Card of Heart

Chapter 1 - Deception

Ahsoka is seated on the couch in her and Anakin's apartment, waiting for him to return from speaking with Master Yoda. The two of them had just returned from chasing Rako Hardeen – who has gotten the dubious honor of killing Obi-Wan, and thinking about it still hurts – as well as two other prison escapees: Cad Bane and Moralo Eval. Upon their return, after Hardeen had beaten Anakin, finally choking him into unconsciousness before escaping, Yoda had asked to talk to Anakin.

She feels his return long before the door actually opens; the maelstrom of fury and pain is hard to miss, especially with his obviously weakening shields. Finally, the door to the apartment opens, and Anakin stalks in, glowering. "Master?" Ahsoka queries, all too aware of the fact that he's practically vibrating with anger.

"Obi-Wan is still alive," he declares bluntly, fists clenched.

For a moment, Ahsoka can't even breathe, because... what?! "How's that possible?" she asks faintly.

"The Council had him fake his death. They said it was the only way." Now, he just sounds bitter. "They didn't trust that we could keep him safe."

Ahsoka flinches, because that hurts. How could the Council do this to them? All the pain, all the grief, it was all for nothing. The knowledge that they weren't even given the courtesy of learning the truth after the funeral is... Ahsoka doesn't even know how she should feel about it.

It's borderline cruel, and for the first time in her life, she wonders if the Council made the right decision. They didn't. She knows it. Nothing they say can justify what they've done to her and Anakin. How could Obi-Wan have gone along with it? How could he have thought it was alright to deceive them in such a manner? None of this makes sense.

The Jedi were supposed to be good. They were supposed to be honest. She can't understand. How could they do something like this? It's wrong on so many levels, and they hurt her and Anakin. She saw Obi-Wan die. She held him. They cried for him together, but... and all of it was for nothing.

Ahsoka sinks onto the couch as the truth overwhelms her. She doesn't want to think badly about the Council. She wants to believe that what they did was right, that it was necessary, but she just can't. Not this time. It was wrong on every level. The Council could have told them! At least after the funeral, but no. They waited anyway, completely uncaring of the constant pain Anakin and Ahsoka were living through. They only came clean because Anakin nearly killed Hardeen, who is apparently innocent, Ahsoka realizes with a sudden rush of sheer fury. Would the Council have told them, if Anakin hadn't gone after him? She wants to say yes, but she knows the true answer. She can't deny it. They wouldn't have.

"Where – where is he?" she somehow manages to get out. Because if Obi-Wan is still alive... he has to be somewhere.

"He's gone undercover. As Hardeen."

The world doesn't screech to a dead standstill, but it certainly should have. Obi-Wan... that means... it was him who she was about to run through with her lightsaber when they arrested Hardeen. Why did the Council send them to arrest him, knowing full well what could happen? And that means it was Obi-Wan who they fought and beat Anakin unconscious and left him lying there alone on the rocks. He could have been killed if Ahsoka hadn't shown up when she did. Would he have cared? she wonders bitterly. Would it have mattered to Obi-Wan or the Council if Anakin died, or would they have shrugged it off as another thing that 'needed to be done'?!

She certain she knows the answer without even having to consider it any longer. If they can do this and be so oblivious to her and Anakin's pain, why would they care so much if Anakin was killed?