Trial of the Times

Chapter 27 - Decisions - Rewritten

There's a ripple of agreement in the Force. "It doesn't have to be a long confinement," Shaak Ti proposes. "All we need is enough time to ensure that Skywalker is stable before allowing him to leave and live as he sees fit. He is no longer a Jedi, and as such, I do not feel that we have the authority to detain him for extended periods of time."

"He committed treason when he allied with Dooku," Windu reminds her. "Are we then to allow that to go unpunished?"

"Is it really treason if he was working to defeat a much bigger threat?" argues Obi-Wan.

"The Senate will want to do its own investigation. I think whether or not his actions are treasonous will be up to them, not us," Fisto announces.

Obi-Wan sighs mentally, preparing himself for a long, drawn-out debate. Surprisingly, it doesn't even take an hour. One by one, the Council members cast their votes while Obi-Wan reaches into the Force's soothing currents, silently letting himself feel. He might be a Jedi obligated to listen to the Council, but first and foremost, he's supposed to serve the Force, and there's no way that the Force would want its child to be treated in such a manner. Whatever happens next, Obi-Wan knows that he and Anakin, together, will be embarking on a new journey and venturing into the unknown, regardless of what they must do to achieve peace and destroy Sidious.

"It has been decided," Windu states with finality. "9 in favor and 2 against. Skywalker will be contained in the Temple until he proves himself capable of the control necessary to remain firmly on the Light Side. We will call him in to hear our decision and see what he has to say on the matter."

Only Plo and Fisto stood on Anakin's side, and that hurts for some reason. They didn't trust Anakin, and they didn't trust him either. A bittersweet feeling flits into Obi-Wan's awareness, and he releases it to the Force. This is – it's really the end. The Order has always been his family, but he loves Anakin more than the rest of the Jedi. Anakin is his brother, his son. He won't let him face imprisonment, trapped alone with his shattered dreams. This all seems so wrong, but there's also a strange sense of rightness to it. Of finality. Perhaps this is where he's been being led this whole time. He doesn't want to leave, but he's not being left with a choice.

Obi-Wan promised to respect the Council, but can he? Is he really willing to watch from the side as Anakin is arrested and locked away for something he has never done? A numb despair floods him, and Obi-Wan knows that whatever his resolves might be, they'll crumble the second he feels Anakin's pain. After realizing how much he's hurt him, he doesn't think he could bear to be the cause of his pain again, not even for a second.

What now? He briefly wonders what Dooku's plans are – for the man surely has some. No doubt he'd anticipated such an outcome, or at least made some preparations lest it come about. If Obi-Wan does openly defy the Council and free Anakin, they'll have to flee the planet before they're recaptured. It won't be pleasant, but it might be the only way.

"A question I have for Master Kenobi," Yoda interjects before Windu can push a button to summon Anakin to return. "Know do you where Dooku is now?"

Suddenly, all eyes are focused on Obi-Wan, and he's grateful that Dooku refused to tell him about the prearranged meeting spot ahead of time. Only Anakin knows, and for that, he's grateful. "No," he answers, flatly. And if I did, I wouldn't tell you. He doesn't need to add that part. Somehow, he gets the feeling that they already know.

Windu narrows his eyes, almost suspiciously. "You were working with him. Why would you not know where he's gone?"

"He didn't trust me," Obi-Wan informs them bluntly. If not for the fact that he's right here, he suspects that the Council might even be debating arresting him for being a traitor. He had known the risk before he agreed to help Dooku, but he had thought it would be worth it if Sidious was dead, and now, even though the Sith Master is still alive, it was important for the Council to be informed so they could aid in pursuing Sidious.