Mistrust

“Anakin Skywalker.” Master Windu’s tone was so severe that the dragon inside Anakin coiled instinctively.

“The Council has decided to comply with Chancellor Palpatine’s directive, and with the instructions of the senate that gave him the unprecedented authority to command this council. You are hereby granted a seat at the High Council of the Jedi, as the Chancellor’s personal representative.”

Anakin stood very still for a long moment, until he could be absolutely sure he had heard what he thought he’d heard.

Palpatine had been right. In fact – he couldn’t remember a single instance when the Supreme Chancellor had been wrong.

And in his mind, he was already leaving the council chamber, riding the turbolifts to the archives, demanding access to the restricted vault by authority of his new rank –

“You will attend the meetings of this council,” Windu said, “But you will not be granted the rank and privileges of a Jedi master.”

“What?”

It was a small word, a simple word, an instinctive recoil from words that felt like punches, like stun blasts exploding inside his brain that left his head ringing and the room spinning around him – but even to his own ears, the voice that came from his lips didn’t sound like his own. It was deeper, darker, clipped and oiled, resonating from the depths of his heart.

“How dare you? How dare you?”

Anakin stood welded to the floor, motionless. He wasn’t even truly aware of speaking, it was as if someone else were using his mouth.

“No Jedi in this room can match my power – no Jedi in the galaxy! You think you can deny Mastery to me?”

“The Chancellor’s representative you are,” Yoda said. Sit in this chamber you will, but no vote will you have. The Chancellor’s views you shall present. His wishes. His ideas and directives. Not your own.”

Up from the depths of his furnace heart came an answer so far transcending fury that it sounded cold as interstellar space. “This is an insult to me, and to the Chancellor. Do not imagine that it will be tolerated.”

Mace Windu’s eyes were as cold as the voice from Anakin’s mouth. “Take a seat, young Skywalker.”

Anakin matched his stare. Perhaps I’ll take yours. His own voice, inside his head, had a hot black fire that smoked from the depths of his furnace heart. You think you can make me watch her die? Go ahead and Vaapad this, you –

“Anakin,” Obi-wan said softly. He gestured to an empty seat beside him. “Please.”

And something in Obi-wan’s gentle voice, in his simple, straightforward request, sent his anger slinking off in shame. He suddenly felt very young, and very foolish.

“Forgive me, Masters.” His bow of contrition couldn’t hide the blaze of embarrassment that climbed his cheeks.

The rest of the session passed in a haze, and Anakin felt a dull shock when the council assigned the coordination of the search of general grievous to Obi-wan alone.

On top of everything else, now they were splitting up the team ?

“It is settled then,” mace said. “May the force be with us all.”

And as the Masters left the room, Anakin could only sit, sick at heart, stunned with helplessness.

Padme – Oh Padme, what are we going to do?

===================================================================

“Obi-wan. They want something from me, don’t they? That’s what this is really about. They won’t give me my rank until I give them what they want.”

“The Council does not operate that way, Anakin, and you know it.”

Once you’re a Master, as you deserve, how will they make you do their bidding?

“Yes, I know it. Sure I do.”Anakin said, suddenly he was tired. So incredibly tired. It hurt to talk. It hurt even to stand here. He was sick of the whole business.

“Anakin, look, I’m on your side, Obi-wan said softly. He looked tired, too: he looked as tired and sick as Anakin felt. “I never wanted to see you put in this situation.”

“What situation?”

Obi-wan hesitated. He glanced around the empty hall as if he wanted to make sure they were still alone; Anakin had a feeling it was just an excuse to avoid facing him when he spoke.

“The council,” Obi-wan said slowly, “Approved your appointment because Palpatine trusts you, they want you to report on his dealings. They want to know what he’s up to.”

“They want me to spy on the supreme chancellor of the republic?” Anakin blinked numbly. No wonder Obi-wan couldn’t look him in the face. “Obi-wan, that’s treason!”

“We are at war, Anakin.” Obi-wan looked thoroughly miserable. “The Council is sworn to uphold the principles of the Republic through any means necessary. We have to. Especially when the greatest enemy of those principles seems to be the Chancellor himself!”

“He’s not a bad man, Obi-wan. He’s a great man, who’s holding this Republic together with his bare hands - you know how kind he has been to me. He’s my friend, Obi-wan!”

“Yes,” Obi-wan said softly. Sadly. “I know.”

“If he asked me to spy on you, do you think I would do it?”

“Anakin – listen: Palpatine himself may be in danger. We’re not asking you to act against Palpatine. We’re only asking you to … monitor his activities. You must believe me. We think that the Sith Lord is someone within Palpatine’s closest circle of advisors. That is who we want you to spy on, do you understand?”

A fiction created by the Jedi Council … an excuse to harass their political enemies …

“If Palpatine is under the influence of a Sith lord, he may be in the gravest danger. The only way we can help him is to find Sidious, and to stop him. It may be the only way to save the Republic!”

If this Darth Sidious of yours were to walk through that door right now … I would ask him to sit down, and I would ask him if has any power he could use to end this war.

“So all you’re really asking,” Anakin said slowly, “is for me to help the Council find Darth Sidious.”

“Yes.” Obi-wan looked relieved, incredibly relieved, as though some horrible chronic pain had suddenly and inexplicably eased. “Yes, that’s it exactly.”

Locked within the furnace of his heart, Anakin whispered an echo – not quite an echo – slightly altered, just at the end:

I would ask him to sit down, and I would ask him if he has any power to use –

to save Padme.

===================================================================

“Concerned about young Skywalker, you seem,” Yoda said quietly.

“Master Yoda – Anakin – abstractions like peace don’t mean much to him, Master Yoda. He’s loyal to people, not to principles. And he expects loyalty in return. He will stop at nothing to save me, for example, because he thinks I would do the same for him.”

“Because,” he admitted reluctantly, “he knows I would do the same for him.”

Yoda’s green eyes had gone softly sympathetic. “Do you fear that perform his task, he cannot?”

“Oh, no. that’s not it at all. I am firmly convinced that Anakin can do anything. Except betray a friend, what we have done to him today …”

If he asked me to spy on you, do you think I would do it?

“I don’t think he will ever trust us again.”

He found his eyes turning unaccountably hot, and his vision swam with unshed tears.

“And I’m not entirely sure he should.”