Obi-Wan awoke with a start. Padmé had been sleeping on his chest, her arm
draped over him in quiet slumber. He looked down at her and he took in a
breath. As if she knew he had awoken, her own eyes fluttered open and
moved slowly, sleepily up to meet his gaze.
"What is it," she whispered in a half-sleepy daze.
He was sitting up now and guiding her off him and gently onto her pillow, but his heart was pounding in his chest and suddenly he felt a terrible pain in his temples. He squinted and placed his fingers on either temple. "Something is terribly wrong," he said in a grave whisper. Padmé, at detecting the urgency in his voice, sat up as well and place her arm around his shoulders. She was deeply concerned as a slight groan of pain came from him.
Obi-Wan felt another surge of pain now going through his entire body and he got out of bed, standing up to grasp the nightstand nearby. His eyes were closed tight as he bent at the waist, still in obvious pain. His breathing had become rapid, erratic.
"Obi-Wan," Padmé called out to him, panicked. "What is it? What's wrong?"
He raised a hand now to quiet her and he began to speak after drawing in a sharp breath. "The Council.I feel as if.as if." He couldn't finish his sentence. The thought was too terrible to even voice. But he knew it was true, a sense this strong never lied. He felt the pain of his brethren, falling, dying. With each pulsing of his temples he felt another Jedi life being snuffed out quickly, brutally. It was a systematic extermination, but by whom? "I need to get to the communications room.now." He emphasized the last word and looked to Padmé as he said it. She only nodded, stunned and afraid for him.
~
They were both standing at the communications room, Obi-Wan with his tunic loosely draped over his broad shoulders, fastened precariously so that his chest was half exposed. In her own rush, she'd only slipped on a robe. Her mind still raced with questions, but she would dare not speak now as he finished punching in the codes to reach Coruscant, more specifically, the Temple.
All that replied was a static strewn hologram and dissonant noise. He had glanced back to her with such horror and anguish reflected in his eyes that she was taken aback. She frowned and brought her hand up to rest upon his shoulder. "What is it," she asked him in a whisper.
"They're dead," came his simple reply. But now he was not looking at her, but rather through her and to some unknown place, some vision that danced in his Force-filled mind. As he had now let the Force completely overtake him and control his every move. It was all he could do and then he heard it, a soft din of a voice in his head.
Survived, I have. Protect her, you must.
His blue-green orbs came back to her now, focusing on her wide dark eyes, filled with longing questions. Master Yoda was alive, and in hiding, that much he knew. Who could have done this, who could have made Master Yoda flee?
Alive and Changed, your apprentice is.
"Changed," he asked himself. And now the din inside his head vanished just as suddenly as it had come. Master Yoda would no longer communicate, as it was too dangerous. And now an eerie realization gripped him, Anakin was alive and he'd turned, fully. It's the only way he could have survived the smoldering pit. But how could he have recovered so quickly, and was it he who killed them, did away with his beloved Order in what seemed like one fail swoop?
Padmé's dark eyes had been fixed on him and they begged for an explanation. "Obi-Wan, tell me," she pleaded in a soft voice.
"They're dead, the Jedi. Anakin.. has," and his voice trailed off as the words choked in his throat.
Her hand flew to her mouth as it gaped open and she stepped back, now coming to the same realization, yet not comprehending as fully as he had. "But.. How?"
"He's turned, Padmé. He's dark now, part of the Dark Side, a child of it. And he's managed to..do away with the Order."
"How do you know?"
"Master Yoda.. He's alive. He spoke to me. We have to leave Padmé, now. before he finds you."
"Finds me?!"
Obi-Wan had now closed the small distance between them and put his hands on her shoulders, blue-green orbs piercing as they gazed down into her wide, brown eyes. "I won't let him hurt you," he said so seriously it would have scared her if she wasn't so deeply in love with him. She could only muster a small nod of compliance.
"Where will we go," she asked him meekly. It seemed she was reduced to this now, when most often she was the one who took charge, and now she had nothing to do but follow.
He seemed to be thinking for a moment as the piercing blue orbs studied her own rich gaze and then ha managed to answer I that low, deep tone she so savored. "I shall find a suitable place, my love. Trust in me."
He had always spoken frankly to her, but something in the way he said this made her passions for him stir more deeply. He truly loved her and she found she felt the exact same way. How could she have wasted so much time in her youth? The distance may have been closed earlier between them. Before Anakin had grown up and complicated things. But she did still love Anakin and she had loved him then. Only, Obi-Wan made her feel differently. She felt more when she was around him, much more than she thought she could feel. And now, lost in his eyes, in their momentary flashes of despair and determination, she replied softly, the very real truth of her love for him evident in her deep brown eyes. "I have always trusted in you, and I always will."
He bent his head forward to plant a kiss on her forehead, moving back to look upon her once more. She was his treasure, the love of his life and he would not give her up. He knew just where to take her, where they'd be safe from him. No one would ever know, and they would stay there as long as need be. Until he felt absolutely sure it was safe to return. "Leave a note for Dormé. Tell her only that you must go and to check the reports coming from Coruscant. Then, and only then, will she understand. Say nothing else. No one must know of our whereabouts."
She only gave a curt nod at the orders. She knew this was serious, there was no need to protest. Though, was it wise to run? "How long Obi-Wan, I have duties and.."
He cut her off quickly. "Your only duty now is to remain alive. You have told me yourself the state of the Senate. After this, much deterioration and chaos will follow. I care only for you now, Padmé. Whether or not you are the only hope for the future, you are my only hope."
She could not help but let a small smile cross her lips and she leaned her face, standing on the tips of her toes, to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. He had returned the kiss just as tenderly.
"Pack lightly, only what you absolutely need," he said just after their lips had parted.
With that he gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and he turned to go and ready his own supplies in his quarters. He would have to make ship arrangements as well. Padmé understood all this and moved toward her own quarters to begin packing. Her mind was racing with all that had been revealed. She should have been tired, but she wasn't and she guessed Obi- Wan was not either. But they had miles to go before they could sleep.
~*~*~*~To be continued~*~*~*~
"What is it," she whispered in a half-sleepy daze.
He was sitting up now and guiding her off him and gently onto her pillow, but his heart was pounding in his chest and suddenly he felt a terrible pain in his temples. He squinted and placed his fingers on either temple. "Something is terribly wrong," he said in a grave whisper. Padmé, at detecting the urgency in his voice, sat up as well and place her arm around his shoulders. She was deeply concerned as a slight groan of pain came from him.
Obi-Wan felt another surge of pain now going through his entire body and he got out of bed, standing up to grasp the nightstand nearby. His eyes were closed tight as he bent at the waist, still in obvious pain. His breathing had become rapid, erratic.
"Obi-Wan," Padmé called out to him, panicked. "What is it? What's wrong?"
He raised a hand now to quiet her and he began to speak after drawing in a sharp breath. "The Council.I feel as if.as if." He couldn't finish his sentence. The thought was too terrible to even voice. But he knew it was true, a sense this strong never lied. He felt the pain of his brethren, falling, dying. With each pulsing of his temples he felt another Jedi life being snuffed out quickly, brutally. It was a systematic extermination, but by whom? "I need to get to the communications room.now." He emphasized the last word and looked to Padmé as he said it. She only nodded, stunned and afraid for him.
~
They were both standing at the communications room, Obi-Wan with his tunic loosely draped over his broad shoulders, fastened precariously so that his chest was half exposed. In her own rush, she'd only slipped on a robe. Her mind still raced with questions, but she would dare not speak now as he finished punching in the codes to reach Coruscant, more specifically, the Temple.
All that replied was a static strewn hologram and dissonant noise. He had glanced back to her with such horror and anguish reflected in his eyes that she was taken aback. She frowned and brought her hand up to rest upon his shoulder. "What is it," she asked him in a whisper.
"They're dead," came his simple reply. But now he was not looking at her, but rather through her and to some unknown place, some vision that danced in his Force-filled mind. As he had now let the Force completely overtake him and control his every move. It was all he could do and then he heard it, a soft din of a voice in his head.
Survived, I have. Protect her, you must.
His blue-green orbs came back to her now, focusing on her wide dark eyes, filled with longing questions. Master Yoda was alive, and in hiding, that much he knew. Who could have done this, who could have made Master Yoda flee?
Alive and Changed, your apprentice is.
"Changed," he asked himself. And now the din inside his head vanished just as suddenly as it had come. Master Yoda would no longer communicate, as it was too dangerous. And now an eerie realization gripped him, Anakin was alive and he'd turned, fully. It's the only way he could have survived the smoldering pit. But how could he have recovered so quickly, and was it he who killed them, did away with his beloved Order in what seemed like one fail swoop?
Padmé's dark eyes had been fixed on him and they begged for an explanation. "Obi-Wan, tell me," she pleaded in a soft voice.
"They're dead, the Jedi. Anakin.. has," and his voice trailed off as the words choked in his throat.
Her hand flew to her mouth as it gaped open and she stepped back, now coming to the same realization, yet not comprehending as fully as he had. "But.. How?"
"He's turned, Padmé. He's dark now, part of the Dark Side, a child of it. And he's managed to..do away with the Order."
"How do you know?"
"Master Yoda.. He's alive. He spoke to me. We have to leave Padmé, now. before he finds you."
"Finds me?!"
Obi-Wan had now closed the small distance between them and put his hands on her shoulders, blue-green orbs piercing as they gazed down into her wide, brown eyes. "I won't let him hurt you," he said so seriously it would have scared her if she wasn't so deeply in love with him. She could only muster a small nod of compliance.
"Where will we go," she asked him meekly. It seemed she was reduced to this now, when most often she was the one who took charge, and now she had nothing to do but follow.
He seemed to be thinking for a moment as the piercing blue orbs studied her own rich gaze and then ha managed to answer I that low, deep tone she so savored. "I shall find a suitable place, my love. Trust in me."
He had always spoken frankly to her, but something in the way he said this made her passions for him stir more deeply. He truly loved her and she found she felt the exact same way. How could she have wasted so much time in her youth? The distance may have been closed earlier between them. Before Anakin had grown up and complicated things. But she did still love Anakin and she had loved him then. Only, Obi-Wan made her feel differently. She felt more when she was around him, much more than she thought she could feel. And now, lost in his eyes, in their momentary flashes of despair and determination, she replied softly, the very real truth of her love for him evident in her deep brown eyes. "I have always trusted in you, and I always will."
He bent his head forward to plant a kiss on her forehead, moving back to look upon her once more. She was his treasure, the love of his life and he would not give her up. He knew just where to take her, where they'd be safe from him. No one would ever know, and they would stay there as long as need be. Until he felt absolutely sure it was safe to return. "Leave a note for Dormé. Tell her only that you must go and to check the reports coming from Coruscant. Then, and only then, will she understand. Say nothing else. No one must know of our whereabouts."
She only gave a curt nod at the orders. She knew this was serious, there was no need to protest. Though, was it wise to run? "How long Obi-Wan, I have duties and.."
He cut her off quickly. "Your only duty now is to remain alive. You have told me yourself the state of the Senate. After this, much deterioration and chaos will follow. I care only for you now, Padmé. Whether or not you are the only hope for the future, you are my only hope."
She could not help but let a small smile cross her lips and she leaned her face, standing on the tips of her toes, to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. He had returned the kiss just as tenderly.
"Pack lightly, only what you absolutely need," he said just after their lips had parted.
With that he gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and he turned to go and ready his own supplies in his quarters. He would have to make ship arrangements as well. Padmé understood all this and moved toward her own quarters to begin packing. Her mind was racing with all that had been revealed. She should have been tired, but she wasn't and she guessed Obi- Wan was not either. But they had miles to go before they could sleep.
~*~*~*~To be continued~*~*~*~
