Chapter 10
It felt so easy to fall into the comfortable routine that she had with her Obie. They sat together on the sofa in Padmé's living room, both attuned to the present, wanting to be alert.
"So, what do you and Anakin think of what's going on?" he asked.
She turned to face her mate. "He and I were just talking and he happens to think that the assassin might try to be a little more subtle in the future. I agree. We can't let our guard down this time."
He nodded. Rhiannon was strong in the Force. It was why she was such a gifted student of the Jedi. He'd heard nothing but praise about her from Bant and his other friends. She could often sense things just before they were to happen. And, she was a cunning warrior to boot, always anticipating the moves of her opponents. However, whenever it was possible, she always made the effort to find alternatives to fighting.
He gazed at her. Tonight, she wore her long hair up in a bun, save for the Padawan's braid that hung just barely touching her right shoulder. He'd noticed she was wearing her hair up lately, and he sensed it was because it was more practical that way. A small part of him yearned to release the bun and run his fingers through the soft tresses.
Little did he know that Rhiannon was feeling the same sensations.
She found herself gazing at the man who'd moved from the sofa to stand by the window. He'd become handsome, and she was wondering why she hadn't noticed it before. Oh, she'd noticed he was attractive before—with his shoulder-length copper hair, soft grey-blue eyes, well trimmed beard that looked soft to the touch, and his trim, yet muscular build—but it was the first time she'd felt a stirring within her body at the sight of her mate.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a beautiful man, she knew. He'd always been beautiful to her, inside and out.
Before they both knew what was happening, they were both standing before each other in the middle of the parlor, gazing into each other's eyes.
Oh gods, oh Force, she thought. I could drown in those eyes.
She reached up to caress his beard. Their faces were inches from each other. It would take no effort on his part to claim her lips and she knew it, but she wasn't afraid. This was her bondmate, her love…
Suddenly, she felt a disturbance in the Force. Padmé was in danger and it was coming from her bedroom. "Obie, I…" she whispered, turning toward the closed door.
"I know," he said. "I sense it too." The two bondmates were running toward the bedroom, well aware that Anakin was on their heels as well.
The trio ran into Padmé's bedroom where they saw two poisonous kohuns ready to inject the sleeping woman with their deadly venom. Anakin was the first to ignite his lightsaber and with deadly accuracy, he sliced through both poisonous worms, leaving them dead on the floor. However, this action woke Padmé and she sat up in bed in a state of shock.
Obi-Wan was the first to see the assassin droid lingering right outside the window. As it began to back away, he ran at top speed and threw himself through the glass and out, clinging to the droid for dear life before either Padawan could stop him.
"And he thinks I'm reckless," Anakin growled. "Rhiannon, stay here and help Padmé to the spare room. I'll go after your lunatic bondmate who just happens to be my insane master!"
She nodded wordlessly, still too much in shock to speak as he ran from the room.
He ran into Dallen and Dormé, who were heading to the main bedroom where everything had happened. "Dal, can I borrow your speeder?" he asked.
Dallen tossed him the data key. "What happened?"
"Assassin droid. My master shattered the window, going after it." Anakin shook his head. "And he complains about me being reckless."
"In that case, when you get to him, don't let him behind the wheel of my speeder," Dallen ordered and his tone turned teasing amid the tension of the night's events. "I don't care if he's your master; it's not paid off yet."
Anakin nodded and was gone, leaving Dallen and Dormé to deal with helping Rhiannon care for Padmé.
They found the two women in the parlor, with Rhiannon bringing two mugs of Nabooan herbal tea from the kitchen. She handed one to Padmé and sat down on the sofa with her to enjoy the soothing hot drink.
"He's a lunatic, I swear," the young Padawan grumbled. "I'm bonded to a lunatic."
"But you love him and you know it," Padmé shot back teasingly.
Rhiannon flashed a soft sweet smile. "Yeah, I do."
Before she could elaborate further, sounds of protest were coming from the front entrance. Dallen recognized the two voices arguing with Captain Typho and he hurried to break up the argument, Dormé on his heels.
They came back with Camrianna Antilles, adopted daughter of Bail Antilles, retired senator from Alderaan, and her friend and classmate, Dewey Solo from Corellia in tow. They were both graduate students at the University of Coruscant and were friends to Padmé, Rhiannon, and Dallen.
"We heard about what happened, Senator," Dewey said. "We only just got back from our research trip to Alderaan. Cami's uncle Bail told us."
"We're really sorry for your loss, Padmé," Cami added in her melodic accent.
She nodded. "Things have been a little crazy tonight," she explained. "There was another attempt on my life."
Dewey turned to Rhiannon and Dallen. "Is this serious?" he asked.
"Yeah, but we've got two other Jedi, besides myself, on it. They went after the assassin a few minutes ago," Rhiannon told him. "I still sense some danger. Maybe it's not wise for you to be here right now."
The two students nodded, knowing that Rhiannon was probably right. Cami hugged Padmé quickly, and she and Dewey decided to leave and head back to the university dorms. Dallen walked them out.
When he came back, Rhiannon and Dormé were already helping a still shaking Padmé to the spare bedroom. "Come on, Artoo," she said with a smile. "You need to keep an eye on your mistress." The little droid beeped his agreement and followed the two women.
Dallen waited for a few moments and then Rhiannon came out, relief in her eyes. "The tea worked," she said with a grin. "Padmé could barely keep her eyes open. She'll sleep through the night, and Artoo will warn us if we have any more repeat performances. Dormé will stay with her tonight."
Dallen grinned. "You say my cousin could barely keep her eyes open, huh? You didn't help her along with that, did you?"
The young Jedi apprentice giggled. "Believe me, I was tempted," she admitted. "She was so wound up, but I was only going to use that as a last resort. The tea relaxed her though, and Cami and Dewey visiting probably helped too."
He nodded. "I'm going to go hang out with Captain Typho in the control center, give him a hand. If you need anything, give me a buzz on the comlink." With that, he left the apartment, leaving Rhiannon alone with her thoughts.
As she sat on the sofa, she finally began to calm down from the excitement of the night's happenings. When that happened, she found herself thinking about what might have happened had she and Obi-Wan not been interrupted by the assassin droid.
Obi-Wan would have kissed her for the first time, a passionate, romantic kiss.
And she'd wanted him to.