Chapter 9 – The Clone Wars

For the second day in a row she didn't wake up in her own bed.

But this time instead of the soft bedding of Padmé's guest room she felt the rough sheets of the Jedi temple brushing against her bare skin as she tried not to move too quickly lest she fall off of her side of the single bed. It wasn't as comfortable as Padmé's bed but being here felt right to her. At least it did until she opened her eyes and found that she was alone.

He's gone again

The thought brought her insecurities rushing back to her. He had been grieving and she was the consolation prize. A momentary comfort. He could never love her. And even if everything she felt from him last night was true it still wouldn't matter. The Jedi meant more. She was not Satine who could steal him away from his honour.

"Ani?"

She startled as Obi-Wan poked his head into the room, two cups of caf in his hand. She felt herself blush as she pulled the blanket up around herself. She wasn't quite sure if it was her lack of dress or her assumptions she was embarrassed about.

"It's just me," he said, about to step into the room, then stopping when he realized her distress.

"Yes, I can see that," she replied trying to dampen her fears so he wouldn't get the wrong idea. They shared an awkward glance, both trying to read the other's feelings. She ought to say something to reassure him but it was hard to think when he was standing in the doorway, half-naked, looking like a god who didn't know whether or not he was allowed to enter his own room.

"Caf would be nice," she said softly, putting out her hand and pushing away her insecurities. He walked into the room and handed her the mug. He paused a moment, and then sat down on the bed beside her. "I thought you only drank tea," she teased, keeping her tone light. Reverting to the playful banter that hid so much.

He looked at her oddly. "Yes. Well. I know you need your caf in the morning. And since I was making it for you I thought I might have some as well."

She gripped the mug tighter in her hands, letting his thoughtfulness and the warmth give her courage. She could be honest with him. She could tell him how much this meant to her.

"When I woke up and you were gone I was worried you, you regretted this," she whispered. She knew it was better to know how he felt about last night than to let herself jump to conclusions. But she still feared his answer more than anything else.

"This does go against everything I have been taught, and everything I should have taught you." he stopped, struggling to find words. "And yet.."

"I have never felt more complete or at peace," she finished before he could.

He nodded, smiling at her.

She smiled back and it lit up the room.

And the force sang in approval.

XOXOXO

"General Skywalker," greeted Commander Cody, "Are you coming with us?"

Ani smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She had hoped she would be deploying with Obi-Wan when he left Coruscant but Master Yoda had decided against it.

"Unfortunately not," she answered, and she swore that Cody looked relieved though he remained focused on logging the mission co-ordinates into the transport. She was going to question him about Obi-Wan's location but stopped when Obi-Wan himself walked into the cockpit. He looked surprised to see her, staring at her in slight alarm while gesturing to where Cody was sitting with his eyes. As if she wasn't well aware of the clone trooper present with them in the ship.

"I know you're departing soon Master Obi-Wan, but seeing as I'm grounded on Coruscant for the foreseeable future I thought I should pick up the data-pad I left on your ship."

Obi-Wan gaped at her for a second, shades of confusion coloring his cheeks. She was relieved that it was just Cody with them and not one of their fellow Jedi as she pointed to the room behind him. For a suave negotiator he sure could be dense sometimes.

"Oh, right. Yes. I think it's in…." he finally spluttered a few gestures later.

"It's probably in your personal rooms." supplied Cody looking between the two of them, before shaking his head and turning back to his duties.

"Well, I'll go get it then," Obi-Wan said, turning around more quickly than necessary.

"I'll help you look for it," she added, tumbling after him. He was still recovering himself when they got to his room on the ship.

"Ani, what are you doing?" he demanded as soon as they were alone. "You can't be smuggled away with me. We still have to follow some rules."

She rolled her eyes at his dramatics. And they said she was the drama queen?

"Really?" she mocked, momentarily wondering how much it would take for him to allow her to stow-away. "Then it's a good thing I just came to say good bye."

"I thought we said goodbye last night," he replied, his tone taking on a lower timber that made her wonder just how much time they had before Cody would come looking for them. Probably not enough. They never had enough time. A single week on Coruscant together certainly wasn't enough time. Not when she did not know when she would see him again.

"I should be going to Cato Neimodia with you," she whined as she pulled him closer to her by the sides of his robes. "It's rife with Separatist sympathizers and even if it's easy to take you'll need help holding it," she added before pulling him in for a kiss.

Obi-Wan sighed into her mouth, pulling her down with him into the chair before breaking away to comfort her. "Plo Koon will be with me Ani, with Ahsoka and both of our units as well. We'll have lots of support. It'll be okay. No matter what the outcome. We are Jedi."

She wondered for a moment if he would leave the order if she asked him too. Would they be happy living as farmers on some backwoods planet? But she wouldn't ask him. She didn't want to know the answer. And in her heart she knew that fighting this war was where she was supposed to be as well.

"But I do wish you were being deployed with me," he admitted. "And before you get angry about being grounded I think you should know that the council is keeping you here for a reason. Yoda senses something coming to Coruscant. He wants you here."

She wondered if that was the truth of if he was just placating her.

"And they want me to just sit here and wait until something comes?" she ranted, trying to keep the whining out of her voice.

Obi-Wan smiled, cautioning her on patience as he greedily stole another kiss. A few moments later he pulled away and took her hands in his. "This week has meant a lot to me Ani."

"It's. It's not just this week is it?" she asked, fear lacing her tone. No matter how many times he tried to reassure her, she still could not believe this would last. It was too good to last.

Obi-Wan merely shook his head, not wasting time with words as he captured her lips in his again. He was about to deepen the kiss when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. They stood up quickly, taking only a moment to school their features before Obi-Wan opened the door to find Commander Cody standing with a data pad in his hand.

"You're data-pad General Skywalker," he announced handing her a data pad she had never seen before in her life. "And Master Plo Koon is here to discuss the mission before we leave."

XOXOXO

Ani was too anxious to meditate, though she knew she should be. Obi-Wan was more than capable but it was a dangerous mission and she couldn't help but feel on edge. There was a darkness covering the force on Coruscant, a darkness that had become apparent to her when she found her own peace. But as the weeks passed by without him here she felt her peace slipping away. The clarity she had felt becoming slowly obscured with time. She ought to meditate but in this state she couldn't. She needed to be doing something. So she slowly found her way to the hangar of the temple. There was always a broken ship or droid that she could attempt fixing. One that had been given up by everyone else for scrap. She was deep into the process of finding a project to complete when she suddenly felt a warning in the force. The next minute there was nothing but fire around her.

XOXOXO

Ani felt weak. Like someone had taken all of her energy and drained it out of her. She tried to sit up, but found herself falling back down into the bed. She looked up to see an unfamiliar healer running to her side. She thought she knew all the healers from her last visit but this one was new.

"What happened?" she asked, her throat dry. It reminded her of the fire, and she wondered how many others were hurt in the explosion.

"Someone bombed the Jedi temple," replied the unknown women, offering her a cup of water without Ani needing to ask. It was a friendly gesture but the woman was looking at Ani oddly and it gave her an uncomfortable feeling. Ani wanted to ask for more details but the woman seemed upset about something.

"I was instructed to call Masters Yoda and Windu as soon as you woke up," she said almost apologetically before excusing herself.

Ani really did not have a good feeling about this now. The feeling was compounded when Yoda and Mace arrived in her room, grave expressions on their faces.

"What happened?" she asked again, hoping they would be more forthcoming than the healer.

"Someone bombed the Jedi temple," replied Mace matter of factly before studying her as if she was the guilty party and not an innocent victim. Did they think she had done it? Did they think her incompetent enough to blow herself up in the process?

"And you think I had something to do with it?" she asked, staring at them in shock. They had always had their differences but Mace had never accused her of terrorism before. And she viewed Master Yoda as a friend.

She was relieved when Mace actually seemed surprised by her question.

"No Skywalker. Think you had something to do with the bombing we do not," replied Yoda while Mace continued to study her. "Many witnesses to your actions – a force field created you did. Saved many it did."

Ani nodded at this. She had a vague memory of pushing out with her mind, of begging the force to keep everyone else in that hangar safe.

"This is about something else entirely General Skywalker," interrupted Mace. "When the healers were treating you…." he paused to look at Yoda who looked at Mace. Neither spoke for a moment. They seemed to want her to say something.

"Remember everything from Mortis you did not. But trauma you had," said Yoda, finally breaking the silence. Then both men looked at her meaningfully as if waiting for her to respond. She only looked at them in complete confusion.

"Did the brother do something to you?" asked Mace bluntly.

"I, I don't understand," she replied, starting to feel her heart race. Was there something wrong with her? Was she contaminated by the dark sider?

Lost in her confusion she missed Mace and Yoda sharing a weary glance.

"You're pregnant General Skywalker," Mace finally announced.

She felt her brain shut down.

"What!?" she asked looking from both of them. Her genuine shock seemed to both satisfy and disturb them on some level.

"Darkness the child could be," replied Yoda softly, his ears drooping.

She couldn't process anything else as Yoda started talking about the darkness on Coruscant and Mace made vague insinuations about taking care of it. She couldn't even reply when Mace noted that they had wanted to spare her the pain and handle things themselves. Only the new healer told them she had to know. She had to make the decision. And they weren't sure. Not completely.

"You want me to have an abortion because my child's father is the brother?" she finally articulated many minutes later when the meaning of their stammering became apparent. Both Jedi seemed pleased that she had drawn the correct conclusions from their vague innuendoes.

"Unless…" Mace began, looking at her a little too knowingly.

She was saved from him finishing the sentence. But in the worse possible way. By sirens blaring over the temple intercom. Then the message came. They one they had all been waiting for.

"Attention all units. Coruscant is under attack. General Grievous's flag ship has been spotted. The chancellor has been captured. All Generals deploy at once. I repeat, all Jedi to their stations."

Mace did not finish his sentence. He turned around abruptly and exited the room at the announcement. It was only a moment later that she was up out of her bed and running after him.

"You sure you're okay to fly Skywalker?" he asked, only sparing her a side long glance as he climbed into his interceptor.

"Can you afford for me not to be?" she asked as she jumped into the cockpit of her yellow Eta-2-class interceptor. She started the engine, grasped the gear shifts and cleared her mind. She would think about everything else after.

"Stay close to me," Mace commanded before she could close the cockpit. "We will have the best chance of infiltrating General Grievous' ship and saving the chancellor."

End Chapter 9