Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters, plotlines, and worlds (good and bad) are property and copyright © of George Lucas (aka The Richest Man in Hollywood). This is purely for fan entertainment only.
Also a warning… this fanfic is rated MA for adult themes. It is also "Obidala"… in other words, if you're offended or otherwise do not like the pairing between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, then please don't read further to spare yourself the irritation. Otherwise, enjoy!
Chapter 11 - Fear of the Past
He moved her hand away from his chest and sat up, pushing away a sleepless night. He made sure she was cocooned in pillows before rising out of the bed, insuring her comfort. He did not want to rouse her; it seemed easier to simply leave without leaving her. This time, he had allowed himself a few days of rest to relearn the feeling of her cheek pressed on his chest at night while they talked, the smell of her hair, the weight of the baby growing within her pressing against him after she lulled to sleep.
He knew it was the last thing he probably should have done, as it furthered the attachment towards her. And that mantra stuck in his head- attachment leads to fear of loss. And fear of loss leads to the Dark Side. He knew he was skirting with that danger every time he held her close, every time he contemplated how he was going to save her life.
But, he reminded himself, it was too late now to turn back. In this, he was going to be able to bring Anakin back out of the seduction of the Dark Lord, and hopefully also bring the galaxy back to the Republic. As long as those were the goals, he assumed he would be alright.
He stroked her sleeping head one last time before rising, throwing on a dressing robe. He made his way to the living area, activated the hololink. He put in the special coordinates for Lord Vader's office, not knowing whether he would be expecting him or not. In time, the dark mask appeared on the small screen, and his voice projected, "Yes, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan cleared his throat, answered reluctantly, "I have a theory to work on, as to the location of the new Separatists." This better be the right avenue to pursue.
He could imagine Anakin cocking his eyebrow behind the mask. "Oh? Where do you go, now?"
Obi-Wan kept his face neutral. "Mustafar."
Vader was happy for his mask, for he knew his face would be livid upon remembering the planet. His phantom limbs ached upon remembering the planet, and he pushed aside the memory of losing his life, his best friend and brother, and his wife, all in one swoop. It had been the point of no return for his new path. "I see."
Obi-Wan felt Padmé come to his side, a dressing gown thrown hastily on, her hair still mussed from sleep. Their present holo-company aside, he frowned, kissing her cheek. "Go back to bed, love."
Vader watched the exchange, his heart within wrenching, fresh wounds opening. It had been a long time since he had seen Padmé in such an intimate way, fresh from sleep. The holoscreen showed rather clearly the mark on her face from the pillow, the tangles in her curls, even the sleep that gathered at the edges of her eyes. And since she also made no effort to hide it, he also got to see her growing stomach, the very evidence of her pregnancy with Obi-Wan's child. His gut twisted in pain.
She shook her head, turned to face Vader. "Listen, Vader." She refused to call him by his given name, something Obi-Wan had opted to do to try to remind him of the Light Side, to gain his trust. "You said that you would leave us alone." She accused.
Vader was brought abruptly out of watching them, and responded quickly, bitterly, "No, I promised you that I would leave you alone, and I have."
She shot an accusatory glance at both Obi-Wan and Vader. She returned to the holoscreen and glared at him, her eyes sending him a glance she hoped he would feel beyond the screen and his mask. "You had better not be sending him on a fool's errand, or to a trap."
It was enough to provoke him to anger, how dare she threaten the Dark Lord? "And what will you do?" he hissed. He realized at once that this was the wrong answer to try to garner her trust, or Obi-Wan's.
She did not blanch- her glare got more withering, and her hands balled at her side in anger, "You will never see me again."
That set both men back. Obi-Wan turned to her, a questioning look on his face, but set it aside for the moment, not wanting Vader to see conflict. Vader inhaled sharply, his thoughts about regaining her regathering strength. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked her, staring.
Padmé grabbed Obi-Wan's hand, and stared back. "I am willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that Obi-Wan is safe. Now don't take this as a sign that you can set him in a trap if you haven't already- I will forever be loyal to Obi-Wan, even in memory."
Obi-Wan shook his head, dropped her hand. "Padmé, this is madness!" he sought her eyes, tears were gathered there. "You have no reason to make this bargain, I will be safe."
Vader intervened. "Padmé, as I have already told you before, I am not a monster. I already promised you that I would leave you alone. Obi-Wan and I are working together, you have my word that I will not allow a trap to be placed for him."
It was her turn to be surprised. She had not expected him to master his anger so quickly, it was unlike the Anakin that she knew before. Confusion swirled within her, not sure what to expect. But her eyes turned back to Obi-Wan, who was trying to calm her, assure her. "I'm just so worried about you, Obi-Wan." She whispered, her hands trailing to her stomach. "I do not want to lose you; I don't think I could bear loss again."
Obi-Wan drew her into his arms, sighed, and stroked her hair. "Padmé, it will be alright."
Vader knew again the jealousy at being able to soothe her, to calm her. But in a detached way, he realized it was not Padmé herself that he wanted to soothe, but the Padmé of his dreams. His Padmé would not be seeking comfort in Obi-Wan's arms. His Padmé was dead. He wanted to clear his throat, take himself out of the awkward situation, but instead asked, "You will report once you get to Mustafar?" he wanted to shut out the image of Padmé in Obi-Wan's arms, an image which usually led to worse images- usually in each other's arms in various stages of undress.
Obi-Wan nodded, taking his face away from Padmé's. "I will let you know what the situation is once I arrive." He finally realized it would be a good point to get off the call with the Sith Lord. "Obi-Wan out." He quickly added, turning the com off. He took Padmé's face in his hands. He wished to ask her about her remarks, whether she still loved Anakin or not, but something in her eyes told him it would not be wise.
She nestled her cheek into the palm of his hand, and whispered to him, "Do you trust me, Obi-Wan?" When he stared back she reminded him, "You were not shielding me from our bond, I can sense what you're feeling."
He moved his hands through her hair, and rubbed away the tears that were starting to form in the corners of her eyes. "There are times when I doubt myself. But you must remember, romantic love is new to me. I simply doubt myself in my ability to keep you happy." He admitted, not wanting to upset her.
She smiled, "Obi-Wan, the only thing you can do to disappoint me is to go down the same path that Anakin did."
The small transport to Mustafar circled in on the volcanic planet before landing at the mining depot. From the air, everything appeared just as it had just over a year prior. The facility had been repaired from the minor damage he and Anakin had incurred. The droids were going about their business harvesting lava, for a purpose Obi-Wan had never discovered.
He landed the vehicle and drew his hood about his face in preparation from the heat. If there was one thing he had definitely learned from the planet, it was to prepare yourself for the damage the heat and fire could do to the unprepared. Even his eyeballs had been burned for several days following the confrontation.
The door opened without incident, no one was waiting for him to land. He almost thought that it was for naught, since there was no sign of unusual activity as of yet. He had expected at least a droid to meet him, perhaps a "welcoming party"- welcoming him to a trap. He was reminded of Geonosis, and his capture by Count Dooku.
But he knew there would be no Sith welcoming party, and he should actually be heralded as a pleasant newcomer if there were indeed Separatists on Mustafar. The uncertainty of it all kept him on his toes.
He was forced to swallow a lump in his throat upon surveying the landing pad. The confrontation with Anakin here was fresh in his mind. The heat singed at what seemed like fresh wounds on his heart. He could nearly feel Padmé's presence, lying inert on the ground, very pregnant and very fragile. He shook it off, focusing on the task at hand.
Obi-Wan made his way towards the veranda outlining the mining facility, walking slowly to keep from attracting attention. If they did not know he was there yet, they did not need to be alerted. He searched for clues to see who was holing up in the planet, only to find nothing out of the ordinary.
He could not keep a foreboding feeling away, however. The entire place still made him feel uneasy, the cause for which he could not put his finger on. He would just have to wait and see. He put a hand to his lightsaber, just in case.
Yes, I know I am dragging this out. But it's just too fun to be able to resist! If I get too unrealistic with the Vader-Padmé-Obi-Wan triangle, just let me know. I'm trying to get the balance correct, and have Padmé a little more emotional due to everything that is going on- including her pregnancy- without making her a spineless wimp that some see coming out of Ep 3. As usual, I appreciate all commentary- good and bad: )