Author's Note: Oh, you are going to have to bear with me. I'm going to be out of town for a week with no access to the internet so the next update will be delayed. I've tried to make this chapter extra long for your reading pleasure so I hope that makes up for it. I'll be back soon, I promise! Hopeless4Life - Cool! I'm so glad you liked the last chapter - this one is quite a mix. Let me know what you think. Hellish Red Devil - Hope you were serious when you said you wanted some more Obi-wan / Siri! Read on:-) Meandmysharpie - Aw, yeah - I love to write the droids. They are hysterical! To all - See you next week! Enjoy!
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NINETY MINUTES BEFORE SECOND PERFORMANCE
"Um, Liri?" Siri called anxiously.
"Yes?" came the whispered reply.
"Is your costume fairly, well... tacky?"
"I don't know," Padme replied, frustrated. "I can't see past the feathers."
"You have feathers? Then I'll take that as a yes," Siri giggled. "If it makes you feel any better, I am buried in fringe."
The women emerged from the dressing room simultaneously, catching sight of one another immediately. Their mouths dropped open in shock before they were overcome by a fit of laughter.
Holding her stomach, Padme gasped, "I think Master Windu has it in for us."
"Well, I have it on good authority that we will get some revenge tonight," Siri whispered conspiratorially.
"Really?"
"Just wait and see," she insisted, her tone light yet mysterious.
Padme looked thoughtful for a moment, before her face dissolved into a grin as she realized, "If our costumes are this outrageous, imagine what the men will look like."
Siri beamed as she said, "Indeed."
THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE START OF SHOW
"Were they distributed as planned?" Obi-wan hissed under his breath.
"Yes, Master. Of course," Anakin responded dutifully even as he thought, Do you really think I would miss an opportunity like this?
"Well done," the Jedi Master chirped. "Now we just have to find our costumes and track down our wayward partners."
"That's not too bad."
Little did he know how those four words would come to haunt him.
MOMENTS BEFORE "ON AIR" CUE
"Where are they?" Siri groaned. Standing on her tip toes, she bobbed up and down, causing the beaded fringe of her costume to clink together.
"They'll be here! Now relax - you're rattling," Padme teased, taking in the crazy costume. The Jedi was clad in a bright red dress that skimmed her mid-thigh. Ribbons of tiny beads adorned every inch and caught even the slightest bit of light. She hoped Obi-wan's costume came with a pair of solar glasses, because he was going to need them.
"Well, I may be noisy, but you're stirring up everyone's allergies," Siri retorted, swatting away a stray feather.
Padme frowned, knowing she also looked absurd. Her costume was more subdued in color - a mild green - but made up for it with whimsical feathers that trimmed the bodice and hemline. The slightest breeze made the feathers sway and billow as if they were a living thing - she could only imagine what they would look like when she was skating.
Letting out a deep breath, she vowed, I shall make a speech to the Senate about the inappropriateness of teasing a stern Jedi Master.
Perhaps that would spare them further torture.
Just then, her attention was caught by the sound of two pairs of feet pounding the durasteel floor. She caught a glimpse of their harried partners as they stopped in the shadows, crouching down to attend to their iceblades. The task completed, they finally entered the well lit ante room.
"Oh..." was all Padme could say.
While not as outrageous as the women's costumes, they were still very... vivid. Anakin's fit him well as usual, the material soft and pliable. However, he had not escaped the droid's wrath completely - the hemline of his tunic was punctuated with tiny feathers - and judging by the look on her husband's face, he seemed to be wishing for the reappearance of sparkles.
"I know," Anakin spat bitterly, trying to pry off the ridiculous adornments.
"I wasn't going to say a thing," she insisted, her mouth twitching. But that is definitely the costume you're going to wear to the next Jedi Council summons.
You wouldn't do that to me! Padme...
Anakin's pleas fell on deaf ears as she heard the sound of someone choking. Worried, she whirled around, her eyes landing on a hysterical Siri. She followed the woman's gaze and found a flustered Obi-wan studiously ignoring her existence. The tunic matched Siri's dress perfectly, but he had at least managed to wrangle some black pants from the droids.
"You look like you're on fire," Siri cried gleefully.
Oh dear, she's right, Padme realized. The brilliant color was emphasizing the reddish tint of Obi-wan's hair, and - coupled with the blush that was spreading across his cheeks - the effect was rather striking.
Thankfully, the On-Air signal chose that moment to blink on with a flash.
"Good evening!" the announcer's voice suddenly boomed. "It is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to Round Two of Skating with the Star Wars. Tonight, our daring duos will be performing completely new routines, learned only in the past few days. This week, the theme is 'Energy' and we can guarantee they will have you tapping your feet and dancing in your seats. Let's give them a warm welcome, shall we?"
In a group, the teams all made their way to center ice, startled by the rousing cheers that threatened to temporarily damage their hearing. Padme's gaze went right to the judges' partition and immediately spotted a smirking Mace Windu, clad comfortably in a dark brown and cream colored ensemble. She felt her ire begin to pique.
"Relax, love," Anakin soothed. "All will be revealed in due time."
Padme looked at him sharply, but was distracted by the announcer's voice as it turned playful.
"We have a special gift for the audience members in attendance tonight. Please, check under your seats for your very own piece of Holo-memorabilia."
Laughter began to build through the Arena and Padme strained her eyes to see what was causing such amusement.
Whatever it was, it was very pink...
"Yes, ladies and gentlemen," the announcer called. "It's your very own headcovering, as seen on Tarv during last season's Racing with the Stars! You'll be the epitome of style in your very own version, embroidered with those now-famous catch phrases - You're not being very efficient, I am not impressed with your map reading skills... and the all-time favorite: I'm not bald, I'm just aerodyamic. Okay, so we made that one up, but whatever the situation, we hope you enjoy our gift to you!" The crowd cheered, enthusiastically expressing their gratitude. "Now, we'll be back with the first performance of the night after these commercials. Stay tuned!"
The spotlight dimmed and Padme forced herself to move towards the exit, her eyes streaming with tears of laughter.
"Well done, my former Padawan," Obi-wan cheered, clapping Anakin on the back.
"Did you see his face?" he chuckled ruefully. "We are so doomed next week."
"Maybe he'll call a truce," Siri suggested, glancing down at her wild costume apprehensively. The other three just looked at her until she winced, resigned to the situation.
They stepped off the ice and came face-to-face with a glowering Mace Windu.
"Your suite, tonight. 1100 hours," he barked before spinning on his heel and disappearing through the far door.
"Uh oh," Obi-wan murmured.
FORTY MINUTES LATER - CENTER ICE
"And now, our fourth team of the night, Dake and Kahla!"
The audience erupted in excitement, their pink caps giving them the appearance of a waving sea of candy. Obi-wan watched Mace survey the crowd, his expression turning sour as he took in the sight.
Slowly, he started to step onto the ice and was just about to push off when he realized his partner was not with him. Calling to her through their Bond, he held out a hand and seconds later, soft fingers tangled with his own. He glanced at their joined hands, immediately feeling the electric tingle run up his arm and spread through his body.
"Are you ready?" he managed to whisper, his mouth suddenly dry.
"Not really. But I'll be good enough," she responded airily, giving him a winsome smile that banished his remaining anxiety.
They made their way to the center ice and turned away from each other, their backs the only features making contact. As the spotlight came to rest on them, he noticed the warmth of Siri's skin through his thin tunic and sighed. How utterly delightful... Distracted by the sensation, he nearly missed the first notes as they began to soar through the air.
Blast! That was my cue!
Startled, he spun to face Siri and recovered quickly, instinctively falling into step. Drawing his gaze to her face, she gave him a playful wink.
Sorry about that, he admitted.
To his surprise, there was no teasing retort - just a rush of warm affection through their mysterious connection.
A sudden feeling of elation flowed through him and he attacked the intricate steps with vigor, matching the pace of the building music. Immediately, Siri followed and their blades flashed side by side, mirror images of each other. As the first chorus came to a close with its trademark flourish, they retreated to opposite ends of the rink.
Yet he could sense every move she made.
Entering the sweeping turn, his feet moved in a step-over pattern, the technique increasing his speed. Catching a glimpse of red near the center ice, he passed Siri once, twice, and then on the third pass, he caught her by the waist and lifted her above his head in one fluid motion. She arched her back slightly, her arms and legs perfectly poised.
Force, how I love her.
He felt the shock through the toes of his feet. The realization left him numb and confused, so he handled the stressful situation as he always did... he raised his mind shields and simply kept moving.
He managed to make it through the remainder of the routine, sinking to the ice dramatically just as the music blasted its final, jubilant note. As always, his posture was perfectly in tune with Siri's, down to the angle of their arms.
The crowd was ecstatic, but the Jedi Master was anything but.
I need to get out of here. I need to meditate or... do something - anything - to sort this out.
His horrified ruminations were interrupted by a glowing Siri, "Well done, Kenobi. That was... well, it was..."
"Good enough," he finished shortly.
"Yes," she replied quietly. "Good enough."
His heart sank as he watched her stalk off the ice, never looking back.
TEN MINUTES LATER
Padme felt the wind rush through her hair as the feathers tickled the skin of her neck. She eased into a backwards skating pattern and felt Anakin move behind her, his hands on her hips. Their bodies moved as one, legs sliding from side to side and front to back.
"Ready?" he teased, his breath warming her ear.
Already knowing her response, he lifted her above his head and locked his arms, holding her in position. She let her head fall back, her body forming a graceful arch high above the ice. After a long moment, Anakin returned her to the ground and she completed the move with a quick spin.
Perfect...
The moment she stopped, Anakin slid in front of her and she wrapped a leg around his waist, turning away slightly as the song ended.
"You were beautiful," he promised, pressing a soft kiss to her nose. She hugged him tightly, beaming at the sight of the pink-capped crowd as they leapt to their feet and screamed their approval.
Taking a quick set of bows, they started off the ice and headed for the waiting area. Padme's good mood was lessened by the sight of Siri staring blankly out the window, her skin pale against the harsh red fabric. Obi-wan was nowhere to be found.
"I'll find him," Anakin offered. With another squeeze of his hand, he disappeared through the doorway.
Padme sighed, watching Siri work her way through anger, despair and frustration. Straightening her shoulders, she walked over to the Jedi and planted two feet firmly in front of her.
"What happened with you two?" she asked gently.
The silence stretched out for so long, Padme began to wonder if Siri had even heard her. But finally, she heard the soft reply: "I don't know. I mean, I thought the routine went well, don't you?"
"It was perfect, but I'm not talking about tonight."
Siri turned innocent eyes on her new friend. "What do you mean?"
"As you once said to me - out with it."
The Jedi smiled weakly, hearing her own words as they came back to haunt her.
"It was a long time ago," she began.
Siri raced around her sparse quarters, tidying up as quickly as she could. She really wanted to leave it in the best shape possible and hoped the next tenant would be half as happy here as she had been. Her stomach jumped with every passing moment, realizing she was about to embark on a journey that would change her life forever.
She was going to leave with Obi-wan tonight. They were finally going to be together.
Her excitement built as she packed her meager belongings, carefully arranging them in her rucksack. She was only bringing a few things - her tunics, some travel pants, a scuffed pair of boots. It should be just enough to get her through a few weeks - they would have their own place soon and she would get different things then.
She laughed to herself as she pulled out the final thing she intended to bring - a Holo-recording of what had jokingly become known as "their" song - the one Obi-wan sang that night in the bar. The night they finally confessed their feelings for each other.
The door chime made her jump as she tied her rucksack shut and ran for the door. Bidding it to open, she saw Master Windu standing in the doorframe and she gasped in surprise.
"Expecting someone else?" he asked mildly.
"N- no, of course not," she stammered. She couldn't tell him about leaving the Order - not yet, not without Obi-wan. She had made a promise and she didn't intend to break it. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Please, Master Windu - what can I do for you?"
"I was just making my rounds, Tachi, and thought I would see how you were doing since your Master is away. You're packing?" he wondered, spotting the small leather bag.
She made a noncommittal sound and he frowned.
"Oh, I see. Didn't you hear? The assignment only required two Jedi. Master Jinn and his Padawan have already left for Naboo. It is not necessary for you to accompany them on this mission."
Siri felt like someone had slapped her across the face. "What?" she breathed.
"They're gone," he repeated. "We don't expect them to return for quite some time."
"Oh," she managed. "Well, I'm sure they will be victorious. May the Force be with them."
He studied her for another long moment, but she met his gaze evenly. Finally, he commanded, "Get some rest, Padawan."
"Yes, Master. Good evening."
As the door slid shut, her steady composure dissolved and she sank to the floor.
"I don't know when they returned," she finished, smiling sadly. "I stayed away after that, only returning to the Temple when I knew Obi-wan was away on missions."
"Then how did you end up here with us?" Padme wondered sympathetically.
"Master Yoda told me Obi-wan was in danger," she replied simply. "That was all I needed to know."
LOCATION UNKNOWN - SAME TIME
"They are growing splintered, Master," the shadow reported, sinking to his knees before the hologram. "Just as you have foreseen."
"Good, very good," came the evil response.
"I shall continue thy bidding as you instructed," he promised, keeping his head lowered respectfully.
"Do not fail me," the voice demanded.
With a flash of light, the image disappeared and Jarrick blanched, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up in fear.