The last place he wanted to be in this moment was in the karking Rotunda and the only reason he had left Obi-Wan’s side at all was because Rex had promised to sit with him. So here Anakin was, marching through the Rotunda, his cloak billowing up around him dramatically.

If Qui-Gon could see him at that moment, he would have rolled his eyes and fondly called him a drama prince.

Or maybe he would have been stomping along with Anakin.

The other had been calling daily until the comm signal had become too unstable, hearing about what health Obi-Wan was in.

All because he had been directly summoned by the War Commission to speak about the last campaign he had been out on with Obi-Wan. Something about someone having caught Obi-Wan on holocam, running around with the bomb over his head.

‘Not like they cared before that there were padawan’s out there.’ He thought grouchily.

A part of him knew that it was Obi-Wan’s disability that made them suddenly interested, a blind Jedi running around doing impossible feats.

‘If even one of them calls my padawan ‘broken’, I swear, I will ram my mechano han-’

“Knight Skywalker!” A familiar and unwanted voice called out and Anakin grit his teeth as he came to a still, turning around slowly to face his own wife with a bow. “Senator Amidala.” He murmured, noting with some surprise that Commander Fox and another Coruscant Guard was following her.

Force, she was beautiful, wearing a golden dress with white details, no jewelry on her but her hair set up in a beautiful crowning braid.

Yet he wished she hadn’t intercepted him, for all her beauty.

Lately their conversations had been too strained, too much happening with Ahsoka and the war and a part of Anakin recognized that their relationship hadn’t been healthy even before that. That they strained to talk, to be honest, to give each other what they needed.

With a new padawan…

Well, Obi-Wan was his priority, like Ahsoka should have been from the moment she was his padawan.

It was putting a large strain on their relationship, Padme recognizing that Anakin no longer trusted her, no longer talked to her and Anakin recognizing that she hadn’t done so from the start.

Padme smiled at him, a bit nervous but still as pretty as an angel. Anakin’s heart gave a complicated throb as he peered back at her, tucking his hands into his robe sleeves to hide how they were shaking.

“Apologies for interrupting you Knight Skywalker but I…” She hesitated then took a deep breath, her face turning sad. “I heard your new padawan is not likely to make it. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am Anakin.” Padme stated softly, biting at her lips.

Startling, his eyes widening slightly before his lips pursed, Anakin couldn’t help but glare at his wife. “Where did you hear that?” He asked harshly.

It took her by surprise clearly, the slight woman jerking to as she stared up at him. “Chancellor Palpatine mentioned it when I met with him earlier today.” Anakin looked past Padme to where Fox was standing and signing that the conversation had occurred.

Obi-Wan’s condition was not a widespread rumor, that he was sick, sure, but not how badly of he had been or that it had almost claimed his life.

That the healers had managed to save him had been a little miracle on its own when they had identified the poison as one with very few cures, a snake from Korriban of all places.

Yet no one had known how severe it was outside of the Order or the troopers, the information having been put on ice to be able to trace it to the potential culprits.

For the Chancellor to know how severe it was, for him to be able to claim that Obi-Wan wouldn’t make it with such certainty spoke of knowing what poison his little padawan was slipped…

Anakin knew then that Palpatine had something to do with Obi-Wan’s poisoning.

There was no other way the other could be so sure of Obi-Wan’s death and the Chancellor could have no idea that there was a poison expert in the Halls of Healing, one who had been on duty when Obi-Wan was brought in.

He couldn’t have known that Kix would have been able to keep Obi-Wan stable just long enough to get him to the temple.

Couldn’t have known that Obi-Wan’s body would fight the poison when put into a medical coma.

Didn’t know that Obi-Wan would survive.

The Chancellor was involved in the poisoning of a Jedi padawan, Anakin’s padawan.

A lightbulb popped overhead, sparking as Anakin fought to control his rage, Padme clearly reading his face as she frowned in worry and reached out to him.

Anakin stepped back. “My padawan… is in a coma. Thank you for your concern Senator Amidala.” He bit out, desperate not to give out anymore information, not where there were ears that could hear, not when Obi-Wan had barely survived.

Not when the Chancellor could try again if he knew Obi-Wan was still weak.

He turned on his heel and left Padme behind with Fox, fuming as he headed down the a side hall he knew was a shortcut, several bulbs popping overhead as he fought with his own wrath and concern.