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FAN ART |
FAN FICTION |
Rush by Love and Rock Music. (TCW) The first half of "Destroy Malevolence," as Anakin and Padmé make their way towards each other. |
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CALENDAR
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FAN FICTION
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Not to be Trusted
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The
importance of the facade to a politician could never be downplayed.
The art of being unreadable, of maintaining an external serenity
impeachable and un-probe-able by a mind less than a Jedi's, was honed
and perfected throughout their careers.
Amidala was a master of that art. Years of
hiding behind the masks of the Queen had turned her own face into a
blank slate. Joy and sorrow, anger and triumph could rage in her
spirit and be hidden in her body. She had the ability to show emotion
only when she chose to; and to disguise emotion so well as to be
thought cold, indifferent.
Perfectly composed, she awaited the Jedi Masters. The anxiety
radiating from her small stature was almost fever-pitched. Kenobi
literally braced himself against the impact as he and his Padawan
approached her. He observed cynically that Anakin made no effort
whatsoever to shield himself from the Senator's emotions. Instead, the
Padawan's senses were open, receiving Amidala's
emotions, welcoming them. Kenobi noticed the way Anakin seemed to
follow Amidala's every motion with his
eyes, the way his eyes sought to catch the Senator's eyes and the
way, she in turn avoided his eyes. It was not the first time his Padawan
had acted so unconventionally towards Amidala.
Kenobi was becoming afraid of a very disturbing trend.
"We will be leaving for a meeting with the Council shortly, my Lady.
Captain Typho has been left in charge of
your security detail. If you follow his instructions, I can assure you
that you will be safe."
The barb was intended and it was not missed. There was a definite
spike of resentment from Amidala; Kenobi
did not flinch. His mandate here was bigger than Amidala's
safety. He was also a Jedi Master with a wayward apprentice that just
so happened to be the Chosen One of the Jedi. He resented the way Amidala
had manipulated Anakin into helping her with her own private agenda
and in direct defiance of Anakin's instructions - a fact that she was
fully aware of. Anakin's devotion was painfully obvious to even a
casual observer. Kenobi had no compunction squashing at it publicly
whenever it revealed itself. It was more than merely embarrassing. It
was also dangerous. All Jedi had their flaws just as all men had their
weaknesses. But unlike Jedi, most men had the luxury of displaying
their flaws in the guise of being accepted as fallible creatures. A
Jedi could not afford to be regarded as less than invulnerable. A Jedi
with an obvious weakness was a beacon to an enemy, looking for any
loophole to exploit and attack. And the Jedi had many enemies.
Even now, he could feel an empathic wave of feeling rising in Anakin.
He sought out the Senator's eyes again and this time, she did not
glance away. A current of empathy, strong and foreboding connected
them briefly.
"Good day, My Lady."
Amidala dismissed them without another
word. As they passed out of her private chambers, Captain Typho
met them at the doorway.
"My Lady, Senator Organa is in the
lobby, requesting to see you."
"Of course, send - " Amidala stopped
abruptly. Then she looked pointedly at Kenobi.
"He doesn't have a prior appointment, does he?" Kenobi replied.
"What did he state as his business?"
"He heard the news of the assassin's attempt last night," Typho
replied. "He wants to reassure himself of the Senator's well
being."
The Jedi's mind searched for and located the familiar aura of the Alderaanian
senator. In the background the usual duplicity of a politician was
present but not sinister. In the foreground was anxiety, distress,
anger - almost out of proportion to the cause, and a strong devotion
that was making him lose composure.
"You may receive him if you choose to, My Lady. My Padawan
and I are leaving you in capable hands."
Anakin was still bristling when they entered the lift. He opened his
mouth as the doors closed but Kenobi got a word in first.
"I congratulate you, Padawan. You have
chosen to challenge me in private and not in public this time."
Anakin's mouth twisted as it struggled between replying the snide
remark and retorting what he previously had in mind to say. It chose
the latter.
"Padmé has a right to make decisions that affect her own life. She
was right to set a trap for the assassin. And she didn't make me
do anything. I helped her because I wanted to -"
"When did I ever say -?"
"I heard you. For someone who is always telling me to be mindful of
my thoughts - you were literally broadcasting! You have no right to
talk to her like that. And we shouldn't be leaving her alone - with
anyone - for any length of time."
It was remarkable how Anakin Skywalker could still, after ten years,
possess the uncanny ability to amuse and infuriate his master at the
same time. Kenobi had coped with this peculiar problem by choosing
clinically which emotion he needed to induce in his Padawan
at the time. He had observed that expressing one emotion produced the
other in his Padawan and vice versa.
"Our directive is to protect Senator Amidala."
He spoke with controlled anger. "Even if it
means protecting her from herself. I do not doubt the Senator's
capability of taking care of herself.
However, we have an assignment to do. A remarkably simple one as you have
been complaining to me ever since and for that reason, if not any
other, it would be inexplicable if we fail."
Kenobi had struck a little too close to home. The emotions he was
gleaning from his Padawan now were not
amusement but guilt.
"I would never have allowed any harm to come to her," Anakin
muttered.
"That was why you used her as bait for an assassin, of course, how
obvious your concern must be."
"I never thought of it like that!" He was exclaiming. "I would
never have agreed to it if I had. She wanted me to help her. I only
wanted to help her."
"Your judgment is severely impaired in matters concerning Senator
Amidala.
I have told you before how dangerous your thoughts regarding her can
be. How vulnerable -"
"Not another -!"
"And she is a politician. You might have placed her on a
pedestal but I certainly do not. And if her actions in this matter
have been anything to go by, then I think that I am right."
It came so quickly that Kenobi was unprepared. One moment, he stood
serenely next to Anakin, staring at the city planet beyond the plasti-glass
doors while he lectured his seething apprentice. The next moment, he
was being flung backward against the window with such force that for a
split-second, he thought the glass would shatter beneath his weight.
"Master Obi-Wan!"
His head had hit the glass sharply. Anakin's cry just managed to keep
Kenobi's rein on consciousness. Drawing on the Force, he pulled
himself upright and forced his body into equilibrium.
"Master Obi-Wan." His Padawan was
frantically tugging at him with his hands and the Force. "Master!"
"I am alright, Anakin. Compose yourself." Kenobi's sharp
retort had the desired effect and he felt Anakin's anxiety immediately
calm down. The anxiety was real and so was the concern and guilt
behind it. And the strong affection with which Anakin's aura brushed
against his was also genuine. But so also had been the hot-tempered
malice that had risen against Kenobi, the ire that had pushed him
against the wall.
"I didn't do it, intentionally," Anakin was saying. "I swear. I
just don't know what came over me."
"You lost your temper." Because I attacked Amidala,
but that was said in a higher level of consciousness than Jedi
telepathy could tap into.
"I - I didn't mean to." The words came out agitatedly.
"You lost your temper last night as well when we were interrogating
the changeling," Kenobi pointed out. And for more or less the
same reason.
Whatever Anakin would have said in reply was lost. The glass doors had
swung open. They stepped into the lobby of the Nubian Embassy and a
protocol droid enabled them to secure a public speeder. Soon, they
were zooming through the Coruscant traffic,
each lost his own thoughts.
It was Anakin that first broke the silence.
"I suppose I should meditate before the Council convenes for our
report."
Kenobi gave a longsuffering sigh. "It is not enough to know when
to meditate, my young Padawan," he
said with some asperity. "It is even more important to know on
what to meditate. And on what not
to." He did not need to send a Force suggestion about on
what not to meditate to Anakin.
Whatever positive effect he had meant to impact was lost. Anakin's
aura pulled abruptly away from his and immediately immersed itself in
the pseudo-somnolence of Jedi meditation.
Kenobi decided that now was not the best time to remind Anakin - again
- of the inappropriateness of a Jedi meditating in public. Well, he
decided, this would soon be over. With this last attack on the Nubian
Senator, the Council would inevitably instigate an investigation and
logically, the assignment would be given to Kenobi and Anakin. His Padawan
would be equally pacified and disappointed. The Jedi would focus fully
on the investigation and play a distant supervisory role on the
details of the Senator's personal security. Anakin and his Master
would be given a reprieve from the beautiful Amidala.
And Kenobi would then be able to tackle some of his Padawan's
issues concerning detachment.
The rest of the journey was completed in silence.
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