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Anakin couldn’t believe he was still allowed to sit here, among the Council members, let alone be a well-respected member of the Jedi High Council and a Master. Luke started to fuss, and he absently shushed his tiny son. When Padmé and the twins had been released from the hospital and they’d alternated carrying them with them to their respective jobs or Palpatine’s trial, or to Anakin’s therapy sessions, for that matter, he’d expected them to boot him out of the Order. Instead, he’d confessed at the beginning of the next Council session, and they’d all said, “Yeah, yeah, we know,” and plunged headlong into a debate that had lasted them weeks.
Luke fussed again. Anakin soothed his feelings with the Force. Hopefully, he’d calm down before Leia started crying in Mace’s arms.
“May I hold the youngling?” Plo Koon asked.
Anakin nodded and gently transferred his three-month-old son into Plo Koon’s arms. Luke cooed, probably glad to be held by someone more willing to give him his undivided attention.
Anakin settled back in his seat as Yoda called the meeting into session. They had many more agonizing debates in front of them, as did the Senate, and the Courts, but they would finally lay this particular matter to rest.
Mace was apparently too distracted by Anakin’s tiny princess to present the question they were to vote on, so Ki Adi Mundi stepped in to save them from deciphering Yoda’s confusing way of speaking.
“We are here to vote on allowing Jedi to form and maintain any and all attachments and relationships. The full question is a bit more complicated, but that is the gist. I do not believe we need to go over again how we still need to encourage all Jedi to not do the wrong thing for the right outcome and to support those who suffer loss as Obi-Wan did for Master Jinn after his loss of Master Tahl.”
Obi-Wan nodded at the acknowledgement. Obi-Wan had shared the story of the death of Tahl—someone Anakin had only vaguely heard of, but someone Qui-Gon had apparently loved—and how Obi-Wan’s love and support had apparently kept him from Dark Side when she died. In all honesty, Anakin wasn’t all that surprised. Obi-Wan was that kind of guy. It had presented a good argument for how they should prevent attachments from leading to the Dark Side.
“Come to a vote, we do now. Young Skywalker? Vote, how do you?” Yoda asked.
“I think you all know how I vote,” Anakin said. “I vote to allow attachments.”
“Oh, I do as well,” Obi-Wan said.
“And I.” Plo Koon looked up from where Luke was sucking on his fingers to speak to the rest of the Council.
The vote went around the room. Predictably, a few voted against it, but the long arguments had apparently swayed many to their side. More members voted for it than against it. Finally, the vote got around to Mace and Yoda.
Mace, fresh from his second (or was it third?) therapy session forced on him by Padmé, looked up from Leia and sighed audibly. “I suppose I vote yes, as long as we have the proper safeguards in place.”
Yoda chuckled. “Vote yes, I do. About time for a change, it is. Arrogant, we all have become. Complacent, in our old age.”
“Speak for yourself, old man,” Mace retorted. “I intend to stay young for at least another thirty years yet.”
The room erupted into laughter.
“Passed, the motion is,” Yoda said. “Allowed, attachments, now are.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Obi-Wan said. “Excuse me.” He rose to his feet and bolted out of the room.
“Obi-Wan?” Anakin exclaimed. After no answer came, he called out, “Obi-Wan!” He rose to his feet and ran after him. He vaguely registered the rest of the Council running behind him.
Anakin trailed Obi-Wan past the refresher, down way too many flights of stairs, and into the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He sent a vague impression of the location to Mace and Yoda, who were undoubtedly trailing behind, so they and other laggers could take the turbolift. What was up with Obi-Wan? They allow attachments in the Order and suddenly Obi-Wan has the urge to run like a mynock out of hell through the Temple?
He followed his brother through the peaceful place until Obi-Wan skidded to a stop in front of Siri Tachi, who was probably meditating on the whole superweapon-that-can-blow-up-a-planet thing she had found out about while deep undercover somewhere-or-other throughout the second half of the war after her actually-not-a-death and year-long coma. Anakin collapsed to the ground and watched, heaving a breath. Ki-Adi-Mundi, Saesee Tiin, and several other Council members ran up behind him.
Siri Tachi rose to her feet. Obi-Wan immediately dropped to one knee.
Anakin’s own mouth dropped open. He knew what that position generally signified and it wasn’t an invitation to the Galactic Gardens.
“Are you sick?” Siri asked.
Obi-Wan shook his head, still panting from his furious run through the Temple. “I just came from a Council meeting where we voted to allow Jedi to make and maintain any kind of relationships.” He reached forward and took Siri’s hands.
Anakin’s mouth dropped even further. After he’d thought Siri died, he’d convinced himself he’d been wrong and Obi-Wan had never loved her. After the whole Satine thing, he’d been certain. But Satine was dead and here Siri clearly wasn’t.
“You once asked me to leave the Jedi for you. We both came to the decision that we needed to be Jedi and would have to put our love for each other aside, but now, Siri, we don’t have to choose anymore. We can be Jedi and still love each other. So I’d like to ask you, no, beg you. Siri Tachi, will you marry me?”
Anakin thought his eyes were going to bug out of his skull. Obi-Wan Kenobi, deep in love? Proposing? Was Anakin hallucinating? Why wouldn’t Siri say anything? Were those tears in her eyes? That’s it, the world was definitely ending. Obi-Wan Kenobi was madly in love and Siri Tachi was crying.
“Of course I will, you buffoon.”
Obi-Wan stood up and wrapped his arms around Siri, and then they kissed. Kissed! Anakin had to be dying. He had never thought he would ever see his stoic master kiss anyone.
He broke out of his haze and stuck his fingers in his mouth to give a piercing whistle. The happy couple broke from their embrace and turned to glare at Anakin. Anakin clapped and cheered boisterously. “It’s about time, old man!”
Obi-Wan continued to glare at Anakin, then began to laugh. Anakin stood up and wrapped his brother in a tight hug.
“Congratulations, Master.”
Obi-Wan returned the hug but didn’t pass up the opportunity to lecture him. “You really shouldn’t spy on people, Anakin. It’s not nice.”
Anakin ignored him and turned to the lucky Jedi. “Congratulations, too, ma’am. And congratulations on not, uh, being dead.”
Plo Koon and Ki-Adi-Mundi stepped up and pounded Obi-Wan on the back hard. “Congratulations!”
Obi-Wan stumbled forward. “Thanks!” he said breathlessly.
Anakin smiled and took his baby boy from Plo Koon. Mace stepped forward, Leia still in his arms, to congratulate Obi-Wan as well. Anakin took his daughter as well, so he could feed and change them before they reconvened the meeting to start debate on more fun topics.
Things were definitely looking up.