Chancellor Palpatine sat calmly between Obi-Wan and Anakin as they flew him via personal transport to the Jedi Temple. Surrounding the transport ship were Coruscant Security pilots in their starfighters.
"Are you comfortable, Chancellor?" Anakin asked the older man.
Palpatine smiled. "Yes, quite. You're an exceptional pilot, Anakin."
Anakin grinned at the compliment.
Obi-Wan was only half-heartedly listening to the conversation going on between Anakin and Palpatine; the other half of his mind on his wife and son. He knew that every moment they spent away from Zakk wore on Siri. She loved their son.
"It's majestic isn't it, Your Excellency?" Anakin asked Palpatine as they approached the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan fixed his own gaze on the place that he had called home all of his life. It was majestic.
"Chancellor, I spoke with Master Yoda earlier and he has arranged quarters for you near Anakin and me," Obi-Wan explained.
Palpatine nodded. "Thank you, Master Kenobi. What you are doing for me is truly above and beyond the call of duty. I do so appreciate your efforts on my behalf."
Obi-Wan simply inclined his head slightly. "We are here to serve, Your Excellency."
"Of course," Palpatine stated. "Was Master Yoda able to arrange office space for me within the Temple?"
"Yes," was the simple answer. "You'll have access to a conference room on the main floor of the Temple near the Archives. It has been set up with everything you should need."
Palpatine thanked him just as Anakin smoothly set down the ship on the Temple landing pad. The two Jedi began to unbuckle their safety harnesses and climb from the ship, but Palpatine sat perfectly still as he stared at the Temple.
"Is something wrong, Chancellor?" Obi-Wan asked.
Palpatine snapped out of his thoughts and looked to Obi-Wan. "No, no. Everything is fine, Master Kenobi. I was merely admiring this magnificent structure."
"If you'll follow us, Chancellor, we can get you settled quickly," Anakin said. "I'm sure you're tired and hungry and would like to get some rest."
Palpatine made his way out of the small transport ship and was immediately surrounded by Obi-Wan, Anakin and five security officers. In addition, he noticed that ten Jedi Knights had also made their way out onto the landing platform. Each Jedi was powerfully built and armed with an ignited lightsaber.
"Is all this security really necessary, Master Kenobi?" Palpatine asked as if he was put off by the protection he was being given.
As they kept moving, Obi-Wan spoke. "You were, and quite possibly still are the target of an assassination plot, Chancellor. We will not take any chances with your safety."
Palpatine smiled politely as he was escorted into the Temple and taken directly into one of the lifts. He let out a breath once the doors slid shut and he was alone with only Obi-Wan and Anakin.
Anakin smiled at the sound. "Nervous, Chancellor?"
Palpatine made a show of wiping the sweat from his brow. "Yes, actually. Seeing all of those Jedi with...well, I've never seen so many lightsabers in one place."
Obi-Wan chuckled at that. "Well then, you may be in for a treat, Chancellor. Since you'll be staying with us for the foreseeable future, you may wish to observe the lightsaber tournament that's being held next week."
Palpatine gaped. "A tournament?"
Anakin nodded as the lift began slowing as they reached their destination. "Yes, Chancellor. Every year there is a Temple-wide dueling tournament. Masters, Knights, Padawans and Initiates all compete. The Masters bracket goes first, then the Knights and then the Padawans. Once they've all completed their matches and the victors have been awarded their prizes, the Initiates begin their tournament."
"How long does this tournament last?" Palpatine asked, intrigued by the thought of so many young, impressionable Force-sensitive children gathered in one place.
"One week," Obi-Wan answered. "Once the Initiates take the floor, the Knights and Masters begin assessing their skills and talents and at the end of the tournament, any one of them may be chosen as a Padawan Learner."
The lift came to a stop and the three men exited.
"This way, Chancellor," Obi-Wan called, taking the lead with Palpatine in the middle and Anakin walking closely behind.
Jedi of all ages turned to stare at the Chancellor of the Republic as he walked through their home. The entire Temple had been informed by way of the internal comm system, as requested by Obi-Wan, that Chancellor Palpatine would be a guest within the Temple for the next few weeks, possibly months.
Obi-Wan led them down a long hallway and finally came to a stop at the end in front of a door. He turned to face Palpatine.
"These are to be your quarters for the duration of your stay, Chancellor," Obi-Wan told him. "There are holo-maps at the end of the hallway for you to consult should you like to familiarize yourself with this floor of the Temple. There is a gymnasium, several meditation gardens and a stellar-cartography laboratory for you to enjoy should you choose to do so."
Palpatine was truly overwhelmed. He'd never imagined he'd have such free access within the walls of the Jedi Temple.
"Thank you, Master Kenobi," he intoned lightly. "If it's alright, I'd like to get some rest before doing anything else. It's been a very trying day, to say the least."
"Of course," Obi-Wan stated easily. "However, since this is the Knights and Padawans level, you'll most likely want to engage the auditory dampeners to block out the noise. They are located on the wall panel you'll see directly to your left when you enter."
Palpatine pressed the door activation button and stepped inside when the door slid open. He spotted the panel easily and nodded. "Splendid."
He took in his surroundings and seemed pleased.
"Anakin and I are located just down the hall in room 211 if there is anything you need," Obi-Wan informed the older man. "You can use the comm to contact us."
Again, Palpatine thanked them both. "I shall contact you both once I am rested."
/
"Anything?" Obi-Wan asked as they entered the quarters they shared.
Anakin, who had been instructed to observe Palpatine using both the Force and his own senses, shook his head. "Only subtle shifts in his moods when something he liked, or didn't was mentioned."
"Such as?" he inquired.
Anakin sat down on the couch and sighed. "He seemed extremely...pleased when you mentioned that all of the Initiates would be together in one place for the tournament. It was the same feeling he had when you informed him that he could consult the maps and have free access to the entire floor."
Obi-Wan nodded. "So, he's intrigued with the freedom to move about we're extending him."
Anakin nodded.
"Good," commented Obi-wan. "We can use that to our advantage."
"Did Master Yoda agree with your decision to bring Chancellor Palpatine here?" Anakin asked. "Does he think Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord?"
Obi-Wan shrugged. "Master Yoda approved my request; I don't think he totally agreed with me. As for what his opinion of Palpatine may be, I have no idea."
"Well, for the record, I'm still suspicious," Anakin commented. "He agreed to come here too easily and too quickly, Master. Something isn't right, but I can't put my finger on it."
Obi-Wan sat down across from his apprentice. "I know. We need to keep an eye on him as well as look for the person that attempted to kill him."
"Yes Master," Anakin replied.
"But for now, there's something else I'd like to speak with you about," Obi-Wan told the young man.
Anakin could sense the nervousness coming off of his mentor in waves. "What is it? Is this about me and Padme?"
Obi-Wan cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, it's about me and...Siri, and..."
"She's your wife, isn't she?" Anakin demanded; a smile on his handsome face. "She's the Jedi you married."
Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "Yes, Siri is my wife. But she's not what I want to discuss with you."
"What then?" Anakin asked impatiently.
Obi-Wan stood and began pacing. "A long time ago, the year before you became my padawan, Siri was sent on an undercover mission as a slaver named Zora. She had to do things that...weren't pleasant, and she was losing herself amidst the horrible life she was being forced to live. She'd been forced to make Master Gallia, and I believe that she had abandoned the Jedi."
Anakin stood as well. "I know, Master. You've told me all of this before. Master Tachi has even spoken about it on occasion. I don't understand why you're mentioning it again now."
Obi-Wan turned to face his apprentice. "Do you remember our visit to Lygos III when you were nine years old?"
Anakin nodded. "Yes. We were there to speak with Shiraka, the holy man that ran the prayer temple on Lygos that had been attacked by vigilantes."
"Correct," Obi-Wan said. "And do you remember the night you woke up and I was gone from our quarters?"
Anakin searched his memory. Recalling the night Obi-Wan spoke about, he nodded. "I remember that I was scared when you weren't there. Then I found the datapad you'd left for me explaining where you went."
Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "That was my first blatant lie to you, Anakin. I didn't go to speak with Shiraka; I went to meet Siri. I had felt her presence on Lygos III and I had to see her. So, I tracked her presence and met her at the hotel where she was lodged for the night."
Anakin understood where the story was going. "You married her on Lygos III, didn't you? During that trip?"
Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "Yes, I did. Anakin, understand that I speak to you now as a man, a friend and a brother, not as a Jedi."
Anakin could hear the seriousness in Obi-Wan's voice. "I understand, Obi-Wan."
"When Siri and I came face to face that night, I was still under the impression that she had turned her back on all that she had been taught to value," he started. "It didn't take long for her to tell me the whole story. We talked for hours, laughing and just enjoying each other's company for the first time in eighteen months."
Anakin smiled a bit. He certainly could relate. He loved just talking with Padme, just being with her.
"I had loved Siri since I was a child," Obi-Wan confessed easily. "More than the Jedi, more than my own life, I loved her. To make a long story short, the next morning just as the sun began to rise over the mountains, she and I were married. Shiraka performed the ceremony."
/
Shiraka, the leader of a clan of religious monks that inhabited several temples on the peaceful world of Lygos III was dressed in long, teal ceremonial robes. Before him stood Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Padawan Siri Tachi.
"Marriage, on any world and in any species is a sacred pact between two beings," Shiraka began. "Marriage is the promise to love, honor and cherish another being more than yourself. Love is a bond created between two people that tie them together so strongly that nothing except death can ever separate them. You, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and you Siri Tachi have chosen to enter into marriage, into the promise that love has created between you. Do you Obi-Wan take Siri to be your wife?"
Obi-Wan, with a smile lighting his face and tears in his blue eyes, nodded. "Yes."
"Do you Siri take Obi-Wan to be your husband?" Shiraka questioned.
"Yes," she answered softly.
"Do you Obi-Wan promise to love Siri with all of your heart, to honor her with your thoughts and actions and to cherish her with your soul?"
"I do."
"Do you Siri promise to love Obi-Wan with all of your heart, to honor him with your thoughts and actions and to cherish him with your soul?"
"I do."
Shiraka nodded. "Turn to face one another and join hands."
They did as they were told, looking deeply into one another's eyes.
"Let the promises you have made to one another here today last a lifetime between you, and let no one put asunder what the Force has joined together," Shiraka said. "You are now husband and wife."
A huge grin broke out on Obi-Wan's face and he grabbed Siri into a tight hug as he connected their lips in a passionate kiss.
/
"Did you get a honeymoon?" Anakin wondered out loud.
Obi-Wan blushed at the question. "Yes, we did. We had a few hours before you awakened."
"Master, why are you telling me this now?" Anakin questioned.
The moment of truth, the last secret was about to come out. "Secrets, Anakin; secrets so powerful that they can destroy men from the inside out. You told me your deepest secret when you revealed to me what you did to the Tusken Raiders after your mother died. It's my time to reveal my last secret to you."