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"It seems that for once, we've managed to get ourselves into a happy ending of sorts", Obi-Wan said. "This situation could've gotten seriously out of hand."
Anakin sighed deeply.
"You don't need to tell me that", he said. He both looked and sounded tired, but he was still smiling as he watched Ahsoka across the plaza. Obi-Wan looked over to her as well. She looked just as tired as Anakin, but she was also smiling as she spoke with Rex. That was a good sign. Obi-Wan still wanted to make sure that she was going to talk about all that had happened with someone. He should tell Anakin to make sure she would.
He would, in just a moment. First, he had other things to say.
"I am very proud of you", he said. "Both of you, for not letting your emotions take over you in a difficult situation like this. Ahsoka decided to trust you, even when everything seemed to be going wrong. I'm glad your teachings have made her subdue her impulses."
He had been unsure about pairing Anakin and Ahsoka together. They were very similar in great many ways, and he had been worried that they would just end up amplifying the traits they needed to learn to control. Things had seemed to be heading to that exact scenario, but thankfully, it instead seemed like Obi-Wan had worried too much.
Anakin twisted his smile into a half grin.
"Thank you, Master", he said. "I'm proud of her as well."
Obi-Wan smiled back at him. Before he could say anything else, though, he noticed someone approaching them.
"Senator Organa." Obi-Wan turned towards the man. "Good evening."
Bail Organa smiled at him. It was a polite smile, but still genuine enough, Obi-Wan thought.
"Good evening to you too, Master Kenobi", he greeted him in turn. "No more responsibilities for the night?"
"Not too many, at the moment, though I assure you, they never truly end", Obi-Wan said. "I'm sure you can understand. Though, it seems that you have a free night for once as well? The Temple is not in the direction of either the Senate or your apartments."
Organa tilted his head slightly to the side. He was still smiling, though Obi-Wan thought that he could see a small change in it. It was tighter, now. Still polite, but clearly a lot less genuine than just a moment ago.
Curious. Obi-Wan reached out, ever so slightly, and he was met with a wall as tall as the man himself, and behind that wall, he sensed a storm.
That was concerning. Obi-Wan had learned to trust and even like Bail Organa over the years, despite him standing securily on the field of politics. Even if they didn't always see eye-to-eye in their approaches to different situations, Obi-Wan knew for certain that Bail Organa of Alderaan was a good man. His readiness to help people directly where the help was needed had truly confirmed that to Obi-Wan.
Feeling such a turmoil coming from him now was enough to raise the alarms in Obi-Wan's mind. Was there something they had missed? Was he here to deliver bad news to them, extending a small courtesy by coming and telling them himself, instead of letting them be summoned in front of the entire Senate again?
"Oh, I'm here on a more personal matter", Organa said. Then he turned away from Obi-Wan to look at Anakin instead.
All the politeness that had been left on his expression disappeared immediately, leaving behind just an empty gesture. No, not quite, Obi-Wan realised. It was a mask.
Obi-Wan was even more worried now of what he was about to say.
"Evening, General Skywalker", Organa said. "I heard that all the charges they were considering on giving Padawan Tano were dropped. Congratulations."
Anakin seemed to realise that something was going on as well. He stood more guarded now, his own smile long gone.
"Thank you", he said still. He was testing where the situation was heading.
The smile on Organa's face sharpened. The mask was starting to crack.
Obi-Wan had a bad feeling about all of this.
"The situation must've been difficult to you", Organa continued. "I can only imagine how it feels like, to have the power of the Force on your side, but then be stopped by a single panel of security glass. Though, as I have seen the feats the Force can do, it wouldn't have been able to stop you, wouldn't it?"
Anakin frowned.
"I don't understand what-" He started, but stopped when Organa suddenly stepped closer. Anakin was tall, but Organa was even taller, and had broadness to him that Anakin's body had not yet begun to fill.
The smile was gone, now. The mask had dropped.
"It was fortunate that there were others present, wasn't it?" He asked Anakin, his voice low. If it had been anyone else, Obi-Wan would've seen him as a danger. "I'm just wondering, what would've happened, if it had been just you and Commander Fox there, with the piece of glass between you two? Tell me. Would you have stopped yourself?"
Anakin's face was a mixture of multitude of things. Anger. Confusion. His presence in the Force was swirling with all of them as well.
Bail Organa had only one feeling on him at that moment. Tightly controlled, cold fury.
Obi-Wan had to step in.
"What is going on?" He asked, both of them, really.
Anakin opened his mouth, but Organa was quicker to answer.
"General Skywalker demanded to be let in to where Padawan Tano was kept after her arrest", he explained. "Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard had to inform him that due to the nature of the suspected crime, the case was transferred over from the Jedi, by the orders of Admiral Tarkin. Who, if I may add, holds excecutive power over the Guard, instead of the Jedi. General Skywalker decided that this didn't matter. According to multiple witnesses, he turned rather aggressive towards Commander Fox."
Anakin bristled.
"I didn't even touch him!" He argued, his voice rising.
Organa wasn't phased at all by this.
"You had to be escorted out by armed Guards", he said, his voice still just as level. "Now, I think it's better you listen carefully, because I am not going to be telling this to you again in the future."
He leaned down, his mouth right at the level of Anakin's ear now.
"If I ever hear that you have even raised your voice at Commander Fox, or any of the Coruscant Guard, I can assure you, you will find that there will be consequences", he said. "Am I being clear? Stay away from him."
Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. Anakin was still scowling, but there was something else making its way onto his face as well. Dread.
"Are we clear?" Organa asked. "I'm sure there are a lot of people who see this all as a much graver mistake than you do. I'm also sure they would be interested in the other unconventional matters you have engaged in."
Anakin opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he snapped it shut just as quick.
"Are we clear?" Organa asked, once more.
"Yes", Anakin spat out. "We are clear."
"Good. I'm glad that we could arrive to an agreement", Organa said, sounding just like all the politicians Obi-Wan had heard in his life sounding like when they had just done business. He straightened his back, and stepped away from Anakin, and turned to look at Obi-Wan once again. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Master Kenobi."
"What was all of tha about, Senator?" Obi-Wan asked. "I'm afraid I don't understand why you are taking it upon yourself to interrogate Anakin on the behalf the Guard?"
Not that he was at all pleased with what he had just heard, nor did he have to wonder what other matters Organa was talking about. There just seemed to be a rather large hole in the story, that Obi-Wan was not able to fill out. Neither could Anakin, it seemed, as the confusion Obi-Wan had felt on him at the start of the conversation still lingered, strong as ever.
Organa leveled Obi-Wan a look.
"We all have people who we love, and who we wish to protect from all harm", he said. "Any harm. On that, I think General Skywalker and I can both readily agree upon. It is most disheartening, when the harm comes from the one place that is supposed to be safe, on top of everything else."
He glanced at Anakin.
"I think we can all also agree on that the Chancellor does not need to hear about this", he said. "I imagine General Skywalker already wishes to go tell all about this to his good friend, in order to have all of his actions rationalised, no matter how hurtful they are."
He nodded his head.
"Have a good rest of your evening", Organa said, and then turned around and walked away, with his head held high and without turning to look back once.
Obi-Wan watched him go for a while, before he turned towards Anakin. Anakin, who was now all but ready to boil under the surface. There was one more feeling Obi-Wan could feel on him now, though. Fear.
Obi-Wan sighed, and reached his hand.
"Anakin-" Anakin sneered, and stepped away.
"I'm going to talk to Ahsoka and Rex", he said, and marched away across the plaza before Obi-Wan could say anything more.
Obi-Wan sighed again.
It seemed like there was so much more they needed to talk about than he had realised.
#idk I think someone should put anakin to his place#also padme you better not excuse anakin bc girl you're about to become collateral#should make you think about things as well#this was all an excuse to write angry protective bail lmao#I thought of bail looking anakin in the eyes and saying 'bitch' and that was it#sw#tcw#Star Writing#my writing#ficlets#Obi-Wan Kenobi#Anakin Skywalker#Bail Organa#Commander Fox (mentioned)#bail/breha/fox
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