Candlelight

Chapter 10 - Sidious

The reaction is predictable, and immediate. Many don't want to believe it, but the largest reaction is one of outrage. Yes, there will be much chaos, but now, the Republic will have some way of standing.

It takes only a matter of hours before Palpatine disappears. The vote to either remove him from office or postpone his ability to act as Chancellor was practically unanimous, save a few who insisted it would be too dangerous for the Republic. Yes, Obi-Wan knows they're blatantly taking advantage of the fear, but they need to, to legally remove Sidious from office.

It's the clones, in the end, who Sidious barely manages to escape from.

They were hoping to stop him before he escaped from the capital, but unsurprisingly, he's already vanished somewhere. He was obviously prepared for it in the event it was necessary.

Now they'll just have to find a way of hunting him down, but when the entire Republic is furious and out for him, there aren't many places he can run to that will be safe.

It's not until after that, that he finds time alone with Anakin again. Obi-Wan is getting more used to the changes in him now after it's been so long, but he wishes it didn't still sometimes feel like he doesn't really know the Anakin he's talking to. That he's not... his.

"Are you... alright?" Obi-Wan asks finally.

"Sidious escaped," Anakin replies, pausing briefly, which... doesn't really answer the question. But it does explain what's worrying him so much.

"We will search for him," Obi-Wan assures, "He cannot hide forever."

Anakin looks away – he has the look on his face he often does when they're discussing things of his past. "He is... crafty. In the future, there was little he did not prepare for."

Sometimes, he really wishes he could just know what Anakin went through with Sidious. It's... changed so much of him. (Though he doesn't know how much was... that and how much was what his own older-self did to him.) "Evidently he wasn't prepared for you to turn on him," Obi-Wan offers.

Anakin shifts, looking almost uncomfortable. "He... knew it would happen. He... showed me his power as warning that I should not... try."

What does that mean – "What do you mean?" he asks, carefully.

"He was... preparing in case his Empire was endangered. I only defeated him by surprise. It was not... planned."

He wishes he knew what to say to that – to any of this. "We'll find him, Anakin. This is something he can't be prepared for," Obi-Wan replies, reaching out to touch his arm. A reminder that Anakin is still here even if it's not... really his. But Anakin is still Anakin.

Anakin leans slightly closer but doesn't otherwise react – he still very... jumpy about touch. (Seeing what happened between them, Obi-Wan can't really fault him for that, but he wishes there was something he could do about it.)

"Are you alright?" he asks, after a long pause. He doesn't really know how to talk to him about this – but in truth, he doesn't know if they ever truly knew how to talk to one another, for things to have fallen as far as they did.

Anakin looks up, not quite meeting his gaze – he never does that anymore. "I am fine, Master."

"Are you? I have seen how... difficult this has been for you."

"When Sidious is found, I will be ready," Anakin replies, shifting.

"That is not... what I mean."

"I... don't understand," Anakin confesses, frowning. "What do you mean?"