OBI-WAN

"I told you to stay on Naboo." Obi Wan fumed as he paced back in forth while Thalia stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed.

"Are you really giving me a lecture because I saved you?" She asked incredulously.

"Qui-Gonn and I were assigned to protect you. You should trust our judgment…" He began again, but the Princess interrupted him.

"And where was your protection on Naboo? Huh? You just ran off to find your magic box. As my 'protectors' I would have thought your priorities were obvious!" She shouted before turning away from him, shaking her head and Obi Wan caught sight of a black mark on the side of her face.

"What's that?" He demanded, marching over to her. He went to touch her face but she swatted his hand away. After giving her his best concerned look, she rolled her eyes and turned her face.

From her ear to her cheekbone ran a small scar held together by five stitches.

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked calmly, running two fingers over the soft skin of her face.

"Your Bounty Hunter. Moralo Eval. It seems he got tired of the holocron." She said bitterly and looked over at him. He hadn't seen her features up this close before and he realized that her mauve eyes had faint spurs of orange exploding from the pupil.

Obi-Wan had seen a lot of extraordinary sights throughout the galaxy, but he'd never seen anything quite as beautiful as this.

Thalia turned to face him properly and his fingers brushed against her cheek alerting him to the fact that he was still gently caressing her face. Her look was patient, almost expectant but Obi-Wan was distracted by the return of that feeling, like everything in this moment seemed right. He'd felt it when he had watched her with Korna and again when she'd healed him, but it was back now, and he didn't know what to do about it.

"Thank you for rescuing me." He heard himself say and he watched as Thalia's eyes crinkled up at the sides in a smile. She reached up and pulled his hand away from her face, holding it in both of hers.

"We'll call it even." She grinned and patted his hand before slipping past him and heading towards the cockpit leaving Obi Wan standing there feeling like he'd missed an opportunity.

"Look, Zyggeria." Thalia called from the cockpit and Obi-Wan ducked through the doorway to join them as they flew past the long line of ships heading to the slave capital of the galaxy.

"It seems it's still attracting plenty of high-class scum." Obi-Wan said, crossing his arms.

"There, head for that landing pad." Thalia said, pointing ahead of them to a free space at the outskirts of the city.

As C-6 maneuvered them into position, a voice crackled through the Falcon's communicators.

"This is a private landing pad reserved for members of the royal palace. State your name and purpose here." The voice said.

"Over to you." Thalia said to C-6. "Do you worst."

"I am C6-LN. Personal Assistant to Queen Nebula or Nuvara. She has heard about the work King Tai is doing on Zyggeria and wishes you see it for herself." C-6 recited into the communicator.

"That's a new one." Thalia considered and Obi-Wan cast her a sideways glance.

"By order of the palace, you are cleared for landing." The voice finally replied and C-6 clapped her hand together.

"Well done C-6." Thalia grinned, patting the droid on her shoulder, turning away before quickly poking her head back round the corner. "Have anything that can help with this one?"

"Do I ever! Check room seven." Her droid replied gleefully before gesturing for Obi-Wan to follow her.

"I'm happy to follow you on this one." Obi-Wan said carefully. "Undercover operations aren't really my forte."

"And you think they're mine?" Thalia laughed as she stopped outside one of the Falcon's many doors.

"I'd be lying if I said you weren't becoming skilled in the ways of Jedi missions." He said slowly, unsure of what to make of the Princess' new found exuberance.

"I'm really not." She shook her head, her expression becoming somber. "I think if I act bravely enough then I'll be able to fool myself into thinking that I'm not completely terrified, how I don't want to be anywhere else and that I don't wish I was home." Thalia blurted out before looking away from Obi-Wan and shaking her head. "Sorry."

He suddenly had no clue what to do. Obi-Wan always had a response for everything, but standing here in front of Thalia, his mind was blank. He knew she was waiting for him to do something, to say something but what could he say? Sorry wasn't going to cut it.

Obi-Wan wasn't sure when he consciously made the decision to reach his hands out to her, but he found himself wrapping his arms around her torso and pulling her into a comforting embrace.

Thalia was still at first, probably surprised by his sudden act of affection, but a moment later he felt her relax in his arms and drape her own around his waist. She let out a long sigh and rested her head against his chest.

"If there's anything I can say to make you feel better I will say it, but whatever happens, I will always keep you safe." He said into her hair, which Obi-Wan noted smelt slightly of a mix between wood and rose. It was a very comforting smell, one that smelt of home.

"You just did." Thalia answered quietly into the thick material of his tunic. They stood embraced a moment longer before simultaneously retreating to their respective positions. Thalia let go of Obi-Wan and let her hands fall to her sides, but he kept his hold on her until she was out of his reach. As his hands slid off her shoulders, he took in the small goosebumps that had risen along her forearms.

"I'm glad." Obi-Wan replied quietly, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.