Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you enjoy the chapter!


With Padmé safely in her room and Dormé in hers, I decide to walk around, having a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Walking through the corridors of Senator Amidala's floor, I ran into Obi-Wan, quite literally. While turning the corner I walked straight into him.

"Milady, shouldn't you be in bed?" Obi-Wan asks with a slightly amused grin.

"Not that I know of," I reply. "Will you always make it a point to call me 'milady'?"

"If I don't use your actual name, then yes, yes I will," he says. Such a gentleman. We begin walking down the hall together. "How have you been?"

"All right, I suppose."

"You suppose?" Obi-Wan questions.

I smile lightly. "Yes, I suppose," I repeat. "Nothing is new. Just my lady in danger, per usual."

A slight laugh escapes his lips, a sound I didn't believe I'd ever hear again. "I am pleased to see you," he announces. "After a few years I was afraid we'd never cross paths again; however, I am sorry to say that we meet yet again under horrible circumstances."

"Well, you know Senator Amidala. Trouble just clings to her, and she's too tenacious to back down from doing what is right." Obi-Wan nods in agreement.

"If only more people were like her. And like elder handmaidens, who would do anything for the ones they serve."

I turned my gaze up to him with a small grin as I stop walking. "Master Jedi, are you calling me old?"

"Never," Obi-Wan replies, but I can see the hidden smile. "Just older." A smile breaks out on my face and he chuckles. "And remember, I am older than you are."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten," I tell him cheekily. He tilts his head as he gazes down at me, still portraying a small smile on his features.

"Now who's calling the other old?" I hear Obi-Wan mutter.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I ask.

"Oh, nothing," he replies, feigning innocence. We both laugh quietly as we walk into the main room where Anakin is. Obi-Wan takes off his cloak as he talks to his Padawan. "Captain Typho has more than enough men downstairs. No assassin will try that way. Any activity up here?"

"Quiet as a tomb," Anakin tells him. That is a horrid choice of words at this time. "I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to her." At least he's honest.

Obi-Wan takes a small screen out of his tunic and looks at it. "What's going on?" he asks no one in particular. I snap my head up at his question.

"She covered the cameras," Anakin says, glancing at the door of Padmé's room. "I don't think she liked me watching her." I really do not think anyone would like someone watching them sleep. It is fairly eery.

"What is she thinking?" Obi-Wan inquires, walking towards the door.

"She has to have a reason," I cut in. "Padmé isn't one to do something reckless unless she has a concrete reason to, or a backup plan."

"She programmed Artoo to warn us if there is an intruder," Anakin pitches in helpfully.

"There are many other ways to kill a Senator," Obi-Wan says dismally.

"I know, but we also want to catch this assassin. Don't we, Master?" Anakin questions.

Obi-Wan turns to his apprentice with a look of revelation crossing his stern face. He crosses his arms and points out, "You're using her as bait."

"It was her idea," Anakin replies, looking slightly embarrassed.

I sigh in dismay. "Of course it was," I utter.

"Don't worry," Anakin tries to reassure, gazing down at me. "No harm will come to her." He looks back and forth between his master and I. "I can sense everything going on in that room. Trust me."

Obi-Wan glances back at the Senator's room. "It's too risky," he says. "Besides, your senses aren't that attuned, my young apprentice."

"And yours are?" I ask, speaking without thinking.

Both Jedi look at me, Anakin with shock written all over him and Obi-Wan with slight amusement. "Possibly," Obi-Wan replies. "That's why it's too risky."

Hours later Obi-Wan and I are seated on the couch in the room while Anakin is on the balcony over looking the city. They had just had a discussion that I didn't bother to listen in on. "You should get some sleep," Obi-Wan tells me. I simply shake my head. "Cattleya." I look at him. "I'm serious, you need to sleep. What will the Senator think when she finds her most trusted companion looking like she hasn't slept in days?"

"It wouldn't be the first time," I say honestly. He gazes at me sternly, but I can point out the soft undertone in his eyes. "When I'm stressed I have nightmares about losing the ones I care about."

"So your family, Padmé, other handmaidens," Obi-Wan lists.

"Jar Jar, Artoo, you," I continue, looking down at the blue floor that isn't quite as captivating as the Jedi's eyes.

"Our minds love playing tricks, it seems, bringing up the worst things we can imagine," he explains, not mentioning the fact that I just said that I care about him.

Before either of us says anything else, he stiffens and stands up, Anakin already running into the room. They both run into Padmé's room. I follow behind to make sure she's all right. Anakin jumps forward and slices two small creatures in half with his lightsaber, causing Padmé to awaken. Obi-Wan sees a droid outside the window and crashes through it, grabbing onto it so he wouldn't fall.

I sit right next to Padmé and Anakin stands, saying, "Stay here," before dashing out of the room.

"What happened?" Padmé asks me.

"This is why you don't get used as bait," I tell her sternly as Dormé and Typho run in with two guards.