Torn (An Anakin x OC x Obi Wan Story)

twenty

 Jaia had tried to convince Obi Wan to stay for at least an hour more, but the Jedi Master was more than insistent that he left for the Utapeau system immediately... and very reluctant about it as well. Three months without touch, and Jaia felt her skin crawling just having had Obi Wan in the same room as her again. The tension had rendered her hot and bothered, but she shook it off as she watched him exit Padme's quarters, his robes flying behind him quickly as he hurried away.

As Obi Wan hadn't, Jaia also hurried to her next destination, racing to the Jedi Temple as fast as she possibly could have.

She was lucky to reach the temple when she did.

As she ascended the steps of the Jedi temple, the guards seemed to look the other way. "Terrible security, nice," Jaia remarked, but stopped in her tracks as her eyes spotted Anakin, who was rushing down the stairs, straight towards her.

He noticed her as soon as she noticed him. Silence overcame them both, stillness consumed their figures.

"Jaia," he said silently, his brows immediately furrowing, "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," she responded, trying her best to sound as though she were not in an immense hurry to do so. "Do you have a moment?"

Anakin looked as though he were in pain. His face was strained into heavy confusion, heavy sadness, heavy urgency. "I don't... not really."

"It's important."

"So is this," he said, hurrying past Jaia down the stairs. Huffing, Jaia followed after him, trying her best to keep up with him.

"What's so important so soon?"

"The chancellor is the sith lord we've been looking for... Master Windu and some others have gone to arrest him... but-,"

"Chancellor Palpatine?" Jaia gawked, "Ani, I'm so sorry, I know you were close-,"

"It's fine," Anakin shot back, his steps still as steadily hurried as before.

"If it's fine, then why are you rushing?"

"I-... I need to be there. I need to be there before-,"

"Before they arrest him?" Jaia asked, though it was more of a question for herself- one to understand what the hell was going through Anakin's head. "I hardly think that's necessary if-,"

In an unexpected urge, Anakin stopped in his tracks and twirled around to face Jaia. "You don't understand." Anakin's eyes were dark and sad, and Jaia wanted to reach out and touch him. He was in so much pain. Surely, it couldn't just be because of the Chancellor. "You should go home-,"

Before Anakin could turn to continue his journey, Jaia reached out and grabbed his arm, keeping him put. "Stop it," she said sternly, "Tell me what the hell is going on. Right now." When Anakin's gaze unfocused and stared past Jaia almost as if he were in a daze, Jaia applied more pressure to her grip, shaking him lightly. "Anakin."

"Padme," he choked suddenly, his hand reaching his face, "Shes- I have to-..." Jaia didn't interrupt his stutters. Instead, she waited for him to take a moment of silence to collect his thoughts. After a moment, he took a breath, "I've been having premonitions... about Padme. She's in trouble and.... And only the chancellor knows how to save her."

Jaia nodded, slowly realizing the depth of Anakin's displayed emotions. She knew it wasn't the right time to completely rationalize. Instead, she nodded, and gestured ahead of them. "Okay. We'll go together."

Anakin's eyes brightened only slightly, and he nodded, as the two of them raced ahead to meet Mace Windu.

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