One Path Chapter 8-An Unseen Hand (original) (raw)

Title: An Unseen Hand
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: "I don't want to lose my best friend."

Rating: PG for mild non graphic violence.
Length: Around 3200 words
Category: Angst/Drama
Pairings/Charaters: Obidala
A/N: One Path Chapter 8. Shortly after Padme is elected to the Senate. I hate this chapter; there are more than a few weak points, for which I apologize in advance. I've been wrestling with it since Saturday night. I promise the next chapter will be better. Written for scifi_five.

An Unseen Hand

Palpatine sat back in his chair and templed his fingers. Pressing them softly to his lips, he considered the turn of events and nodded, a satisfied smile forming. The transmission that the little blue R2 unit had been allowed to send would be passed along to the Jedi Council. With a bit of nudging, Kenobi would be sent to rescue Amidala, leaving the Chancellor a convenient opportunity to cultivate the seeds of jealousy between Master and Padawan. Perhaps the Master would be killed along with Amidala, but even if he managed to escape the trap waiting for him, it would be of little consequence. Anakin would blame him for Padme's death, and Anakin was the Chancellor's primary concern for the time being…

***

Kidnapped. The word echoed through Obi Wan's mind, filling him with a dull dread that settled in the pit of his stomach. The moment that Master Windu spoke the word, eight years of discipline crumbled. It had been all he could do to shield his emotions from the Council. Now, stepping from the chamber, he tried to banish his fear for Padme, but doubt and worry whispered despite his efforts. He had almost asked the Council to send another Jedi to rescue her, but to do that he would have had to explain himself. No one but Qui-Gon had ever known that he felt more than friendship for her, and he didn't think he could bring himself to reveal the truth before the entire Jedi Council.

Anakin pushed himself off the wall in the corridor and hurried over to him. "What's wrong?" he asked, frowning at the troubled look on his Master's face.

"Senator Amidala has been kidnapped," Obi Wan explained, immediately striding down the hall. "Artoo managed to get off a message. Her ship landed against her security officer's advice to investigate a distress signal that had been broadcast from a downed Naboo craft on Devaron. They were boarded--"

"Boarded? By who? How did they know about the decoy?" he wanted to know, tensing.

The Padawan's emotions became a tumult of fear and anger, and Obi Wan briefly closed his eyes. He knew that Anakin's attachment to Padme had not dissipated over the past eight years. If anything, the childish crush he'd developed on Tatooine had deepened, but the adolescent attraction would clearly be a problem on a mission like this, and Obi Wan's own feelings were far too close to the surface for him to buffer Anakin's as well.

"I don't know yet," he replied.

"What is the Council going to do?" Anakin asked.

"I've been sent to rescue her," Obi Wan explained as they reached a junction in the corridor.

"I'll go get ready and meet you on the landing platform," nodded Anakin briskly, turning away.

"Anakin, you are not coming," Obi Wan said firmly.

"What?" the boy spun to face him again.

"I don't have time to argue. Your feelings for Padme are too strong--you are too deeply attached," Obi Wan told him.

"Me?" Anakin cried. "What about you?"

"Padme and I are friends. That is all we've ever been," Obi Wan said truthfully.

Anakin gave a disbelieving snort. "Right."

Obi Wan's jaw clenched, but he made no reply, starting on his way down the hall again. It was the truth, but perhaps only because that was all Padme wanted to be. He couldn't deny the happiness he felt each time he returned to Coruscant to find a letter or message from her, couldn't deny his gladness when Queen Jamillia had convinced her to make a bid to represent the Chommell sector in the Senate despite her initial intention to retire from public service. If he was honest, he would have to admit that his relief when she was elected had more to do with the fact that her position in the Senate would mean at least some time spent on Coruscant than with the empathy that he was supposed to feel for his best friend.

Though the friendship they'd formed on Tatooine had never wavered, there had been little opportunity for time spent together during her tenure as Queen of Naboo. Obi Wan had not seen a way for that to change once she retired. Padme was too service oriented to sit idly in a villa, and even if she had, his own responsibilities rarely allowed for pleasure visits. They had exchanged letters and holomessages, and once unexpectedly run into each other on Alderaan. He and Anakin had returned from a diplomatic mission with Senator Organa the night before and been invited to spend a few days at the palace. He'd gotten to know Bail Organa fairly well by then, but was unaware of an association between him and Padme, and so had been entirely surprised when she and her retinue arrived the following afternoon. Beyond that brief encounter though, he had not seen her since he left Naboo after Qui-Gon's funeral. He knew, of course, that she would still prefer to spend most of her time on Naboo, and he didn't bother trying to fool himself that work on Coruscant might change things between them, but he had been looking forward to actually seeing Padme nonetheless. He admitted as he reached his fighter that his reason for that was that he still had feelings for her--but those feelings hadn't prevented him from doing what was required on Naboo eight years ago. He didn't intend to let them get in the way now.

***

Padme winced as her captors bound her hands tightly behind a seat in the cockpit of the cruiser. She did not cry out, but the black robed female gave her a hard smile and dragged a fingernail down the young senator's cheek.

"Don't worry," she said as the man behind Padme finished with her hands. "You won't be bound long."

Padme stiffened, but she made no reply. A chill went up her spine, though, as she realized that this was more than a simple kidnapping attempt. A Republic Senator would fetch a hefty ransom, but something in the woman's manner said that ransom, if it would be involved at all, was only an afterthought.

"What does that mean?" she demanded.

"Only that Kenobi is already on his way," the other replied with a negligent shrug.

The woman smiled again and moved her arm, allowing the silver hilt of a lightsaber to drop from her sleeve. She held it between her hands, considering it carefully before she looked back toward Padme. "That's right. Soon my Master's plan will be accomplished. Remember, Senator Amidala. No heroics when he arrives. We're still holding Typho and your handmaidens."

Padme grit her teeth against an angry retort. A momentary chill of fear swept through her, but she pushed it away. "Obi Wan won't just walk in here."

"Obi Wan?" the Sith raised an eyebrow. The evil smile took on a predatory gleam and she murmured thoughtfully. "Very interesting. In fact, I think it may be quite useful."

The woman swept from the room, leaving Padme with the guard, and the senator let out a breath. She wasn't sure what the comment implied, but it didn't bode well for her friend, and that worried her. She bit her lip, considering. Even if their friendship was public knowledge, there could have been no way to assure that it was Obi Wan who came for her--he couldn't have been the reason for her capture. Still, if this kidnapping was truly meant to target her, why had there been no attempt to extract political information? Had she unwittingly given the Sith some weapon to employ against Obi Wan? This woman did not carry herself with the same air of silent self possession as she remembered in the Sith who had killed Qui-Gon Jinn, though she seemed to radiate much of the same cunning and barely controlled rage. She had spoken of a Master, which seemed to indicate that her training was not complete. Yet it had been as a Padawan learner that Obi Wan himself defeated the Sith that killed Qui-Gon. Padme knew better than to under estimate this adversary; if Obi Wan was coming, she decided, she was not about to let him walk into a trap.

***
"It pains me to say it, Anakin," Palpatine said with a troubled expression, "but perhaps your Master has allowed his own emotions to cloud his judgment. Jealousy is unbecoming a Jedi Knight."

On the other side of the desk, the Padawan blinked. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's obvious that he feels more for Senator Amidala than he'd like you to think. Why else would he be trying to keep the two of you apart?" Palpatine asked.

"No," Anakin shook his head. "Obi Wan would…"

"Wouldn't he?" Palpatine asked gently.

"No, I don't believe it," Anakin insisted, shaking his head. Palpatine smiled though, sensing the boy's already turbulent emotions take on a new intensity. Whether he would admit now, the seed had been planted. With time and cultivation, it would come to fruit, as would many others.

"Your Master is lucky to have a pupil so devoted," he said now.
***

Dropping lightly onto the rocky shelf of the mountain ledge, Obi Wan moved quickly into a crouch and studied the scene below. Padme's starship still waited in the valley below, guarded but otherwise unmoving.

They should've taken off, he thought, shaking his head. They have what they wanted. Or do they?

There was a dark presence inside; a presence too powerful to have been a bounty hunter or any of the typical perpetrators of a kidnapping. Whoever it was in there was waiting, and he had the distinct feeling that he knew what for.

He closed his eyes against the sudden clash of lightsabers in his mind, trying not to smell again the charred flesh and taste the sweat and fear of the duel that had killed his lifelong friend and mentor. His hand drifted unconsciously to his belt, where the cool metal hilt of Qui-Gon's lightsaber still rested.

Don't center on your fears… he heard, his Master's voice still strong in his mind even after eight years. Taking a breath, Obi Wan brought his thoughts back to the present and nodded, straightening.

Well, he told himself as he shucked up his hood and stepped off the ledge, dropping down into the valley below. Let's not keep our host waiting.

Getting past the two guards outside was a simple matter of a few tossed rocks and a mild telepathic suggestion. They were so busy arguing over who was hitting whom in the head with pebbles that they never saw the Jedi slip up the ramp and into the ship.

***

Padme felt the hair on the back of her neck rise but didn’t turn. Her heart thudded in her chest, and she struggled to keep her breathing even as his familiar voice came from the cockpit entrance behind her. "Hello, Senator Amidala."

The guard beside her whirled around, but even as his blaster rose, it flew from his hand to crash onto the floor beside Padme's chair. "Now that was very uncivilized of you," Obi Wan commented.

"Obi Wan, what are you doing?" she cried as the guard rushed him.

He sidestepped a punch, then ducked to avoid a high spin kick, calling back, "Rescuing you??"

She let her eyes close and shook her head in exasperation. "And I told her you wouldn't be foolish enough to just walk in."

"Yes, well--" he ducked again, then raised a hand to send the guard flying backward into a control console. "--the door was open, and I couldn't resist the invitation."

"Perhaps you should learn to exercise a bit of caution, Master Jedi," remarked the Sith as she appeared in the doorway. Padme heard the distinctive snap-hiss of a lightsaber and drew a breath in fear, but Obi Wan sighed explosively.

"Couldn't you have tried something a bit more original?" he asked.

"It got you here, Master Kenobi," she replied, stepping back.

At a beckoning motion from her lightsaber, Obi Wan followed her into the hall, and Padme sighed again, glad she hadn't been depending on him to untie her hands. As she continued to work them loose, she heard the clash of weapons begin and grit her teeth, trying to move faster.

A series of loud bangs and crashes told her that more was going on out there than a lightsaber battle. The lights in the cockpit flickered and dimmed, but finally stabilized as she pulled her arms free. Hurriedly grabbing the discarded blaster from the floor, she jogged into the hall, following the sounds of battle

Outside the main cabin, she halted, pressing her back to the wall, and then slid inside, crouching behind a fallen panel and attempting to get a clear shot. Obi Wan and his black-clad adversary were moving almost too quickly for her eyes to follow, their weapons a blur of clashing red and green amid a storm of flying debris, crackling electrical cable and a growing cloud of dust. Finally, Obi Wan pivoted to avoid a slash to his shoulder, and the Sith moved with him, bringing her back in line with Padme. She fired off two shots in quick succession, then ducked back behind cover. A shriek of outrage told her that, while at least one shot struck, it hadn't done enough to stop the Sith. The groan and squeal of twisting metal was her only warning before the grate leading into a vent shaft above her tore loose.

"Padme!" she heard the Jedi shout, just as an electronic sounding scream pealed through the room and Artoo Detoo shot out of the vent shaft. The grate halted inches from her and she scrambled out of the way in time to see the Sith bring her weapon around in a viscious slash down from Obi Wan's left shoulder to right hip. He crumbled as Artoo crashed into his opponent's back, knocking her off balance, and Padme rushed forward, firing as she moved.

Artoo was thrown off again, and Padme saw their enemy's hand stretch toward her fallen lightsaber. The weapon ignited and twitched toward her, but suddenly the hilt spun again, rose, and the blade sailed unerringly through the woman's side.

"Obi Wan…" Padme let out a breath, falling to her knees beside the Jedi.

His brow creased with the effort of focusing his gaze on her, and he offered a faint smile. "Thanks for the rescue."

Tears stung her eyes, but she gave an unwilling laugh. Lowering her forehead to his, she pressed her eyes closed and promised softly, "Always."

She started to move back, suddenly aware of footsteps racing through the ship toward them. With a sigh of relief, she realized that Typho and the handmaidens must finally have gotten loose and subdued the rest of the guards.

"In here, Captain!" she called urgently. "Quickly, Master Kenobi's been hurt."

"Wait," Obi Wan whispered as she started to climb to her feet. She turned back, a soft frown forming as she placed a hand on her cheek. "Something…I have to tell you…in case…"

"Don't talk like that," she said instantly. "We're going to get help."

"Padme…listen to me," he insisted, struggling for consciousness.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

"I didn't want to tell you--never meant--" he shook his head painfully.

"Tell me what, Obi Wan?" she asked, her hand moving to brush the sweat-dampened hair back from his forehead.

"I love you. Always have. Since Tatooine…" he said as his eyes closed and he slipped into unconsciousness.

***

Anakin froze on the side of the street, suddenly doubling over. Palpatine, beside him, quickly moved to offer support. Affixing an expression of surprise and worry on his face, the Chancellor asked, "Anakin? What's wrong?"

"Something's happened to Obi Wan," the Padawan replied, straightening with some effort. His face was still tight and pinched with his mentor's suffering. "I can feel it."

"Is he…?" Palpatine let the question trail off.

"He's alive," Anakin shook his head. Then he closed his eyes in concentration and added, "Senator Amidala's with him. They're all right."

Palpatine accepted that news with no discernable reaction other than relief. Though he had allowed Darth Tyranus to conduct Merryn's training, he had already sensed her failure through the Force. He had hoped, however, that the Apprentice had managed at least to dispose of one of her targets. Still, the Dark Lord of the Sith knew that the situation was not a total loss for him--some good could be salvaged.

He was aware that Yoda and Mace Windu were still waiting for a second Sith to emerge. He would allow them to believe that Darth Maul had been the Master and Merryn the unknown Apprentice. This had been one of his purposes in putting aside Darth Bane's careful adherence to the tradition of passing the knowledge of the Sith to only one apprentice. By allowing Tyranus to conduct the training, he maintained a distance that could be useful in an event like this. His own existence remained unknown, and the Jedi could be led to believe that the threat of the Sith was over.

"Good," he nodded. "Come, we'll need to inform the Senate and the Jedi Council."

***

She came to him in the temple a few days after they returned to Coruscant. Anakin brought her to his quarters and then quietly slipped out again. Both of them waited until they were sure that the Padawan's footsteps had retreated out of earshot, and then moved hesitantly into the center of the room. Padme's hands reached automatically for his, but she averted her gaze, keeping her eyes on the floor between them.

"Ani is still very upset," she said, retreating onto the safety of familiar ground. Obi Wan held back a sigh. He knew, of course, that Padme's feelings for him had not changed. Truthfully, he hadn't expected them to. While there was some hurt in knowing that she would never love him, he still believed it was for the best. What hurt him now was this new awkwardness between them. Far more than he ever might have hoped she would come to share his romantic attraction, he had hoped to be able to preserve their friendship.

"I know, he wishes he'd been there to protect you," he replied quietly.

Her head jerked up to give him a sharp look. "He wishes he'd been there to help you, too. He thinks if he had been, you might not have been hurt."

"I'll talk to him again," Obi Wan promised.

Padme nodded, biting her lip before she continued, "I'm leaving for Naboo. The vote ended yesterday afternoon. I didn't want to go without saying goodbye."

"Goodbye as in…?" he trailed off, letting the question hang half formed between them, though he knew the answer almost before it came out of his mouth.

"It's for the best, isn't it?" she asked, eyes filling up with tears.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I'm a Jedi--I would have nothing to offer you even if you did love me. I can't marry you. But I also know that I don't want to lose my best friend."

The tears began to spill down her cheeks, and her arms slid around his neck. "I don't either, Obi Wan," she confessed.

"Whatever you decide, I will respect your wishes," he promised, pressing his lips to her cheek. "And I will be here."