Yay! I fiiiiinally have a new story, that's actually done! Hurrah! And
whats more, its gramatically correct, and hopefully makes sense, all thanks
to my editor, Kazzie! Double Hurrah!
Disclaimer: Wow, I actually remembered the disclaimer this time. That in itself should warrant some kind of award. I'm not asking much for my prize, just a few characters from Star Wars (ie Obi, Han). And maybe my own prime time TV show. ;) jk. Bye now!
Summary: Obi-Wan and Amidala are hunted in their sleep by Vader. Will the nightmares ever end? Obidala and (I suppose) Ani/Ami.
Riddle of the(though in no way related to) fic: In marble walls as white as milk Lined with skin as soft as silk Within a founatin crystal clear A golden apple doth appear No doors there are to this stronghold Yet thieves break in and steal the gold The answer will be posted with the next update
And now, on with the show
Dreamscape Eileen Blazer December 2002
They both walk the path, heads held high, dignity intact despite their torn clothing, dirty faces, and the strange stench that could trace its origins to blood, spit, and Shatarkian excretion. A whip cracks and one gasps, surprised, aching, but momentarily untouched. Her eyes catch sight of the long black weapon and she follows it to where it winds around her companion's arm. Blood wells up in circles as it's roughly pulled away, but he doesn't blink twice. She knows for a fact that the pain was aimed for *her*.
She squeezes his other hand tightly, the only way she can acknowledge his bravery and sacrifice. And then salty tears form a river from her eyes to her mouth and she curses herself. Never ever let them see you cry, that is the first rule of being a prisoner. Yet, here she is, weeping like a little girl, giving them the satisfaction they don't deserve.
"Easy," He whispers, his voice soothing both in her ears and in her heart. "Just stay calm." He takes her palm and traces a pattern to her fingers, all the while never looking away from their destination.
She nods. He's right, of course. It's amazing: his level-headedness, his calmness. Why couldn't she find that in herself?
"I'm not afraid to die, you know." She tells him, in a voice that almost dares the brute behind them to react. "I just wish...I could have..." Her words trail off, as though the sandy wind has strangled their life away. The whip cracks again, this time at her legs and she shrieks, tumbling to the ground.
Before either of them can be further punished 'for stalling', he lifts her up and cradles her willowy body to his chest, murmuring soft comforts. "It's all right, Amidala. Everything is going to be all right."
She whimpers, low, like she did after the first days of their captivity. Blood flows from the open wounds of her bare legs, and streams into pools with his, a trail, a way back through the otherwise barren desert, a twisted take on Hansel and Gretel's forest adventure. And always, in the distance, the mechanical hum of their doom sounds, threatening to permeate past his mental walls and overtake his sanity.
Her breath begins to even out and he's both proud and pained. Proud, because she's so strong and courageous. Pained, because she never should have been touched in the first place. Amidala's eyes flutter open and she smiles sadly at him.
"Obi..." He shushes her gently. She doesn't need to tell him; he already knows. And reciprocates. But to acknowledge feelings of any kind at
this moment would be to admit defeat. That is something he's not willing to do.
Later, when she's at last returned to Naboo, or perhaps to the Senate, then they can deal with the emotions. At the moment, survival's the only important thing.
"Set me down, please."
"Your leg is hurt; it's not safe."
But she starts to struggle in his arms. "Your arm is injured; it's not a good idea to waste your energy trying to hold me up."
"It's no trouble." With a huff and a sigh she allows her body to go limp, locking her arms around his neck to give him support.
"Don't blame me when you can't hold up your saber."
"And I hope you won't blame me when I tell you they took away my saber a long time ago."
The lashes have died down, and they can only imagine that the brute is too busy planning their demise.
The sun above them burns brighter and brighter, its heat scorching like a lava pit. All are squinting now, blocking their eyes from the light.
It's hot, overwhelmingly so, and she gasps for breath. His own air comes in pants, ragged and short. Something behind them hits the ground with a thud and slowly, they turn.
The brute has collapsed, his face an abnormal green, twisting in pain. Water seeps out through his pores, drying before it touches the sand.
"Wat...wat...er..." He manages before the sunlight intensifies again and his eyes roll back and his pores become large, gaping, awful holes.
For a second, Amidala thinks she's free, until her own body gives out on her. She motions to look up at Obi-Wan but by the time she does, he's already lying on the desert. And suddenly the sun is brighter than before, suffocating, burning, searing...
The sun flares up and its flames reach out towards them. There's a flash of light and then...nothing.
* * *
Obi-Wan sat up in bed, his heart beating faster than a racing pod. Instinctively he glanced over at the neighboring bed, and the lady that slept there. She was staring back at him with the same haunted expression that must have been in his own eyes. Her hands trembled slightly and sweat poured down her face.
"It was more tangible than usual."
He nodded, and sighed deeply. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed Obi reached out for the Force as a comfort.
"When will they stop, Obi? It's been nearly a year and they still occur. They're even getting worse."
He pulled open the curtain to the little shack, careful to not shed light on the alien asleep in the corner. Waving his hand back and forth, the Jedi Master summoned a piece of fruit to his hand.
"There must be a way to resolve these dreams."
"Dreams?" she spat, unable and unwilling to accept his euphemisms for the horrible images that haunted them so frequently. "These are *nightmares*, Obi-Wan."
"Jedi don't have nightmares."
"Which Jedi are you talking about?" she questioned harshly, not wanting to disillusion him but unable to stop the flow of words. "Who, other than you and Yoda, is left? I'm sorry to say this, but things have changed. The Council taught you to live in the old world, Obi. In world where you could be the guardian of peace. But this is a new place. Here, a dictator wants to kill us both, we're hunted constantly, and Jedi *do* have nightmares." Her heart fell into pieces at the look Obi-Wan gave her, so full of heartache. He walked closer and pulled her tightly to him, burying his face in her hair.
Amidala hugged him back, wanting very much to cry. He needed the embrace, she knew, to assuage his emotions. But he was also hiding his face, placing it past her worried eyes.
"I can't stop believing, Dala." He said into her ear. "It's who I am. The minute I give up my past life is the minute I become useless. What good am I as just another powerless fugitive?"
"Yousa had bad dreams again?" asked Nia Binks, her young Gungan face sticking out from underneath a patched-up blanket.
"Yeah," the former politician answered, walking over to smooth down the green cloth. "But it wasn't that bad this time. I think he's losing track of us." Her lie hung in the room like a dense fog. Obi-Wan tried not to notice. He thought instead of his former apprentice.
Anakin, or Vader as he was now known, was getting closer. His power to haunt their dreams had increased, along with the lasting effects. Obi rubbed the welt left on his arm, a memory of something that hadn't happened. And they'd been so much closer to the machine that last time. If the sun hadn't decided to kill them, they might've even seen it.
Life was so hard now, so much of a challenge. Obi-Wan had been trained to deal with suffering and pain and just about any obstacle possible, but *this*, this life, was almost too much.
He would never forget the day Anakin turned. They'd been the victims of a robbery, nothing but petty items stolen by ignorant teens, but Anakin had been infuriated. In a rage, the powerful Jedi had lifted up his saber in evil and struck down the young boys. Their blood was the ink used to sign his contract with the Sith.
Shocked and disturbed, Amidala and Obi-Wan snuck out in the middle of the night. They'd crept along the path of the tall Nubian palace, quiet and careful...and then disaster struck. Anakin woke up and found them missing. With anger in his heart and death at his fingertips he'd stormed after them.
The look in his dark eyes when he caught up was a hurricane of hatred.
Obi-Wan would've died then, but Jar Jar Binks, the old annoying friend, decided to honor the life debt owed to Obi's master. In a moment of glowing sabers and pure instinct, his body took the blow. Only one request remained for him to whisper, in the seconds allowed. "Protect my daughter, please."
They ran until they were breathless and sore and then swam until the underwater kingdom welcomed them into its spheres. There Nia Binks, a small Gungan with her father's features and a bit more sense joined their little band of fugitives.
They'd been running ever since.
The dreams started when the other Jedi began falling. Obviously Anakin's power was getting stronger and he reached towards them in the middle of the night. It was always the same dream, same desert, same damn hum.
A soft hand rubbed his shoulder and then arms clung to him from behind. He dipped his head to kiss the hand that rested over his neck. "It's time to move, Dala."
"I know." She sighed and snuggled closer. "Have you chosen a star system yet?"
"No. But it has to be extra safe and even more remote. The children will be born soon. They'll need a stable home for at least a few months."
She nodded and placed a hand on her rounded stomach. Soon indeed. The twins were bursting to be free; Amidala prayed for them to remain in the womb. How could she ever care for them properly when she was being chased? How would she tell them that their father was something so evil? That he wanted them to die?
Worse yet was the possibility that they might side with Anakin, even blame her for leaving.
But what other choice did she have? She'd been around enough Jedi to know that the Sith were a dark and dangerous breed. Escape with Obi-Wan was the only way out.
"What about D'rean?" Amidala muttered, searching out the patter of feet inside her stomach. "It's a very busy planet, big trade center, but the sort of place where people can get lost for a long time. I know about an island, halfway between coasts, that has zero population and good soil."
"Oh?" Obi-Wan guided her to a chair and knelt beside her. "Is it safe?"
Amidala turned her tired eyes to him. "As safe as any other place we might find." Which meant it was only secure until Anakin could fine point his powers in their direction.
"I'll tell Nia."
Moving had become a well tuned activity, rather like an assembly line at a factory. Swift, efficient, and thorough, they were ready to leave in a few hours. Obi-Wan lifted the baggage into the vehicle they'd just purchased from a trader, watching as the females climbed in. A smile touched his lips as he saw Amidala's hat. It was made for a man with a much larger head, so the sides flapped down onto her face. The clothes, hanging loosely over her small, protruding frame, matched it in both style and size.
Sometimes, like then, Obi-Wan imagined they were a real family going on vacation or visiting relatives.
But the sun was always masked again by a wave of clouds and with the loss of light came the dread. Shoving the last of the bags in, he slammed the door down and jumped into the driver's seat. It was time to go.
****************
A long time later Obi-Wan switched the ship to autopilot and took a seat next to Amidala, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. Across from them, Nia's chest rose and dropped to a steady beat.
The former queen watched the girl with envy.
"How nice it must be," she murmured. "To sleep without fear. Nightmare-less."
"Someday, Dala, you'll sleep like that."
She snorted in a very un-royal like manner. "Yeah...when I'm dead." His arms tightened and she knew that she'd said too much.
"Dala." The name, spoken in concern, rolled off his tongue beautifully. Anakin had always called her Padme, as her parents christened her. But she couldn't bear to hear that any longer. Now, it was Obi-Wan's soft whisper that she recognized as her name, the way he caressed the sound.
If only she'd chosen the right knight to lead astray, things might have been different.
Dala, a familiar voice in her head warned, don't start that. You love Anakin, as I love him like a brother. You made the only choice you could.
Why did he have to know her so well? How dare he have access to her secrets - Jedi or not! But she shrugged in answer.
They did have such an odd relationship. It was as if they were caught, stuck in the middle of something, unable to carry on in neither a completely platonic relationship nor an openly loving one. On the one hand, a year with Obi-Wan had shown her the wonderful man she'd dismissed so often during her times with Anakin. The arrogant, cool surface had melted away to reveal a struggling yet compassionate person. He had won her love with his dedication.
However, on the other hand, she had no love to give. Anakin Skywalker was her husband and Obi-Wan's dearest friend. He may have been shoved into a dark corner of Vader's mind, but as long as he lived, there was hope. As long as a sliver of Ani remained, both his wife and friend would continue to pray for his return. That meant, naturally, there could be nothing between them that would interfere with the pre-existing harmonious relationships.
Amidala sighed. It was time to sleep. She glanced at Obi-Wan, who was already watching her. Slowly, arduously, their eyes drifted shut.
***********
Something lashes down on Obi-Wan's back, but he ignores it. The pain isn't unbearable and his body not so weak. But girl beside him flinches, her brown eyes shutting tight with expectant fear.
"Dala," he tells her. "You need to calm down." She nods and the sense pours back into her brain.
Inner strength is their only weapon.
A bit later, sweat trickles down their faces. The brute behind them shuffles through a pouch on his waist and pulls out a rag, wiping it furiously over his brow. Then he grasps a bottle of water and pours it down his throat. Only after he has temporarily gained relief, does he return his attentions to the couple before him.
"Hurry it up." The brute snarls. "Stop trying to lag." And the whip bites at Obi-Wan's shoulder. The thin material of his shirt shreds, baring the fresh cuts to the harsh wind, but the only movement is the slow pace of feet against the sand.
When the brute looks away for a moment Amidala reaches for Obi-Wan's hand, clutching it tightly. He almost smiles at the contact, until the hum grows louder.
An animal meets them, a Shatarkian lizard. It nips playfully at Amidala's arm and she pulls away. Upset at her rejection, the creature runs ahead, nervous, losing his bowels on the way. The excretion lies in their path. The brute laughs and leads them straight into it, so that it covers the bottom of their legs and feet. Amidala wonders which is worse: the smell or the sting.
"You should be glad," he calls, "to be with your own kind before you die."
But it's going to take more than idle remarks and a few stinging cuts to break down the Jedi shields that Obi-Wan has set up around Amidala and himself.
The sun flashes brightly and everyone covers their eyes.
********************
Amidala rubbed her eyes, sighing softly. She felt Obi-Wan stir and knew that he, too, was waking up. "That wasn't so bad."
"No, it wasn't. He can't find us right now."
"Maybe he won't be able to find us for a long while." Obi looked down at her.
"I hope so."
********************
The planet the former queen had mentioned was easy to enter; no local government was currently in place and people came and went as they pleased. Finding the deserted island, however, was much more of a challenge. Amidala peered out through the viewer and squinted carefully.
"I think...I think it's a little to the left. And down."
"Looka that sand," Nia said happily. "Those-a trees!" Sometimes, the superior Gungan eyesight was a definite advantage. Under the girl's instructions the Jedi managed to land the plane safely on the ground.
They filed out, Nia and Obi carrying bags. Amidala, so near the birth of her children, helped by collecting twigs and setting up a fire for cooking.
No technology was near, nor any sign of civilization at all. Just trees, open space, and comfort. It was a sort of paradise, a chance for them to live, at least for a while, without paranoia and constant fear. What a marvellous feeling.
*******
At night, the two moons and the stars lit up the otherwise dark sky, and they shone like candles of hope. The babies responded to the atmosphere by kicking. Obi-Wan, Amidala and Nia lay out on beds of leaves, when the Jedi began to laugh.
"What'sa so funny?" Nia asked, eager to share in the joke.
"Well, the Force is very strong here." Obi-Wan explained. "And I can sense the babies trying to reach out. It's a very faint sense, but one of the most incredible feelings. They're going to be marvellous Jedi." He caught Amidala's eye and, carefully, said, "Anakin would be very proud."
She smiled at the thought of her husband as he was; a shinning face filled with love and devotion. She remembered him at her side: kissing the place behind her ear, and bent over a table, fighting within himself a battle between Jedi and mere man. She remembered him and Obi-Wan, exchanging witty insults while duelling with sabers, both of them sparkling with pleasure. "Yes, he would have."
Amidala closed her eyes and sighed. Nostalgia was a blessing. "I'm going to sleep now. Wish me luck."
Nia looked back and forth, from one guardian to another. Finally she threw herself backwards into the cot. "Meesa too."
Only the Jedi folded his arms and remained awake. He had other things to consider for the moment. One way or another, he was going to stop the dreams.
To be continued.
Disclaimer: Wow, I actually remembered the disclaimer this time. That in itself should warrant some kind of award. I'm not asking much for my prize, just a few characters from Star Wars (ie Obi, Han). And maybe my own prime time TV show. ;) jk. Bye now!
Summary: Obi-Wan and Amidala are hunted in their sleep by Vader. Will the nightmares ever end? Obidala and (I suppose) Ani/Ami.
Riddle of the(though in no way related to) fic: In marble walls as white as milk Lined with skin as soft as silk Within a founatin crystal clear A golden apple doth appear No doors there are to this stronghold Yet thieves break in and steal the gold The answer will be posted with the next update
And now, on with the show
Dreamscape Eileen Blazer December 2002
They both walk the path, heads held high, dignity intact despite their torn clothing, dirty faces, and the strange stench that could trace its origins to blood, spit, and Shatarkian excretion. A whip cracks and one gasps, surprised, aching, but momentarily untouched. Her eyes catch sight of the long black weapon and she follows it to where it winds around her companion's arm. Blood wells up in circles as it's roughly pulled away, but he doesn't blink twice. She knows for a fact that the pain was aimed for *her*.
She squeezes his other hand tightly, the only way she can acknowledge his bravery and sacrifice. And then salty tears form a river from her eyes to her mouth and she curses herself. Never ever let them see you cry, that is the first rule of being a prisoner. Yet, here she is, weeping like a little girl, giving them the satisfaction they don't deserve.
"Easy," He whispers, his voice soothing both in her ears and in her heart. "Just stay calm." He takes her palm and traces a pattern to her fingers, all the while never looking away from their destination.
She nods. He's right, of course. It's amazing: his level-headedness, his calmness. Why couldn't she find that in herself?
"I'm not afraid to die, you know." She tells him, in a voice that almost dares the brute behind them to react. "I just wish...I could have..." Her words trail off, as though the sandy wind has strangled their life away. The whip cracks again, this time at her legs and she shrieks, tumbling to the ground.
Before either of them can be further punished 'for stalling', he lifts her up and cradles her willowy body to his chest, murmuring soft comforts. "It's all right, Amidala. Everything is going to be all right."
She whimpers, low, like she did after the first days of their captivity. Blood flows from the open wounds of her bare legs, and streams into pools with his, a trail, a way back through the otherwise barren desert, a twisted take on Hansel and Gretel's forest adventure. And always, in the distance, the mechanical hum of their doom sounds, threatening to permeate past his mental walls and overtake his sanity.
Her breath begins to even out and he's both proud and pained. Proud, because she's so strong and courageous. Pained, because she never should have been touched in the first place. Amidala's eyes flutter open and she smiles sadly at him.
"Obi..." He shushes her gently. She doesn't need to tell him; he already knows. And reciprocates. But to acknowledge feelings of any kind at
this moment would be to admit defeat. That is something he's not willing to do.
Later, when she's at last returned to Naboo, or perhaps to the Senate, then they can deal with the emotions. At the moment, survival's the only important thing.
"Set me down, please."
"Your leg is hurt; it's not safe."
But she starts to struggle in his arms. "Your arm is injured; it's not a good idea to waste your energy trying to hold me up."
"It's no trouble." With a huff and a sigh she allows her body to go limp, locking her arms around his neck to give him support.
"Don't blame me when you can't hold up your saber."
"And I hope you won't blame me when I tell you they took away my saber a long time ago."
The lashes have died down, and they can only imagine that the brute is too busy planning their demise.
The sun above them burns brighter and brighter, its heat scorching like a lava pit. All are squinting now, blocking their eyes from the light.
It's hot, overwhelmingly so, and she gasps for breath. His own air comes in pants, ragged and short. Something behind them hits the ground with a thud and slowly, they turn.
The brute has collapsed, his face an abnormal green, twisting in pain. Water seeps out through his pores, drying before it touches the sand.
"Wat...wat...er..." He manages before the sunlight intensifies again and his eyes roll back and his pores become large, gaping, awful holes.
For a second, Amidala thinks she's free, until her own body gives out on her. She motions to look up at Obi-Wan but by the time she does, he's already lying on the desert. And suddenly the sun is brighter than before, suffocating, burning, searing...
The sun flares up and its flames reach out towards them. There's a flash of light and then...nothing.
* * *
Obi-Wan sat up in bed, his heart beating faster than a racing pod. Instinctively he glanced over at the neighboring bed, and the lady that slept there. She was staring back at him with the same haunted expression that must have been in his own eyes. Her hands trembled slightly and sweat poured down her face.
"It was more tangible than usual."
He nodded, and sighed deeply. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed Obi reached out for the Force as a comfort.
"When will they stop, Obi? It's been nearly a year and they still occur. They're even getting worse."
He pulled open the curtain to the little shack, careful to not shed light on the alien asleep in the corner. Waving his hand back and forth, the Jedi Master summoned a piece of fruit to his hand.
"There must be a way to resolve these dreams."
"Dreams?" she spat, unable and unwilling to accept his euphemisms for the horrible images that haunted them so frequently. "These are *nightmares*, Obi-Wan."
"Jedi don't have nightmares."
"Which Jedi are you talking about?" she questioned harshly, not wanting to disillusion him but unable to stop the flow of words. "Who, other than you and Yoda, is left? I'm sorry to say this, but things have changed. The Council taught you to live in the old world, Obi. In world where you could be the guardian of peace. But this is a new place. Here, a dictator wants to kill us both, we're hunted constantly, and Jedi *do* have nightmares." Her heart fell into pieces at the look Obi-Wan gave her, so full of heartache. He walked closer and pulled her tightly to him, burying his face in her hair.
Amidala hugged him back, wanting very much to cry. He needed the embrace, she knew, to assuage his emotions. But he was also hiding his face, placing it past her worried eyes.
"I can't stop believing, Dala." He said into her ear. "It's who I am. The minute I give up my past life is the minute I become useless. What good am I as just another powerless fugitive?"
"Yousa had bad dreams again?" asked Nia Binks, her young Gungan face sticking out from underneath a patched-up blanket.
"Yeah," the former politician answered, walking over to smooth down the green cloth. "But it wasn't that bad this time. I think he's losing track of us." Her lie hung in the room like a dense fog. Obi-Wan tried not to notice. He thought instead of his former apprentice.
Anakin, or Vader as he was now known, was getting closer. His power to haunt their dreams had increased, along with the lasting effects. Obi rubbed the welt left on his arm, a memory of something that hadn't happened. And they'd been so much closer to the machine that last time. If the sun hadn't decided to kill them, they might've even seen it.
Life was so hard now, so much of a challenge. Obi-Wan had been trained to deal with suffering and pain and just about any obstacle possible, but *this*, this life, was almost too much.
He would never forget the day Anakin turned. They'd been the victims of a robbery, nothing but petty items stolen by ignorant teens, but Anakin had been infuriated. In a rage, the powerful Jedi had lifted up his saber in evil and struck down the young boys. Their blood was the ink used to sign his contract with the Sith.
Shocked and disturbed, Amidala and Obi-Wan snuck out in the middle of the night. They'd crept along the path of the tall Nubian palace, quiet and careful...and then disaster struck. Anakin woke up and found them missing. With anger in his heart and death at his fingertips he'd stormed after them.
The look in his dark eyes when he caught up was a hurricane of hatred.
Obi-Wan would've died then, but Jar Jar Binks, the old annoying friend, decided to honor the life debt owed to Obi's master. In a moment of glowing sabers and pure instinct, his body took the blow. Only one request remained for him to whisper, in the seconds allowed. "Protect my daughter, please."
They ran until they were breathless and sore and then swam until the underwater kingdom welcomed them into its spheres. There Nia Binks, a small Gungan with her father's features and a bit more sense joined their little band of fugitives.
They'd been running ever since.
The dreams started when the other Jedi began falling. Obviously Anakin's power was getting stronger and he reached towards them in the middle of the night. It was always the same dream, same desert, same damn hum.
A soft hand rubbed his shoulder and then arms clung to him from behind. He dipped his head to kiss the hand that rested over his neck. "It's time to move, Dala."
"I know." She sighed and snuggled closer. "Have you chosen a star system yet?"
"No. But it has to be extra safe and even more remote. The children will be born soon. They'll need a stable home for at least a few months."
She nodded and placed a hand on her rounded stomach. Soon indeed. The twins were bursting to be free; Amidala prayed for them to remain in the womb. How could she ever care for them properly when she was being chased? How would she tell them that their father was something so evil? That he wanted them to die?
Worse yet was the possibility that they might side with Anakin, even blame her for leaving.
But what other choice did she have? She'd been around enough Jedi to know that the Sith were a dark and dangerous breed. Escape with Obi-Wan was the only way out.
"What about D'rean?" Amidala muttered, searching out the patter of feet inside her stomach. "It's a very busy planet, big trade center, but the sort of place where people can get lost for a long time. I know about an island, halfway between coasts, that has zero population and good soil."
"Oh?" Obi-Wan guided her to a chair and knelt beside her. "Is it safe?"
Amidala turned her tired eyes to him. "As safe as any other place we might find." Which meant it was only secure until Anakin could fine point his powers in their direction.
"I'll tell Nia."
Moving had become a well tuned activity, rather like an assembly line at a factory. Swift, efficient, and thorough, they were ready to leave in a few hours. Obi-Wan lifted the baggage into the vehicle they'd just purchased from a trader, watching as the females climbed in. A smile touched his lips as he saw Amidala's hat. It was made for a man with a much larger head, so the sides flapped down onto her face. The clothes, hanging loosely over her small, protruding frame, matched it in both style and size.
Sometimes, like then, Obi-Wan imagined they were a real family going on vacation or visiting relatives.
But the sun was always masked again by a wave of clouds and with the loss of light came the dread. Shoving the last of the bags in, he slammed the door down and jumped into the driver's seat. It was time to go.
****************
A long time later Obi-Wan switched the ship to autopilot and took a seat next to Amidala, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. Across from them, Nia's chest rose and dropped to a steady beat.
The former queen watched the girl with envy.
"How nice it must be," she murmured. "To sleep without fear. Nightmare-less."
"Someday, Dala, you'll sleep like that."
She snorted in a very un-royal like manner. "Yeah...when I'm dead." His arms tightened and she knew that she'd said too much.
"Dala." The name, spoken in concern, rolled off his tongue beautifully. Anakin had always called her Padme, as her parents christened her. But she couldn't bear to hear that any longer. Now, it was Obi-Wan's soft whisper that she recognized as her name, the way he caressed the sound.
If only she'd chosen the right knight to lead astray, things might have been different.
Dala, a familiar voice in her head warned, don't start that. You love Anakin, as I love him like a brother. You made the only choice you could.
Why did he have to know her so well? How dare he have access to her secrets - Jedi or not! But she shrugged in answer.
They did have such an odd relationship. It was as if they were caught, stuck in the middle of something, unable to carry on in neither a completely platonic relationship nor an openly loving one. On the one hand, a year with Obi-Wan had shown her the wonderful man she'd dismissed so often during her times with Anakin. The arrogant, cool surface had melted away to reveal a struggling yet compassionate person. He had won her love with his dedication.
However, on the other hand, she had no love to give. Anakin Skywalker was her husband and Obi-Wan's dearest friend. He may have been shoved into a dark corner of Vader's mind, but as long as he lived, there was hope. As long as a sliver of Ani remained, both his wife and friend would continue to pray for his return. That meant, naturally, there could be nothing between them that would interfere with the pre-existing harmonious relationships.
Amidala sighed. It was time to sleep. She glanced at Obi-Wan, who was already watching her. Slowly, arduously, their eyes drifted shut.
***********
Something lashes down on Obi-Wan's back, but he ignores it. The pain isn't unbearable and his body not so weak. But girl beside him flinches, her brown eyes shutting tight with expectant fear.
"Dala," he tells her. "You need to calm down." She nods and the sense pours back into her brain.
Inner strength is their only weapon.
A bit later, sweat trickles down their faces. The brute behind them shuffles through a pouch on his waist and pulls out a rag, wiping it furiously over his brow. Then he grasps a bottle of water and pours it down his throat. Only after he has temporarily gained relief, does he return his attentions to the couple before him.
"Hurry it up." The brute snarls. "Stop trying to lag." And the whip bites at Obi-Wan's shoulder. The thin material of his shirt shreds, baring the fresh cuts to the harsh wind, but the only movement is the slow pace of feet against the sand.
When the brute looks away for a moment Amidala reaches for Obi-Wan's hand, clutching it tightly. He almost smiles at the contact, until the hum grows louder.
An animal meets them, a Shatarkian lizard. It nips playfully at Amidala's arm and she pulls away. Upset at her rejection, the creature runs ahead, nervous, losing his bowels on the way. The excretion lies in their path. The brute laughs and leads them straight into it, so that it covers the bottom of their legs and feet. Amidala wonders which is worse: the smell or the sting.
"You should be glad," he calls, "to be with your own kind before you die."
But it's going to take more than idle remarks and a few stinging cuts to break down the Jedi shields that Obi-Wan has set up around Amidala and himself.
The sun flashes brightly and everyone covers their eyes.
********************
Amidala rubbed her eyes, sighing softly. She felt Obi-Wan stir and knew that he, too, was waking up. "That wasn't so bad."
"No, it wasn't. He can't find us right now."
"Maybe he won't be able to find us for a long while." Obi looked down at her.
"I hope so."
********************
The planet the former queen had mentioned was easy to enter; no local government was currently in place and people came and went as they pleased. Finding the deserted island, however, was much more of a challenge. Amidala peered out through the viewer and squinted carefully.
"I think...I think it's a little to the left. And down."
"Looka that sand," Nia said happily. "Those-a trees!" Sometimes, the superior Gungan eyesight was a definite advantage. Under the girl's instructions the Jedi managed to land the plane safely on the ground.
They filed out, Nia and Obi carrying bags. Amidala, so near the birth of her children, helped by collecting twigs and setting up a fire for cooking.
No technology was near, nor any sign of civilization at all. Just trees, open space, and comfort. It was a sort of paradise, a chance for them to live, at least for a while, without paranoia and constant fear. What a marvellous feeling.
*******
At night, the two moons and the stars lit up the otherwise dark sky, and they shone like candles of hope. The babies responded to the atmosphere by kicking. Obi-Wan, Amidala and Nia lay out on beds of leaves, when the Jedi began to laugh.
"What'sa so funny?" Nia asked, eager to share in the joke.
"Well, the Force is very strong here." Obi-Wan explained. "And I can sense the babies trying to reach out. It's a very faint sense, but one of the most incredible feelings. They're going to be marvellous Jedi." He caught Amidala's eye and, carefully, said, "Anakin would be very proud."
She smiled at the thought of her husband as he was; a shinning face filled with love and devotion. She remembered him at her side: kissing the place behind her ear, and bent over a table, fighting within himself a battle between Jedi and mere man. She remembered him and Obi-Wan, exchanging witty insults while duelling with sabers, both of them sparkling with pleasure. "Yes, he would have."
Amidala closed her eyes and sighed. Nostalgia was a blessing. "I'm going to sleep now. Wish me luck."
Nia looked back and forth, from one guardian to another. Finally she threw herself backwards into the cot. "Meesa too."
Only the Jedi folded his arms and remained awake. He had other things to consider for the moment. One way or another, he was going to stop the dreams.
To be continued.