Thanks for the feedback, girls. Here's another chapter. Enjoy! See the prologue for disclaimers.
Chapter 2
Sari settled back on the sofa, still sedately sipping the soft drink offered to her by Padme. Her head was still pounding after having to witness Obi-Wan having to chastise Anakin for stepping out of hand during the briefing. It made her think of when she was training with Master Windu. Was I that much trouble? she wondered to herself.
"Perhaps, only in a different way," Obi-Wan said, cutting into her thoughts. "You seemed to find yourself in dangerous situations, most of which weren't your doing, I know. But I'm sure it gave Master Windu some anxieties."
"Not to mention you," she cracked. "In more ways than one." She recalled the couple of days after Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral pyre ceremony when Master Yoda had sat her and Obi-Wan down and explained how their souls were connected through the Force and that when one of them experienced pain, physical, mental, or emotional, the other would feel it in a different way. They could also sense the other's thoughts, a circumstance that unnerved Sari sometimes, because of late, her thoughts drifted to Amara and the situation with her brother.
"Has Amara been threatened?" he asked gently, placing a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. She shrugged as if to say she didn't know or wasn't sure. For some reason, he felt like he could talk to her better than he could talk to Anakin. Yet he didn't know why. Yes, she was a good Padawan learner, and had a wisdom and maturity beyond her sixteen years, but he'd expected to have that sort of bond with Anakin. He did, but for some reason, it wasn't the same. Maybe it was because Sari wasn't his Padawan learner that he could bond with her more easily. Maybe it was because of the soul bond between them. Maybe a little bit of both.
"Anakin's headstrong," she whispered, picking up on his thoughts. "But he's a good student. He's learning a great deal under your tutelage." She took one last swig of her drink and took the can to the kitchen area where a droid took it from her. "So, where are we on the security?"
"Captain Typho and his men are stationed downstairs, so we don't think the killer would try to come in that way."
She narrowed her eyes in thought. "No…something tells me whoever's doing this is more subtle than that." She stood up when she saw Anakin entering the room. Deciding to give master and Padawan learner some much needed alone time, she carefully made her way to the bedroom adjacent to Padme's bedroom, where Sari knew she'd was sleeping peacefully. As peaceful as she can, considering what's going on, she thought, remembering Yoda's advice on how to shield her thoughts from Obi-Wan at times. She knew that between her, the Jedi knight, and his Padawan learner, not to mention Padme's handmaiden Dorme, the senator would be safe.
Dorme was in a light sleep when Sari slipped into the room and settled back in a chair. Almost immediately, the handmaiden was awake and getting out of bed. "Do you need anything?" she asked.
"I'm fine, Dorme. Go back to sleep. I'll keep watch." The handmaiden nodded and crawled back into bed. Sari settled back in the armchair, her senses heightened. She was on her guard, ready for anything out of the ordinary.
She rolled her eyes as she "overheard" another squabble between Obi-Wan and Anakin. "Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin; they betray you," she heard him say.
So should you, her mind shot to him irritably. It sounded like he was going to be giving Anakin yet another lecture. "You've made a commitment to the Jedi order, a commitment not easily broken."
"I thought the restriction on Jedis marrying had been lifted recently," Anakin protested, heedless of the fact that thanks to his master's connection with her, Sari could hear every word of their conversation.
"Yes, but they still want us to proceed with caution, and you are not." Obi-Wan said sternly. "And don't forget, she's a politician."
Sari slammed her mental shields up. She was in no humor to hear another lecture on the pitfalls of politics. At that moment, she sensed a presence in Padme's room and began to stealthily make her way to the door. Cracking it open slightly, she slipped inside, and that's when she saw them, two little creatures making their way up Padme's bed while she was sleeping. Sari fingered her light saber slowly, carefully sliding it out of its sheath on her hip.
Hate to interrupt the lecture on politics, Obi-Wan, but I think I need some help here, her mind called out to him.
"I think he's a good man," Anakin protested. "My…" His voice trailed off as he sensed danger coming from Padme's bedroom.
Obi-Wan nodded, getting Sari's telepathic message. "I sense it too," he said, and the two men hurried into the bedroom just as Sari sliced one of the bugs in half, and Anakin managed to get the other one. Their actions caused Padme to wake up.
"Poisonous, I believe," Sari muttered. "I don't know exactly what they are, but…" Her voice trailed off as Obi-Wan dove out the window, holding onto the droid that had apparently dropped the lethal creatures into the bedroom through the window. Anakin knew exactly what his master was trying to do, and decided to go after him. "Stay here," he told Padme, and ran out, just as Dorme came running in.
"Are you all right milady?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," Padme insisted, turning to Sari. "I'll be all right. Dorme's here now. You should go after them."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, there's more than one speeder outside. Go ahead and take the one Anakin didn't take." Sari nodded and hurried out. Using the Force to sense where Obi-Wan and Anakin were headed, she hopped into the speeder and took off into the night.
