Meleana's eyes fluttered open slowly. She scanned the flickering dimly lit room around her, it was hers. She looked around, yes it was her room, there was her plant, her dresser, she was in her room. She was in clean clothes. How had she gotten there? Where had she been?
She looked to her right, Obi-Wan was kneeling at the edge of the bed staring at her intently. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, and he looked as though he hadn't slept in days. She tensed, memories flooded back to her.
"Its alright," He said stroking her hand gently, "your name is Meleana Ariadne, your ship is called The Jaded Star, your Masters name was Ari, your best friends name is Ketana. I'm not going to hurt you."
A weak smile spread across Meleana's face, "you look terrible," her voice didn't sound like her own. It was gravely and barely above a whisper.
"Well, I've learned my lesson as far as being possessed around Master Windu goes," He said with a light smile.
Tears came to Meleana's eyes. She couldn't ever remember crying as much as she had on this mission. "I thought you were dead," she squeaked out.
Obi-Wan slid into the bed next to her and gathered her up in his arms. He pulled her tightly up against his chest and kissed her cheek.
"This is the first time you've spoken in three days," He said after a long pause.
"What do you mean spoken?"
Obi-Wan brushed her hair away from her face. She'd never seen him look so gentle, it was as though he was worried the wrong expression would crush her.
"You would open your eyes, but you never seemed to be seeing anything. Nothing here anyway. It was like you weren't here anymore."
Meleana knew what he meant. She'd seen people who'd sustained major brain damage and survived, the way their bodies kept going without them. It must have been almost as bad for him to see her that way as it had been for her to see him possessed by something evil.
"How long until we're back on Coruscant?" She asked wanting to change the subject.
Meleana didn't think it was possible for Obi-Wan to look even more somber, but some how he managed.
"We aren't going back to Coruscant. I'm sorry, I tried to," he sighed, "Master Windu and I aren't really speaking right now if that sums it up."
Meleana's mouth dropped and she smiled a little. Whatever the bad news was, she couldn't help but be a little amused that goody-two-shoes Obi-Wan had gotten into an argument with one of the most respected Jedi Master's of all time.
"Where are we going?" She hated how weak her voice sounded.
"The Jedi Master who discovered the weapon hasn't been heard from since she contacted the temple to warn them about it. The planet is on the outerrim. We're the closest Jedi, and our mission is tied to hers. Master Windu doesn't think you will be in any danger. He believes that while the planet we are headed to is where the Sith lived, all of the lingering dark energy was in the caves on Korriban."
"What do you think?" Meleana was afraid to think of what she thought.
"I think I will do whatever I need to do to protect you."
"You shouldn't," Obi-Wan cut her off before she could finish.
"I love you. I'm not going to let some ancient Sith kill you. You are not going to die a meaningless death."
Meleana looked into his beautiful grey eyes, "You seem so sure I'm going to die."
"No, you're not going to die. I won't let you. I trust Master Windu when he says there is no danger. If it were anyone else I wouldn't worry," he brushed her cheek lightly with his thumb, "but you my dear have a knack for getting into trouble."
Meleana could have argued with him, but she didn't want to. She wanted him to protect her. She didn't feel like herself at all. She'd never felt so small and powerless before. Something had definitely happened to change her on Korriban. She felt like a watered down version of herself.
"Can you help me up?" She asked knowing she was to weak to walk on her own.
Obi-Wan helped her out of her room and set her down in the main room. She wanted to go to the kitchen herself, but he insisted she wait. Master Windu came in the minute Obi-Wan had disappeared.
"I'm glad to see you are well," he said sitting down across from her. "you gave us a scare."
Meleana nodded and smiled, "thanks for saving the day."
Mace frowned at her a moment. "Nothing to add? No sarcastic quip about my spending half the mission in a cage?" He nodded affectionately towards her, "You must not be feeling like yourself yet."
"Poor choice of words, Master," her voice was still only a whisper.
"That's better."
Meleana stared at the table in silence. Not sure what to say. She wanted to demand to be taken back to Coruscant, but that seemed remarkably immature. Meleana found she didn't want to talk to Master Windu at all. She was a little upset at being dragged way in over her head. He'd saved her, but he'd also nearly gotten her killed. He'd been studying the Sith holocron, he knew all about the weapon, which had been used on her. The Sith she was supposedly the vessel for. He hadn't volunteered any information about any of it. Perhaps if she'd known a little more about what she was getting herself into she wouldn't have been swimming naked in ice water, attacked by wild animals, and nearly killed by the undead, twice.
"What was it?" She asked knowing Master Windu would know what she was referring to.
"What matters is it did not work. I stopped it before it could harm you. You will recover with time."
His voice was so calm, so sure. It made Meleana want to smash his face into the table.
Meleana's eyes locked with his. She was sick of this cryptic Jedi bantha-shit. "I felt my soul being wrenched from my body. I felt every horrible thing in the world creep inside me, and now I feel like a shell of a human being. Tell me Master, how do I recover from that?" She said his title with more distaste than she'd ever managed before.
She wanted to get up and walk away, but was sure she'd fall as soon as she got up. So she glared at Master Windu, who seemed not to know what to say to her.
"We can discuss this later, when you've had more time to rest."
Obi-Wan walked in just in time to see Master Windu leave. He looked at Meleana and the expression on his face turned to one of concern.
"Everything alright?" He asked setting down two glasses in front of her.
Meleana nodded and took a sip of water. The other glass had something blended and blue.
"I didn't think you'd want solid food," He said.
"I didn't know I had a blender."
Meleana took a sip of the smoothie, to appease him more than anything. It was good, but she wasn't really in the mood for liquid or solid food.
"Drink it please," He said, "You haven't eaten in days."
Meleana finished the water and the smoothie, though it made her a little ill to do so. When she'd finished Obi-Wan scooped her back into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his. His skin felt hot compared to hers. She turned her head and softly captured his lips with hers.
His lips felt electric against hers. The closer she got to him the more alive she felt, as though she were feeding off his energy. She'd felt like the walking dead before she kissed him, now she felt alive again. She moved her arms from his shoulders and tugged his shirt up and over his head. Her hands ran down his bare chest a their lips met again. Her hands followed the light dusting of hair from his chest to his stomach and finally bellow his belt, which she tossed onto the floor.
Her mouth tore at his, each touch made her feel more alive. His skin against hers warmed her. Her extreme pallor was replaced by a healthy pink flush.
"More," Meleana moaned into the kiss. Obi-Wan was being very restrained with his own movements and actions. "Please," she cooed when he made no effort to undress her.
Meleana kept her legs coiled around him and kissed his lips softly.
"I love you," she whispered in between kissing him.
He gave her one last firm kiss and pried her legs off of him. He moved to her side and propped himself up on his elbow.
"Done so soon?" Meleana pouted.
"You must be tired," he said tracing her lip with his thumb.
Meleana kissed it and ran her tongue across it, "No."
He smiled, "You can't even walk on your own love. You need to get some rest."
Meleana rolled her eyes at him, she didn't want rest, she wanted more sex. "Just for a couple of hours?" She pouted at him.
"I'll go get you some water. We'll see how you feel when I get back."
Meleana was set on getting up on her own. He'd come back and she'd prove she was feeling better. He would have no valid argument for not having sex with her. She made it as far as upright before she collapsed on the bed unconscious.
Meleana became aware of two other presences. She felt something weak, barely there, not at all a threat, just sad and lost. The other was malicious, overpowering, and stronger than anything she'd ever felt before. She could see only black, but she could feel things around her. Not familiar things. She was somewhere unknown to her.
"You're hardly what I expected," A female voice cooed, "such a little thing. Are you sure you're even a Jedi?"
Meleana realized the woman was speaking to her. She didn't respond. She wasn't in the habit of encouraging rudeness in her own dreams.
"This isn't a dream Meleana. There are things about you I need to know. You're going to tell them to me.
"No I'm not," Meleana said with great resolve.
The female voice laughed, "you already are, silly girl. I don't need you to speak to get information from you."
The female voice made a sound that conveyed displeasure, "Really, I had expected my vessel to be someone powerful, revered, beloved by her peers. You, you're hardly much of anything are you? Oh well, I suppose you'll go down easier then? Won't you."
"I'm not going anywhere," Meleana did her best to sound sure of herself, but knowing the Sith was in her head, she couldn't fool her.
"Oh yes of course, resist the darkside, all that nice Jedi stuff. Whatever makes you feel better. You're damned either way."
"I'm going to wake up," Meleana said trying to make it so simply by saying it. This was a dream, she'd wake up and everything would be as it should be.
Meleana's eyes opened, she was being picked up off the ground. She looked up at Obi-Wan, with big sad eyes. He sat down on the edge of the bed with her in his arms.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you," Obi-Wan said a he stroked her hair.
"Oh, you pushed me? I was wondering why I fell over," she said sarcastically.
He didn't reply, but continued to stroke her hair. She felt better in his arms. As though there really was something he could do to protect her. She lay her head against his chest and listened to his heart beating.
"You should try to get some rest, we'll be on the planet soon." He lay her down on the bed and curled up on his side next to her.
Meleana had no intentions of falling asleep, but sleep took her anyway. This time she didn't dream.