Mistaken: Chapter Seven

Warm, moist lips touched mine, and a smiling face awakened me from slumber. I stretched and yawned, feeling considerably rested. What a pleasant way to wake up, I thought. Much better than my Padawan shoving on my shoulder.

"How long was I out?" I asked Padmé who had taken the time to prepare something for us to eat. The pre-packaged, dehydrated meals available on board weren't exactly delicious, but they were filling.

"Nearly four hours," she told me with a bit of pride while handing me a steaming cup of chav.

That was remarkable. I had no idea it had been that long. I guess my body needed it, but what about her meditations?

"Did you have any trouble? Was there any hint of intrusion?" I asked her, sipping on the beverage.

"Actually, no," Padmé answered naively with a shrug of her shoulders. "Everything was quiet. By the way, I envy you and this connection you have. Although you taught me how to appreciate what the Force is, I can't actually communicate with it. It doesn't speak with me as it does you. That must be amazing."

"It is," I admitted while slipping on my boots. "Although sometimes the message isn't always clear."

"What do you mean?"

I appreciated her curiosity, although more knowledge would most likely only aggravate her. How could I explain this? "There aren't any spoken words, so-to-speak. It's just a feeling I get; a general tug in this direction or another."

"So, when you're training Anakin, you don't actually talk to him through this bond you've told me about?"

Answers were becoming more difficult. To a non-Force user, explaining the hidden power I constantly had access to was a complicated task.

"Not exactly," I replied. "We can sense each other's strong emotions, such as fear or alarm. It helps us to be an effective team for the Jedi. It helps keep us safe."

Her face expressed a genuine interest and I wished she could experience it all. No matter how much explanation I provided, she'd end up simply having to be satisfied with what little I could offer her.

"Like now, for instance. We are nearly 36 hours out from Coruscant and Anakin's still there training with Master Yoda. Can you feel what he's feeling?"

As a whole, Master/Padawan teams didn't intrude on one another's privacy like that, but for her sake, I touched the link I had with my Padawan, and indeed, determined he was rather frustrated. It was understandable when dealing with Yoda. The ancient Jedi loved to tease and would often teach lessons one couldn't learn out in the field.

"He's doing just fine," I told her. "Although I'm sure he's wishing I'd return soon. I think I understand him better than most of my colleagues."

We walked together down the hallway toward the bridge to check on the light engines and navigation.

"How so?"

"Because I wasn't the only one who was attracted to you," I admitted shyly. We had actually never discussed Anakin's childhood infatuation with her.

"Oh, that." Padmé's cheeks turned rosy as well and I grasped her hand to give it a gentle squeeze. "When I met him on Tatooine, he quickly developed a crush. I didn't know what to do. It wasn't the first time a boy had feelings for me. As Queen, I often had to deal with persistent admirers, but never someone so young."

I recalled the conversation I'd had with my Padawan when I returned from my adventure and realized what I had to do. "We had a long talk before you and I started dating. He told me he understood and that he was happy for us."

Actually, I had worried what Anakin's response would be when he discovered Padmé returned my affections. At first, I had sensed some damaged pride as well as jealousy, but following a long meditation, the boy presented himself at peace; especially after Padmé explained to him she did love him, but only as a brother. They became quick friends afterward and I sensed no other discourse between us.

"Simple as that?"

"I think so. Honestly," I added, stopping to face her, "there's currently no chaos in our lives…except for this issue, of course."

"This issue," she growled in aggravation while grasping my other hand. "Do you have a plan or are we just going to confront her?"

The closer we got to Korriban, the more disturbed the eddies of the Force were becoming. "I have no doubt she knows we're coming, so there's no element of surprise to work with. If she's there and doesn't run, then I'm afraid a confrontation is inevitable."

Something was troubling Padmé. I could see it in her eyes and I gently squeezed her hands again to show my support. "Tell me."

Before speaking, she released a sigh. "I know she's caused us a great deal of trouble and we nearly died, but she did bring us together. I mean, if you look at it from a certain point of view, we sort of owe her one for that, don't we? I'm worried you're going to kill her. You're not going to, are you?"

I would do what I had to in order to ensure Padmé's safety, but being responsible for the woman's demise was not my intention. "If she invites me to dance, I won't have a choice," I explained as subtlety as I could. "However, I will do my best to negotiate an understanding between us and come to some sort of compromise at best."

"Good," Padmé. "But first we have to find out what started all this, and why she is so determined to create such havoc."

I agreed with a nod of my head as we returned to the cockpit, although what Padmé had said troubled me. This witch was powerful in the dark side of the Force, and although she had messed around with our safety, was she truly evil? Or did she have a purpose? I supposed I would have to make my mind up about that when we met. Only then would I discover what my further actions would be.

Using my lightsaber to protect us was the easy way out. Dealing with the mental onslaught I was almost certain we'd experience was another story, and I wasn't completely sure I could protect us both at the same time. It was the main reason I had left my Padawan behind. He had insisted on accompanying us, but his path in the Force was still clouded and I wasn't about to take a chance with him confronting such a dark presence. He wasn't ready. I just hoped I was.

We settled into the pilot's seats and checked the navigation.

"Twelve hours out," Padmé reminded me before gazing out the portal. She then noticed something I hadn't yet. "The stars. Where are they?"

Even at lightspeed, the evidence of space was usually visible, if only as a blurred representation of itself. However, even that smudged illustration was no longer visible. All we could see was darkness – an encompassing void as black as pitch. Apparently, this witch was affecting more than she probably realized. I wondered if she had any idea of the power she was dealing with and what it could do to her if she couldn't control it.

"When we arrive, just remember what I taught you," I reminded, trying to keep my voice neutral though growing anxiety was beginning to show. "Whatever happens, reach for the Light."

"I will," she promised, offering a nervous smile. "I'm with you, Obi-Wan. I know you'll keep me safe."

Damn. I hoped she was right.