------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
In the lower levels of the palace, in an expansive room that usually served as a storage area stood a tall, amphibious Jedi healer, a very anxious-appearing Jedi Knight, and an equally anxious appearing young woman now disguised as a handmaiden.
Padmé Amidala looked to her handmaiden Rabé for support. At the opposite end of the tunnel-like room stood Obi-Wan and Healer T'Pal.
"Just a a few more feet, Mi'Lady." Rabé consoled her gently, noting the perspiration beginning to appear on the young woman's forehead.
"How long?"
Rabé consulted her digital podometer. "About 92 meters."
"That's enough!" Padmé yelled out, immediately rushing forward into the arms of Obi-Wan who had used Force-enhanced speed to reach her as quickly as possible. Foreheads touching together, arms about one another, they both sighed heavily as the contact quickly soothed the ache that had formed during the separation test.
Healer T'Pal approached them slowly, inserting data as walked. "That's much better than last week. You are gaining distance."
"How much longer is this going to take?" Obi-Wan stepped slightly away from Padmé, although still keeping one arm wrapped tightly about her waist.
"At the rate you are progressing, I would think at least another month before you achieve our distance goal of 200 meters."
"Maybe we should rethink our goal." Padmé smiled awkwardly.
She had initially held a positive outlook on the therapy and training sessions, but the discomfort they caused was wearing her down. And then there was Sabé to consider. Each night after a tiring afternoon of therapy, she consulted with her faithful handmaiden who had taken it upon herself to stand in as queen during her extended absence. Although she was not in danger per se, she was basically out of commission for at least three months while she and Obi-Wan dealt with this soulbond issue. Her royal duties could not be ignored during that time, and so Sabé had agreed to stand in for her.
But things were progressing slower than she had thought. And 200 meters was barely the length of the palace. Once again, she was beginning to worry about the future, or lack of any certain future as long as they were unable to be apart further than a few hundred meters.
And then there was the stress of the actual therapy. Each step she took from Obi-Wan was a dull and pulsating annoyance, similar to a headache in the pit of her stomach. It increased to the point that she literally trembled before finally speaking up to end it.
She was always the one who ended the therapy. Obi-Wan had decided that since she was the weaker of the two of them, it should be her. Only once out of frustration due to their lack of progress had she let it go on to the point of pain, much to Obi-Wan and Healer T'Pal's dismay.
These were indeed trying times. The only thing she had to look forward to was Obi-Wan making it up to her when they retired to her rooms in the evenings. It seemed that their bond was insatiable, and that began to worry her as well. There had been many nights when they both managed to get through the next day with only a couple of hours' sleep.
As usual, Obi-Wan picked up on all of her thoughts and kissed her gently.
"Someday soon Padmé. This will all be over soon and everything will be okay. You'll see."
Padmé shook her head at him. After all they had been through, his confidence and good humor never seemed to falter. She wondered if it was a Jedi thing or just an Obi-Wan thing.
"It's a being-so-much-in-love thing." He whispered to her, once more picking up on her thoughts as they followed the Jedi Healer and Rabé through the corridors leading back to the main palace.
The healer's comlink suddenly chirped and the group halted to listen to its message.
"Panaka here. We have received a visitor who wants to meet with you and your patients."
"Who?" T'Pal replied.
"Master Yoda from the Coruscant Temple."