Chapter Fourteen

Obi-Wan joined Qui-Gon on the bridge the following morning, forcing down a hot cup of the strong Neimoidian kaffe Qui-Gon had made. Obi-Wan had always preferred to prepare their morning meal, but Qui-Gon sometimes rose earlier than he did, as he had nearly every morning of their five-day voyage.

"Fifth day, padawan." He stated to the young Jedi approaching his side. "We should be in Naboo's orbit in six hours."

"Good." Obi-Wan replied, not in that big of a hurry for their journey to end other than the fact that his Master had been unable to sleep very well on either of the small couches.

"Is the Queen up yet?" Obi-Wan frowned as he took another sip of the dark, foul liquid.

"Yes." Qui-Gon smiled, noting the look of disgust on Obi-Wan's face. That will teach him to sleep late, he thought. "She came to the galley about an hour ago for morning meal. We actually had a rather interesting discussion."

Obi-Wan about choked on his drink. "You did?"

"Why yes. She is a very intelligent young woman and very easy talk with. I foresee she will make a great leader."

"Yes, she will." Obi-Wan agreed, his shoulders sagging in relief. He had wondered if Qui-Gon had picked up on his emotions the other evening during he and Padmé's 'meeting.' And if he had, he was unsure if Qui-Gon would mention it. Ever since their talk about the mating rituals of the bantha when Obi-Wan was fourteen, the subject of sex had never been brought up again.

Qui-Gon tucked his hands inside the sleeves of his robe and looked out the viewport. "There are certain security measures that must be taken to ensure the safety of the Queen once we are on-planet. While you were asleep, I took the liberty of contacting Steward Palpatine and informing him of our arrival."

"How did he take the news?"

"Very well, padawan. About as well as anyone would expect in his situation. He is a man of great generosity."

"Hmm." Was all that Obi-Wan could reply. He wasn't quite sure if he agreed with his Master's opinion on the present ruler of Naboo.

"I also spoke with the head of security -- a man by the name of Panaka. We will be meeting with him shortly after our arrival to organize some new security protocols."

"Yes Master." Obi-Wan set aside the mug he had been drinking from, unable to stomach the vile liquid any longer.

He then turned to leave the area to check on the availability of the ship's only 'fresher, but Qui-Gon's voice stopped him.

"Obi-Wan?"

"Yes Master?"

"I trust that you have meditated concerning the events of two nights prior."

Obi-Wan felt the color rise in his face. "Uhm. Yes Master."

"The path of a Jedi is narrow and often difficult to travel. But I have faith in you, padawan. I know that you will make the right choice."

"Thank you, Master."

Obi-Wan quickly turned and proceeded down the corridor. So, Qui-Gon had realized what had transpired between he and Padmé in the cargo bay. He must have transmitted his emotions through their bond. His shields must have slipped. But if that was all that Qui-Gon was going to say about the incident, he got off rather light, he supposed.

Soon, Obi-Wan was standing in front of Padmé's door, beyond which was the only shower on board the Neimoidian vessel. He knocked tentatively, relieved to find that she was not inside. Reaching out into the Force, he discovered her life forcesomewhere near the cargo bay. He had a few minutes at least.

He quickly moved into the shower unit, his thoughts turning almost immediately to the beautiful young woman who had occupied this space some time before him. His thoughts then turned to Qui-Gon's words.

Difficult to travel? "Oh, Master. You have no idea!" He murmured as he washed away the lather from his short, spikey padawan cut. It would have been so easy to give in to his desires that night, to give Padmé what she wanted -- what she said she needed.

Who was he kidding? He wanted her just as badly, and if it wasn't for his training in self-control and his Jedi discipline, it would have been so easy to take what she had offered.

Too easy.

But his training was only part of it. He respected her; not only as a woman, but as the Queen she would become. And out of respect for her and what she had been through, it wouldn't have been fair to give into his lustful desires to simply turn away from her a few days later and leave her behind on Naboo.

No. That wouldn't have helped her at all.

And now he wondered if he had made his thoughts entirely clear to her. He doubted it, seeing how they hadn't spoken since that awkward parting in the cargo bay. As Obi-Wan dried himself with a towel, he began to worry if he would have the opportunity to speak with her again.

Just as he wrapped the damp towel around his waist, the door to the fresher slid open and Padmé walked in.

Obi-Wan noticed the immediate flush of her cheeks right before she turned away. "I'm sorry." She stammered. "Please excuse me."

"Wait….please." He reached out and caught her arm. "We need to talk."

"Don't….don't touch me." Padmé replied, her eyes looking down somewhere around Obi-Wan's ankles. Did he honestly have no idea what he did to her? And here he was in the same small space, nearly naked, and he was making her to stay…to talk?

"I'm sorry." Obi-Wan apologized as he removed his hand, mistaking her request for one spoken out of anger or disgust.

The momentary silence between them hung as thick as the steam from the recent shower.

"Well? What do want to talk about?" Padmé asked, slightly annoyed as she finally found the courage to lift her eyes from the floor and look him squarely in the face.

"We should be arriving on Naboo in about five hours. Are you ready?"

She gazed at him in disbelief. Always the compassionate and concerned Jedi. Too bad he only had compassion for an entire universe and could not manage to focus it on just one person. What a lonely life it must be.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She concentrated on looking him in the eye, only finding herself losing the battle, as her vision began to drift downward to a well-defined, muscular chest. She closed her eyes quickly however, attempting to regain some control. "Obi-Wan? Do you think you could put some clothes on before we continue this discussion?"

"Huh?"

Was he truly this naïve? "Obi-wan. I can't talk to you like this."

"Why not?"

Padmé leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering dangerously. "Because talking is the last thing I want to do with you right now."

Her eyebrows raised provocatively and she saw the light finally come on behind those beautiful gray-green eyes – the color of his face beginning to deepen.

"Oh. Sorry. Give me a minute and I'll be right out."

Padmé moved back into the sleeping quarters and stood near the narrow portal, the stars beyond it moving past in a blur. She heard the hiss of the fresher unit door open and began to speak without turning around.

"I could have loved you, you know. You are everything I have ever dreamed of in a man…everything I could ever ask for."

She flinched slightly as she felt the warmth of his hand envelop her own. She turned then to face him, a single tear sliding down her face.

"I'm sorry." His free hand came up to gently wipe away the tear.

She nodded slightly, losing herself in the depths of his gaze, realizing that this might be the last opportunity that she would be able to do so in private. They would be on Naboo soon and their time together would be over. "Obi-Wan. I'm scared. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to be a Queen."

"Don't be frightened, Padmé. Qui-Gon and I will stay as long as you need us, and even after we've gone, you won't be alone. You'll never be alone. You can contact me at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant whenever you need to."

"Thank you, but it won't be the same."

"I know it won't." Obi-Wan whispered, taking her other hand in his, leaning forward and kissing her cheek gently.

He glanced once more into her face, released her hands, and turned toward the door. His movements stopped abruptly, however, when his outstretched hand braced against the doorframe, his back still turned to her.

"I would have loved you too Padmé. If only I…"

"Weren't a Jedi." She finished his statement, noting his head nodding slowly in agreement.

Obi-Wan then moved through the doorway and as the door slid shut behind him, Padmé felt something shut off in her heart as well.