Hello You! Yes You! I Love You! ^_^
I must admit that I wasn't planning on putting bits of this chapter in, but ultimately decided to. Mainly because I feel that it is the small things in life that mean the most and get us through the rough times. So this chapter has some big stuff in it, but a lot of the little stuff as well.
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think.
"Do you know why you are here Ms. Tenka?" Master Windu questioned. His voice unemotional, but I could sense his aggravation none-the-less.
"Yes Master" I whispered. I felt as small as a mouse in that room, surrounded by so many that could easily send me into exile.
"Then you know that if these allegations are true, the consequences may be very grave" His eyes bore deeply into me, that I feared to look up.
"I do" I nodded slowly, and should've left it at that. But I didn't. "I am innocent, Master."
Mace stared me down, "We shall see" I'm not sure if he believed me, and with a large portion of the council gone, I was not too hopeful. "You shall be questioned thoroughly..."
"Master Windu, couldn't this wait 'til morning? She is obviously exhausted by this whole ordeal." Master Plo came to my aid. I could sense his pity. He was, after all, my former Master. He knew me more than most.
Mace just stood there, debating his next decision, his arms firmly crossing his chest.
"I do not think we should make such decisions without Master Yoda present" Obi Wan chimed in. A little too quickly, by the way Master Windu was glaring at him. "Besides, Jedi should not be quick to pass judgement, not until we know all the facts"
"We cannot know all the facts until Anakin returns from his mission with Master Fisto" Mace glowered.
"Shouldn't that be the way it is?" Master Plo spoke. "It is not wise to act brashly"
"In the meantime, the press is having a field day" He scowled at all of our pathetic faces "Very well. We will wait until Anakin returns. Yoda should be back by then as well. In the meantime, you are to stay under house arrest" He glared at me. "Master Plo, you will address the media tomorrow morning stating that there is going to be a very detailed investigation. Master Kenobi, you will be Ms. Tenka's personal guard to make sure that she does not try anything. You will be with her 24/7. You will eat with her, you will sleep with her, and if it were my decision, you would even watch her while she bathes. But seeing the current circumstances, I do not think it wise"
We all nodded pitifully.
"Now, I suggest you all get some rest. I sense we will all be under scrutiny for the next few weeks, and rest will make us less susceptible to anger" Master Windu turned abruptly and stormed out of the room. The remaining Jedi aside from Masters Plo and Obi Wan exited as well.
When all was quiet, Plo Koon turned to me gently, "Now what happened Amy? If I am to be behind you, I must know the facts."
I sniffled, "That picture was taken the day that Obi Wan became a member of the council. Anakin and I were called as character witnesses, and we were waiting outside the council room. I was slightly nervous, as I get everytime I appear before the council. You know this," I looked over at Master Plo, he had been with me many times before and understood perfectly what I was talking about. "Anakin was annoyed by my leg shaking, so he placed his hand on my knee to stop it. That was it."
"And are you in an intimate relationship?" He asked simply. Yet the question brought fear to my heart.
"Anakin and I are no more than friends. I only love him as a brother" I sincerely hoped he would take that as an answer. Because if I were to speak the truth, I would have no other alternative than to say yes. But it would be for another Jedi.
"Very well. I believe you" He placed an empathetic hand on my shoulder.
"Thank you" I mumbled softly, grateful for his trust.
"Now you two should get to bed. You have a long day ahead of you little one" He turned to Obi Wan "Protect her Master Kenobi. I fear that you have been charged with this task by the force itself. Not to keep her from the world, but to keep the world from her"
Obi Wan nodded, as we both watched Master Plo leave us in silence. I then sensed his eyes turn sorrowfully to me. "C'mon Love, let's get you to bed" I know he wanted to pick me up and carry me from the now darkened room, but how would that look. So instead, I meekly trudged forward, one footstep after another.
"I should go grab my things" He stated as we entered the lift. I nodded, as he pressed the button for the mens wing. The silence reverberated in our ears, as the lift reached it's stop. I then followed Obi Wan down the hall to his room. I had never entered this way before. I noticed several doors creep open to watch as I followed their entrusted Master Kenobi. I could feel their shame as they looked. I had tainted the name of Jedi, even if I was innocent.
I stood in the doorway of Obi Wans room as he put together a small pack for the night. He smiled ever so slightly as he grabbed a bed roll, knowing that there was no need for it, but he would take it for appearances sake. Then with quick checks off his mental checklist, he flicked the light off and we headed off to my quarters. The walk down the women's corridor was no less embarrassing. Granted, I felt pity from most, but could easily decipher the hostile few.
I shamefully opened my door as Obi Wan followed me in. Without turning around, I walked straight over to my bed and slumped onto it's cover. The pain of betrayal stung at my heart, even though I did nothing. So I lay sprawled on my bed as I numbly looked at the stitching on my blanket.
I heard Obi Wan click the door shut behind us, and I could sense his relief fill the room. He no longer had to keep up appearances. He could comfort me the way he'd been wanting to all night. I felt the bed lower as he climbed onto it. His loving arms pulled me into his embrace, cradling me on his lap. I laid my head on his chest.
He held me in his arms for a good hour, in silence. I half expected he was asleep, but knew it would not come as easily to me this night. "Amy dear..." he whispered into my hair. "You need to let it out, otherwise you'll be up all night, plagued by this senseless guilt."
I lifted my head to stare back at him, my eyes wide with exhaustion. "What am I going to do Obi?"
He sighed "Trust. Trust in the force. Trust in our love. Trust that Yoda will not let them expel you from the order."
"But you know how it works Obi Wan. Even if you and Yoda know I am innocent, the majority has the vote."
"Yes, but you are innocent Amy. Truth will win out. It always does."
"And what happens then?! What happens even if I am proven innocent?! What will happen then, after the truth comes out?! I will suffer the same shame then. Even if I make it past this obstacle, what of the one that comes next? It's inevitable. Must I suffer this twice?" I broke into sobs. "I'm not ready for this"
"Yes you are. You're my little Jedi Knight. You can do anything, or be anyone. You have more power than you know. You can do this. And I'll be with you every step of the way."
"I know" I sniffled as he wiped away a tear from my face, just as his hope and love seemed to gently wipe away the stress from todays events, enough for me to fall into a dreamless sleep. Or so I thought.
"It is done my Lord" I heard a grating voice state into the dark. I could barely make out the shadows moving against the blackness of space, the stars acting as the only source of light.
"Good. All is put in place. Now we wait" The silvery voice sent my heart racing.
"Yes my Lord" I saw him bow as he turned to leave.
"Wait" My heart stopped, as I'm sure the servant's did as well.
"What is it Master?" He asked, coming to the side of the oversized throne.
"I wish to see it. I want to look into the faces of my enemies"
"Yes Sire" He pulled something from his pocket and flicked an image to life, giving light to the darkest corners. "It's nothing solid, but damning none-the-less"
I watched on in horror at the picture that had brought so much grief to my life. It all made sense now. He was behind it. He was behind it all.
"What is this?!" The cold voice shook "I asked you to capture evidence of the woman and the Chosen One. THIS is not the chosen one!" I could see the rage glowing from his eyes.
"I beg your pardon Sire, this IS Anakin Skywalker, also known as the Chosen One"
"This is not Anakin! This is the stupid one that caused their escape in the first place"
"If you please Lord," The man fumbled with his device, scanning through pictures. Relief suddenly glimpsing across his face. "See, here in the Jedi Records, Anakin Skywalker." Anakins face displayed prominently in front of the beautifully chiseled face of my foe.
"How can this be?" The Vengeance spoke to himself. Puzzled, he snatched the device from his servant. He started scanning through the records and I saw the faces of multiple Jedi. Suddenly he halted, staring back into the still framed face of my husband. "Oh dear..." His grim expression slowly upturned into a malicious grin. "This..." his shrill chuckles pierced the air. "This cannot be. It is too perfect. This is so much better than the chosen one. It seems, I have become enemies to the great Obi Wan Kenobi. Do you know how much more sweet his defeat will be?. If there was one Jedi in the universe who I thought would never stray, it would be him. His betrayal will be debilitating to the Jedi as a whole. It's PERFECT!"
I was trembling, he's figured us out. I held my breath, scared to breathe.
"Then, when the Jedi are destroyed, I will destroy him. But only after I ravish his beautiful lover in front of him. They will feel all the shame the world can give before they taste death."
"So you would like me to find evidence with the General now?" The servant piped up, grateful for his Masters happy mood.
"No, dear Verko. Tonight we celebrate. This news requires further planning. I can be patient a while longer. Take the night off. Report back to me a fortnight from now."
The servant bowed, then swept out of the room. Leaving the vengeance to stare happily at the face of my husband. He leaned forward, bringing out another device, scrolling through the same archives until my face now shone brightly next to my husbands. "You, dear Amy Tenka, will wish you'd never been born. I will ravage you in every possible way. And as I bring you to the edge of bliss, I will pierce you through the heart. And this time, I won't miss"
"Amy!" I felt shaking "Amy, wake up!"
I bolted upright, I could feel the sweat beading down my face. Panting heavily, I looked around the darkened room.
"It's alright Love, I'm here"
I turned my face to see the concern in Obi Wans eyes.
"It's him!" I gasped. "It's the Vengeance. He survived. I know now without any doubt. And he's the one behind the rumors. He thought you were Anakin, and he hired someone to exploit us. But then the picture was of Anakin and not you. So he investigated further and now knows who you are. And he's plotting the extinction of the Jedi, and he plans on raping me in front of you before he slaughters us both. And he's going to wait until.."
"Amy, slow down Love. Take a deep breath" He pulled me into him.
"Obi Wan. What do we do?!" I wheezed, shaking my head. "I cannot face him again! I just can't! Why can't he just leave us in peace?" My frantic fears turned into sobs as I clutched tightly to the tunic around Obi Wans neck, hiding my face in his chest.
"shhhhhh" Obi Wan hushed into my hair "I won't let him hurt you. I'll protect you, no matter what. Everything will be alright"
Even his protective arms around me could not stop the panic from filling my body.
"It's okay Amy. He's not here. It was just a dream. He can't hurt you. Not this time." His arms tightened around my trembling body. But I still felt the fear piercing my soul.
"Amy, I need you to look at me." He pulled my face to his, "He is NOT here. You are safe. Just take a deep breath."
"I can't" I strained. "he'll never let us be free. He'll always hunt us down. There's no escaping him"
"Amy, LOOK AT ME! FOCUS ON ME! FEEL OUR LOVE!" His firm tone took me aback. It was then that I noticed everything in the room was a good three feet off the ground. I felt Obi Wan ooze into my mind, trying to calm my fears. "It's okay Love. I promise."
I exhaled carefully and everything fell to the floor with a hard thud, including the bed we were laying on.
He let out a heavy breath that he had been holding in, grateful that I was able to get a grasp on reality.
My mind was exhausted, not used to the amount of power I had just displayed. My muscles ached in places I didn't even know existed. I moaned lightly at the pain.
"I'll draw you a bath" he stood up carefully, then laid me delicately down on the bed. I watched mindlessly as he entered into the bathroom. How is it possible to feel so fearful, and yet, so numb, while the world around me seems to be falling apart? I was tired. Tired of it all. Tired of trying. Tired of hiding. Tired of running.
Obi Wan exited the bathroom minutes later, and I just stared at him pathetically.
"Love, a face so beautiful should not look so sad. Look, I even took my shirt off for you" He came over to the edge of the bed to carry me. I looked up at him, realising his effort, but could not get my pout to budge. "Not the time, is it?"
I simply nodded, then rested my head on his chest as he cradled me in his arms. We entered the well-lit bathroom and he set me down on the counter.
"Do I have permission to undress you, M'lady?"
Without saying a word, I lifted my arms for him. My face still lacking emotion.
He reached out and pulled my tunic delicately over my head, flinging it softly into the corner. As he moved closer to undo my bra, he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes, trying to feed off his love.
He stepped back to grab hold of my feet, which still had my boots on. I had been too grief stricken earlier to even care enough about removing them. I gasped through my teeth as he slowly pulled off one boot. I had forgot about the blisters. As he pulled, the boot seemed to rip off the scabs, confusing it with the rest of the blood in my boots.
"Oh Amy..." Obi Wan whispered as he knelt down to take a closer look. "I had no idea" He lifted my foot tenderly, examining the open wounds. He then picked up my other foot, looking up at me for permission to continue on. I nodded, and he slowly ripped off the other boot. It was no less painful, but I did a better job of concealing it.
"You really did run that whole way"
All I could do was gaze back into his concerned face. He stood and lifted me slightly in order to disrobe me of my bottoms. He then cradled me back in his arms before lowering me down into the steaming water. I winced as my sores made contact, but refrained from crying out.
Obi Wan was quick to addressing my feet. He knelt next to the tub and gently dabbed a cloth against my bloodied skin. I closed my eyes to bite back the sting.
"I'm sorry Love. I know it hurts, but we need to get rid of the infection"
I simply clasped onto the sides of the tub as I began watching his firm hands move so delicately. Soon, my feet had been cleaned, and he moved to the rest of my body. He was tender when washing between my legs, and I was grateful he didn't try anything.
He started humming, as he finished washing my torso and began on my arms. He had such a beautiful, strong voice. I wish he would sing more. The rare times I heard him, it had sent chills down my spine. I watched him as his song entranced me, sending waves of calm through me.
He reached for my hair and delicately began undoing the braid. After running his fingers through it a few times, he took the soap and began to lather it in. I always loved when he washed my hair. In an odd way, it was the epitome of Obi Wan. So much power was held in those hands. They were firm and strong, but were handled with grace and tenderness. It was protective and loving, and even slightly arousing.
After rinsing out the soap, he moved to get up, but my hand clasped onto his forearm, catching him by surprise. I didn't say a word, but just looked at him, my eyes pleading with him to stay.
He looked back, surprised at first, but now he looked with knowing. "Alright" he nodded. He stood, stripping off his pants before stepping into the tub. He moved me slightly so that he could climb in behind me. When we had settled, I laid back on his chest, feeling the comfort as breath filled his lungs.
I glanced up at Obi Wan, seeing the pain in his eyes, knowing that it was my pain he was feeling. "Thank you" I whispered.
He smiled down at me before placing another tender kiss on my forehead. "You're welcome"
My heart filled with warmth, and I could feel my lips turn up ever so slightly. It might not me much, but I'll take it.
