A/N: I'm back! Yay! Yeah, I know. Your life held no meaning without this story, right? Seriously, though, I want to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews. They have been an incredible ego booster and I really appreciate the fact that you've taken the time to tell me what you think of my story. This chapter deals a little more with the darker side of Obi-Wan, plus his emotions and Padme's. I've tried to inject a bit of humor here and there, because that's always been part of the charm of Star Wars. Let me know if it's failing dismally. Also, I think I've probably taken liberties with the Expanded Universe, which I'm not all that familiar with, and the characters of Bail and Breha. Still, I hope you enjoy them.
Special thanks to all my friends in the Gwethil for your encouragement and my-gasp!-THREE beta readers! Good grief! Ah, well. The more the merrier, I say. Shout out to the betas Almyra, and LadyDeb1970. Go read their stories! Go! Go!
Disclaimer: If I owned it, Padme would never have died of a frickin' broken heart. Thanks a lot, George.
(sound of throat clearing)
Oh, yeah. And thanks to my muses Daniel Jackson of SG1, Haldir of Lorien, Carson Beckett of Atlantis, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Padme Amidala. I guess they deserve some credit for this.
Daniel: Hey!
(grins) Hope you enjoy!
I've looked into the heart of darkness
Where the blood red journey ends.
When you've faced the heart of darkness
Even your soul begins to bend.
Iron Maiden - "Heart of Darkness"
"Impossible woman!" fumed Obi-Wan as he entered his own quarters. Once had had left her rooms, his hurt at Padme's words had quickly turned to anger, a reaction unusual for him. He ran a hand through his hair and breathed deeply, attempting to calm himself, to release his anger into the Force. He was not successful. The very air surrounding him crackled with energy.
"Meditate, you should."
Obi-Wan whirled around at the voice behind him. Yoda gazed back at him solemnly from the doorway to Obi-Wan's balcony. The younger Jedi opened his mouth to ask how Yoda had gotten in before realizing what an utterly ridiculous question it was. Abruptly, he snapped his mouth shut. It was indicative of his current frame of mind that the question had even formed in his head.
"Why does she have to be so impossible?" he snapped the question out in a tone he had never used with Yoda before. His friend closed his eyes, his shoulders drooping a little.
"Much pain I sense in you, Obi-Wan. Much anger. Betrayed, you have been," the statement came in a soft voice devoid of censure. Obi-Wan stared at the diminutive Jedi as though Yoda had just announced he had fallen in love with a Wookie.
"Of course I've been betrayed! We have all been betrayed! The entire Jedi Order was wiped out by one of our own. Our friends…..our family. Slaughtered by the man I called friend and brother. And you sense anger. That's all you can say now? Well, thank you very much, Master. But I believe I had that much figured out on my own."
Throughout this tirade, Yoda remained motionless, his eyes still closed. He felt the anger radiating from Obi-Wan in waves, more intense than any anger he had ever sensed from him before. But it wasn't all the result of Anakin's betrayal and subsequent fall to the Dark Side. No, no. There was more. Much more.
"Angry with Senator Amidala, you are. She has hurt you deeply. What I sense from you, not all due to young Skywalker is."
Obi-Wan sighed and flopped down in a chair with an uncharacteristic abandonment of grace. He was exhausted and didn't want to discuss this. In fact, he was sorely tempted to pack his things and head for the Outer Rim at the earliest opportunity. This thought, that he would even consider leaving the twins and Padme without saying goodbye, served to shock Obi-Wan into speaking. His tone was less harsh, but his anger still clung to him.
"Of course I am," he replied. "She refuses to listen to reason, although she's one of the most reasonable people I've ever known. I can't make her see that Vader is dangerous. That Anakin no longer exists. Why will she not listen to me?"
Yoda remained silent, wanting Obi-Wan to speak more. This was just the most recent event causing Obi-Wan's anger. Emotions of this magnitude did not spring up over a period of just two or three days. Not with Obi-Wan Kenobi. His patience was legendary, as was his ability to control his once infamous temper. Finally, Obi-Wan spoke again, his voice very quiet.
"She blames me for Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. And I cannot fault her in that."
Now they were getting somewhere. Somehow, Yoda did not feel that it was the initial wound concerning Padme, but it was the deepest. Still, he held his tongue, hoping Obi-Wan would continue. He was not disappointed.
"I always knew his feelings for Padme were dangerous, but I was loathe to harp on him about it. I thought it was just infatuation. After all, they met under dire circumstances. It was only natural that a young boy, taken out of his mother's grasp, would strike up a kinship with someone who showed him such kindness. We didn't see her for ten years. How could he honestly believe himself in love with a woman he never saw? I thought he would grow out of it. I was wrong. I was wrong about so many things. I should've tried to teach him more about releasing his emotions into the Force. That was always his weakness. He didn't release. He repressed. He was impatient. Qui-Gon could've taught him so much better than I did. I was his closest friend, Master Yoda. He was my brother. How could I not sense his fear and his anger? How could I not see the precipice he stood upon?" the younger Jedi dropped his head into his hands, looking more defeated than Yoda had ever seen him. Even after Qui-Gon's death..
Shaking his head, he made his way over to Obi-Wan, hesitating only slightly before giving in to an urge he had suppressed for the past thirty years. Yoda ran his gnarled hand over the ginger hair and Obi-Wan looked up at him, his eyes full of pain.
"Angry and hurt, Senator Amidala is. Just like you. Alone, she feels now. Frightened. Always empathetic, always compassionate she has been. Believe you to be responsible, she cannot. Not truly. No more than I do. Know in her heart, she does, that her husband's choices were his own."
Obi-Wan's eyes flashed at the last statement and Yoda widened his own, the origin of this anger now becoming clear.
"Feel pain, you do, that she kept this secret from you. Always confided in you, she has."
This statement was met with an incredulous stare and Yoda felt the denial spring to Obi-Wan's lips. He shook his head slightly and Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped in defeat.
"She was my friend. One of the few outside of the Temple who I felt I could trust implicitly. For some reason…..for some reason, her deceit in this matter cuts me deeper than Anakin's. Why did she not tell me? Did our friendship mean so little to her? Did she have so little trust in me? How could she keep it from me? And why did she agree to such a marriage in the first place? She knows that romantic attachments are forbidden within the Jedi Order. It wasn't fair of them to-OW!"
Obi-Wan broke off and rubbed the back of his head, glaring balefully at Yoda and at the gimer stick that the Jedi Master was lowering back down to the floor.
"Physically knock some sense into your head, I had to, Obi-Wan. Beginning to sound like your former Padawan, you were. These things are in the past. Let go of them, you must, if you value your friendship with Senator Amidala as much as you claim to. Meditate, you should," Yoda repeated his earlier statement, punctuating it with a forceful tap of his stick on the floor. Obi-Wan scowled.
"I don't want to."
"Talking to Obi-Wan Kenobi, am I? Or Anakin Skywalker?"
The question had it's intended effect. The sheer harshness of it brought Obi-Wan up short and he actually had to remind himself to breathe. Often as a youngling, he had been on the receiving end of harsh statements from Yoda. But never had they hurt as much as the one just uttered.
No choice in this, you have. No choice," Yoda reiterated, staring hard at his friend. "Off-balance you are in the Force. Felt this, I have, these past several days. Always have you found balance in your meditation. How long, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan felt Yoda's hard stare and knew what he was asking. How long since he had meditated? A heavy sigh escaped him as he realized he could not remember the exact day. It had been long ago, especially for him. Yoda was right. More than any other activity, his meditation had always soothed him, always brought him into focus.
"Not since Utapau," he finally admitted. "Just before I left Coruscant."
A disapproving noise left Yoda's mouth and the Jedi Master shook his head before exiting the room, leaving Obi-Wan with a pervading sense that he was something of a disappointment right now.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Two days later
Bail Organa frowned as he passed by the library and caught a glimpse of…something flying through the air. Stepping in the doorway, he saw the quite normal picture of his wife curled up, avidly reading a book. By contrast, the sight of Obi-Wan Kenobi sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, his eyes closed, his entire form completely still, was quite abnormal. He cast a curious glance at his wife, who motioned him in.
"What is he doing?" Bail inquired in a hushed tone as he walked towards his wife. She smiled at him.
"I believe he is meditating. Apparently, he has come in here for the past two days to do so. I was here first today, though. I told him I would leave, but he insisted that I stay. He said I would not disturb him."
Bail cast a somewhat curious glance towards his friend. He looked unbelievably serene. So at peace.
"Looks can be deceiving," his wife whispered. Bail looked at her askance, wondering if he'd spoken his thoughts out loud. But she just smiled at him and patted his hand. Her husband shook his head, deciding he'd never understand his wife. But he liked a good mystery, so perhaps that was all for the best.
The library was also one of Bail's favorite rooms in the Palace. He understood why Obi-Wan was drawn to it. It was nothing like most formal libraries the senator had seen in his lifetime, dark and elaborately elegant. The walls here were a pale green in color, warm and inviting. The bookshelves were made of light-colored wood and, during the day time, sunlight flooded the room from the two walls full of tall windows that looked out into the Queen's gardens below. It was altogether the most peaceful room in the palace, one that Bail often escaped to.
He watched his friend with concern, knowing how much the situation with Padme had affected the Jedi Master. Inwardly, he gave a frustrated sigh of his own. He didn't understand how someone so guided by reason in most other areas refused to find reason in Obi-Wan's argument. He had tried to talk to her himself, but she wouldn't see him. She wouldn't see anyone.
"She is being stubborn," he stated suddenly in a soft voice, folding his arms over his chest. Breha raised an eyebrow, not needing to be told what her husband referred to.
"Yes, she is. She is also being a mother. Bail, we have no children of our own. But I would have given my life for them if we had. I would not give them up."
"The difference in the situations being that her life just might be the price. And possibly ours as well."
There was a pause before Breha spoke again, her eyes cutting to the Jedi on the floor, her voice lowering even further.
"You regret the decision to bring them here?"
Bail looked over at his wife, following her eyes, regretting his words. He reached out and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips. She turned and gave him a small smile in return.
"I do not regret that they are here. I knew there would be danger involved. And I would certainly fight to defend them from Vader if it was required. But Obi-Wan's plan makes sense. We have done nothing overt to anger Palpatine. Or Ana- Vader. Alderaan is not a concern of theirs right now. With Padme's help, I hope to begin a secret rebellion. She is an intelligent woman," he sighed again. "Which is why I cannot understand her refusal to listen to reason."
"She's a mother, Bail. Reason is not part of the equation when it comes to her children. Instinct is. But her friendship with Obi-Wan is important to her, as well. Besides the twins, he is all she has right now. Give her time. She will eventually see reason, I think. After all, she was not elected Queen of Naboo at the age of fourteen because of her inability to make difficult decisions."
Bail smiled at his wife and leaned over, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"You are a wise woman, Breha Organa. How did I become so lucky as to have you fall in love with me?"
"I believe I was intrigued by your apparent complete lack of knowledge when it came to women. Not to mention your utter helplessness in regards to all other matters," she responded, her eyes sparking mischievously. He pulled a face at this statement, causing her to laugh quietly before she snuggled closer to him and returned to her book.
Bail ran his hand through his wife's hair as he concentrated once more on Obi-Wan. He still hadn't moved a muscle. The senator shook his head slightly in amazement. He had always held the Jedi Order in high regard. They never ceased to intrigue him, to amaze him. But it wasn't until he met Obi-Wan six years earlier, when the Jedi and his Padawan were on Alderaan, that he had been able to call one of them a friend. He had found in Obi-Wan something of a kindred spirit, even though Kenobi had never made a secret of the fact that he detested politics. Bail's eyes clouded as he thought of Anakin Skywalker. He had been fond of him as well. Anakin had been the possessor of a lively spirit and a compassionate soul. Breha, in particular, had taken to the boy, mothering him at every opportunity. It hurt now to think that the boy with the infectious smile and mischievous glint in his eyes was gone.
Ruminations about Anakin and his fate were interrupted by a sudden thudding noise. Bail jumped at the sound, but Breha didn't even look up from her book. Her husband glanced about almost wildly before spying a book on the floor halfway across the room. He stared at it for a second and his eyes widened when it lifted into midair and placed itself back on the shelf it had been on.
"Did you see that?" he whispered.
"Hmmmm?" was his beloved's reply as she turned the page in her own book. Bail returned his gaze to Obi-Wan, watching the Jed with a wary look in his eyes, waiting for something to happen. He didn't wait long. Another book slammed into the wall Bail was facing with tremendous force before dropping to the ground. Again, it soon found it's way to it's original spot. Bail tracked its progress with his eyes before turning his attention back to his wife.
"Breha….." he began.
"Just keep quiet and sit still," she interrupted. "It will stop soon."
Two more books fell with a loud thump-thump. This time, they were not replaced. More books soon followed. Still, Breha kept reading. Bail looked around nervously. Papers on the desk at the end of the room rustled and then flew into the air. A few more books were finding their way off the shelves, but they didn't drop. They slammed into walls and other bookcases. The library was officially in chaos. Yet, somehow, the area surrounding Bail and Breha was left in perfect order, as if they were surrounded by a shield of some sort.
At the height of the confusion, the fireplace was suddenly ablaze. The sound of the flames finally provoked a reaction from Breha, who raised her eyebrows.
"Now that one is new."
Bail spared a confused glance at his wife, wondering how many times she had sat in the middle of this maelstrom today. The logs in the fireplace glowed brighter and brighter, the flames building up to an incredible intensity. Yet Obi-Wan, sitting right in front of it, showed no sign of discomfort. Bail was paralyzed with both awe and fear. He had seen many things in his life, had been in dangerous situations several times thanks to the Clone Wars. But never had he experienced anything like this. As bizarre as the situation was, books careening through the air and papers flying all around, he could see the seriousness in it all. This chaos, this tumult was emanating from Obi-Wan Kenobi. A man renowned for his calm demeanor, his patience and grace under pressure. And that was more frightening than the sight of the flames that now seemed to lick at the very body of the Jedi himself.
But as suddenly as it had all begun, it ended. The fire died completely. Books dropped to the ground in mid-flight. And Bail watched in shock as Obi-Wan inhaled deeply and items began to move again, this time at a precise and calm speed, returning to their rightful places. In a matter of seconds, the library looked no different than it had when Bail had first entered only minutes before. The only hint that anything had gone wrong was the slight smell of smoke that lingered in the air.
A few more seconds later, Obi-Wan moved. Slowly, he stood and turned to face the Organas. His expression betrayed no surprise at finding Bail next to his wife, even though he had never seen the senator enter the library and, seemingly, had not heard any of their conversation. He stepped closer to them and smiled down tenderly at Breha.
"I apologize if I disturbed your reading, M'lady," he said softly. She returned the smile.
"Not at all, Master Kenobi. Although I do believe you might've startled my unflappable husband," she tacked on the statement rather mischievously. Obi-Wan turned his attention to Bail and read the real concern in his friend's eyes.
"I am sorry, Senator Organa. It would seem I am not…..fully in control of my emotions just yet," the last part was uttered with a pained grimace. "But your wife was never in any danger, I assure you."
"Obi-Wan, I would never think my wife is in danger when she is with you."
The utter sincerity of the statement released something within Obi-Wan and, for the first time in weeks, he felt the full warm calmness of the Force flow through his body. Breha marveled in the sudden change as the Jedi's eyes brightened and the features of his face relaxed into the first fully genuine smile she had seen from him since his arrival.
"Thank you, my friend," he replied, his voice thick with emotion. He turned again to Breha. "And I thank you again, M'lady, for your patience."
"As I thank you for yours, Obi-Wan," came the simple response. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows, knowing she was referring to the fact that he had not pressed Padme again since their argument two days earlier. Bowing low at the waist, he gave one final smile and then exited the room, heading for his quarters. Breha sighed.
"He has stepped away from a steep drop today, my love," she told Bail. "I am more happy than words can say. I could not bear to lose him as I have lost Anakin."
Bail gathered his wife in his arms and Queen Breha finally allowed herself to shed tears over the loss of the young man she had grown to love so much in such a short time.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''The next day
The sound of a sharp knock on her door startled Padme. No one had attempted to see her since Bail had come the morning after her argument with Obi-Wan. Sighing, she responded wearily to the visitor.
"I do not wish to see anyone."
The voice from the other side of the door startled her.
"Gone on long enough, this has. Open this door you will, Senator Amidala."
Padme opened her mouth to refuse again, but hesitated. No, she could not refuse Yoda as she had Obi-Wan and Bail. It just wasn't within the realm of possibility. Reluctantly, she opened the door to reveal a rather irritated Yoda. He walked into the room when she stood aside, but remained silent until she had shut the door behind him.
"Benefit you, this stubbornness does not," the Jedi Master fixed her with his eyes and Padme Amidala, former Queen of Naboo, a grown woman with two children, felt very much like a five year old child throwing a fit about having to go to bed early. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"I will not be parted from either one of my children, Master Yoda. They need their mother. All the more because their father is not here. I refuse to-"
"Refuse?" Yoda cut her off, raising his eyebrows. "No choice in this have you. Done, it must be, if safe the children are to be kept."
Padme shook her head, refusing again to believe this argument. Ever since her initial anger had passed towards Obi-Wan, she had fought desperately to cling to it. Her anger and her hurt were the only things that were keeping her from thinking logically. And she did not want to think logically. Because, deep down, she knew that Obi-Wan's arguments had been right.
"Difficult it is, to let go of the past," Yoda spoke again, surprising Padme. She stared at him, uncomprehending, and he continued. "Remember well, I do, the young boy from Tatooine. Great potential he had. Broken, my heart is, to know he is gone."
"He is not gone," the wife of Anakin insisted, although she felt the same. Her words felt empty and it frightened her. Yoda nodded in understanding.
"Remember him as he was, you should, Senator Amidala. But gone, Anakin Skywalker is. Broken many hearts, his death has."
His last message was meant to be a reminder, and Padme did not miss the hint. She was not the only one suffering because of Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. True, her heart was breaking. She felt lost and alone. But she had seen that feeling reflected in her friend's eyes only three days ago, when she had flung Anakin's loss in Obi-Wan's face. She had been telling herself that it was best for her children to have their mother with them. But was it really? Or was it just best for her?
"How am I to choose?" she whispered, lowering herself into a chair. "How can a mother choose which child she keeps…..and which child she sends away?"
Yoda made his way over to her and placed a hand over hers. Startled by the contact, Padme jumped a little. The wizened Jedi Master smiled at her warmly.
"Remember also, I do, a young queen from Naboo. Very young, but very shrewd, she was. Showed great wisdom, she did, in allowing others to advise her."
"I didn't always take the advice of others," Padme smiled slightly, remembering several conversations with Qui-Gon. "I've always been headstrong."
The Jedi Master nodded sagely as he withdrew his hand. He studied her intently for a moment and Padme felt as though her very soul was being searched. Finally, he sighed and spoke softly to her.
"Headstrong, you have always been. Selfish, for you to be, is a new development."
Padme looked away from Yoda, afraid to see condemnation in his eyes. Selfish. Yes, that seemed to sum up her behavior quite nicely. In fact, it summed it up all the way around where Anakin was concerned. Yoda watched her carefully for a moment before speaking again.
"Pain me, it does, to see you argue with Obi-Wan. Much sorrow he bears in the fall of his former Padawan to the Dark Side. Your friendship, he needs. Your respect, he values. Thinking only of your safety, he is, Padme."
Her head swiveled back to look at him, surprised at the use of her informal name. She couldn't remember him ever addressing her in such a way. What she saw in his face surprised her even more. Affection. Tenderness. A wave of warmth swept through her and she realized it was from Yoda. And the truth finally hit her. She was not as alone as she had thought. Bail and Breha. Yoda. Obi-Wan. They were her friends. Obi-Wan had most certainly saved her life on Mustafar. She blinked back tears as she remembered the look on Anakin's face as he cut off her supply of oxygen. For the first time, she truly acknowledged that, had it not been for the arrival of Obi-Wan, Anakin would have killed her.
And how had she repaid him? She had to fight the tears harder when she thought of the look on his face when she had mentioned his failure with Anakin. Obi-Wan did not deserve what she had said. In her anger and denial, she had lashed out. And she had hurt him immeasurably. With her typical resolve, she immediately knew what had to be done.
"Rhynna!" she called for her handmaiden as she rose from her seat. It was time to leave this room. Padme did not notice when Yoda slipped out the door, forgotten in the commotion, and happier than he had been in several days.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''An hour later
Padme stood outside the door to Obi-Wan's quarters, fingering the skirt of her simple blue gown nervously. She had never really been good at apologizing. The former queen and senator, celebrated for her cool head and eloquence with words, found herself tongue-tied when it came to admitting she had been wrong about something.
Chastising herself, she raised her hand for the fourth time. Closing her eyes, she willed her hand to actually knock on the door. Immediately, she quashed the ridiculous idea that came into her head to run before he answered. When did she regress to the age of ten? Her nervousness, however, did not abate. Had she damaged their friendship irreparably? Would he even want to talk to her?
It was all of ten seconds before she decided that he wasn't in and she should just come back later. Just as she turned, she heard the door open and heard the note of disbelief in the voice behind her.
"Padme?"
She stood frozen for a moment, unable to speak. She didn't even turn to face him. And she felt even worse when he spoke again, his voice tinged with concern.
"Padme, is something wrong? Is it one of the twins?"
Force! He was supposed to be angry with her, not worried about her! Impossible man! Slowly, she turned and faced him.
"I wanted to talk to you, Obi-Wan. Do you mind if I come in?"
The surprise was evident on his face and, for a moment, he looked as though he wanted to deny her request. But he said nothing, merely stepped aside to allow her through the door. As it closed behind her, he motioned to a nearby chair. She sat in silence for a moment, studying the floor, unable to find the words she wanted to say. Obi-Wan, sitting in a chair next to her, watched her expectantly before giving her a wry smile.
"I've always found that it's easier to talk to someone if you actually speak."
She looked up at him, a cutting remark on the tip of her tongue, until she saw the spark in his eyes. He was teasing her. A wave of relief washed over her. At least he still thought of himself as her friend. Perhaps she was just making this too difficult. She had a talent for that sometimes. Taking a deep breath, she reached over and took his hand in hers. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows at the unexpected touch.
"Obi-Wan, I've come to apologize. I had no right to speak to you the way I did. It was unfair for me to do so. Even worse, I feel it was a betrayal of your friendship. I just…..the thought of losing Luke…."
Padme trailed off and swallowed, unable to finish her sentence. Knowing that a particular course of action was the right thing to do and actually thinking about going through with it were two very different things. Obi-Wan's hand squeezed hers briefly.
"For whatever it's worth, Padme, I give you my word that Luke will receive the very best of care. I will watch over him. I will NOT fail you again, my friend."
She shook her head and stood up, beginning to pace. Obi-Wan watched her curiously. The emotions he sensed from her were jumbled up. It was impossible to tell just what exactly she was feeling. Had she truly reconciled herself to being separated from her son? He waited for her to speak again, unwilling to push her. He certainly didn't want a repeat of their last conversation.
"You never failed me in the first place, Obi-Wan," she finally said. "But what you're proposing is not enough. I can't give my only son over to strangers. I just can't."
Obi-Wan frowned at this, not liking the sound of her words. Besides….
"But they're not strangers. You know them. You've spent time with them. And they have a son just one year older than Luke," he broke off as she began to shake her head again and a new thought occurred to him. He shot up from his seat. "You're not suggesting that I raise him, are you?"
But the look in her eyes told him that she was. And now Obi-Wan shook his head.
"I can't raise him. I will train him. But I can't raise him. I've never raised a child."
"Anakin was not grown when he became your Padawan," she reminded him, as he had known she would.
"I've never raised a child from infancy. Padme, I used to visit the babies in the Jedi Temple from time to time. I…." he choked up, remembering his visits and the fact that none of those babies were still alive. "I know how to feed a baby. I know how to diaper a baby. But I can't nurture one. I've never done anything with a baby beyond feeding, diapering, and occasionally playing."
Padme finally gave in to the urge to stomp her foot in frustration.
"For a man who can do so many things, you certainly do think yourself incompetent, Obi-Wan. I had only the experience of my sister's children to draw on when the twins were born. Believe me, Luke would be no worse off with you than he would with me."
They stared at each other for a moment, each of them silently battling the other with their will. Obi-Wan sighed heavily.
"Must it always be like this?" he asked. "I don't want to argue, Padme. You have always been my friend, and now you are the last true link to a friend I have lost."
"The twins…." Padme began, her voice breaking with emotion.
"Will never really know their father," he interrupted, his voice kind but firm. "Only you and I truly knew Anakin. Not even Yoda knew him as well as we did. And, in any case, I will lose contact with him soon. He leaves in three days for the Dagobah system."
That did catch Padme's attention. She had heard nothing of this. The Jedi Master was leaving? Obi-Wan nodded his head before launching into a rather sarcastic impersonation of Yoda that would've made Padme laugh if she had not seen how hurt Obi-Wan actually was at this turn of events.
"Too old am I for fighting. Failed the Order, I have. Go into exile, I must. No help should you expect from me, Obi-Wan. Finished I am. The only one I am to experience failure and loss in all this."
The last statement, obviously, had never left Yoda's mouth. But it was clearly how Obi-Wan felt the Jedi Master was behaving at the moment. His words were laced with so much bitterness that it alarmed Padme. She laid a gentle hand on Obi-Wan's arm and he looked down at her.
"You still have me, Obi-Wan. You'll always have me."
Her brown eyes were so full of genuine adoration and respect that Obi-Wan forgot the fact that she had ever hurt him in the first place. She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him tentatively and laying her head on his chest. Surprised at this turn of events, he hesitated, but returned the embrace nevertheless. Even more surprising was the comfort that he gained from this simple friendly contact. He dropped a chaste kiss on the top of her head and smiled slightly.
"And you have me," he replied. "So let's not argue about all this. Let's try to work all this out together. Clearly, we are on our own for the most part. I don't want to drag Breha and Bail into this anymore than we already have."
Padme nodded in assent and stepped away from her friend. Their friendship, although not completely repaired by any means, had at least been mended. He gestured towards the seat she had previously occupied and she took him up on his offer.
It was two hours later when they finally decided to take a break from their 'negotiations'. Cross words had not been exchanged, although both had felt frustration on more than one occasion. Obi-Wan called for a break and disappeared into the tiny makeshift kitchen he had set up in one corner of the room…..with Breha's permission. Padme watched him with amusement.
"There are servants to do all this, you know, Obi-Wan."
"It's one of the few domestic activities that actually calms me, though," came the reply from behind the little partition. Padme smiled and then sighed. Two hours….but they were no closer to a solution than they had been when they started. She still insisted that, if Luke was to be taken from her, then she wanted Obi-Wan to raise him. He still insisted that he was incapable of doing such a thing. She'd suggest going with him to Tatooine, but he had nixed that idea with more vehemence than he would the prospect of raising Luke himself. Still, she felt he might be wearing down. A life in politics had gifted her with numerous skills in negotiation. It was just her rotten luck that this particular 'negotiation' had to be with someone known throughout the galaxy as 'The Negotiator'.
"I make the best tea in five star systems, anyway," Obi-Wan said, appearing with a tray of some tiny biscuit-like items and two cups of tea on a tray.
"But what if this isn't one of those five?" she inquired archly. Obi-Wan merely grinned.
They sat in silence for a while, just glad for the break in discussion. But they both knew the problem had to be solved tonight. They could not put it off any longer. A knock on Obi-Wan's door startled them both.
"Enter!" he called, getting up to greet whoever his uninvited guest was. He relaxed slightly when Bail entered.
"You have visitors, Obi-Wan. Apparently, it is a matter of great importance," Bail informed the Jedi Master after glancing at Padme with an expression of confusion and relief.
Immediately, Obi-Wan tensed again. Bail knew what he was thinking.
"They weren't armed in any way and readily submitted to being searched, but they refused to remove their cloaks. I have not seen their faces."
This was puzzling. From a strategic view, Obi-Wan knew he should insist that they have their cloaks removed. Yet something within him…
"How many?" he asked.
"Two."
Obi-Wan cast a glance at Padme, who looked as confused as he felt. He didn't speak, but somehow Padme knew what was being requested of her. She disappeared through the door that led into Obi-Wan's bedroom.
"Show one of them in, Bail."
Bail looked as though he wanted to argue, but he disappeared into the hall and returned quickly with a cloaked figure that Obi-Wan somehow felt he should know. When the door closed again, gloved hands reached up to draw back the hood of the cloak. Even before the hood fell back, though, Obi-Wan knew the identity of the stranger and breathed a name in shock just a second before the hood fully revealed the face of his friend.
"Shaak Ti."
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''TBC
A/N: Yeah, I'm mean. I'm sorry. But at least I posted something, right?
Just a tiny bit of Obidala in this one, although rest assured it was pure friendship. Ick. I could never see them doing anything romantic just weeks after Anakin's fall. And I hope you like the tiny little backstory about Breha and Anakin. It just kind of popped into my head and I found myself typing it.
Feedback always welcome!