if this is nothing more than a plot to somehow take his children from him just know I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. I was just a young naïve Padawan when we took Anakin from his mother but I have grown to see that what we did was abhorrent, no matter how well intentioned we tried to be. I'm not saying we shouldn't have rescued him, I'm saying we should have rescued both him and his mother. We could have done it, and while we did save Anakin from a future life as a slave, we did it by separating him from his mother. We left her there to continue her life as slave, without ever bothering to help her. The only reason I can think of as to why we didn't help her as well is that the council was afraid she would rightfully come for her son to take him with her. That she would take their precious chosen one from them and they couldn't let that happen." My mouth feels dry once I'm finally done talking. I end up taking the glass of water on the table to wash some off the bitterness away.

"How dare you insinuate we would ever do such atrocities. Do you even hear yourself talking? We never forced Anakin's mother to give us her son, she chose to do it. We couldn't get ourselves involved in freeing her when he we had bigger problems to focus on, besides she was freed eventually. How can you even think we're making all of this up to take the children? When we do take them from him it will be for their own safety not because of some conspiracy against Anakin" he angrily retorts.