Torn (An Anakin x OC x Obi Wan Story)

twenty-four

 Jaia didn't wake up naturally, the warmth of Obi Wan's body quickly disappearing as she was ripped away from him, the cold armor of clone troopers grasping her body as she cursed under her breath.

"Stars, you guys were quiet walking in-,"

"We have come to bring you to Emperor Skywalker," one of the masked men said dryly, his grip not faltering on Jaia's arm.

Obi Wan sat up from the cell's ground, still trying to adjust his eyes to the "light" of the new day. "Wait a minute- why are you only taking Jaia?"

"Your lives will be taken separately, General." The clone responded simply, "It has been requested by the emperor."

Jaia's eyebrows furrowed, her jaw tightened, and her eyes made contact with Obi Wan's almost immediately. The clone wasn't telling the full truth- just what he had been told to say. Both of them knew this, and still, their lips remained shut.

"I'll be fine," Jaia said simply to Obi Wan, trying to reassure him, "Like we discussed."

He nodded, unable to hide the stress that was still apparent on his features. They had spent a large portion of the night whispering, plotting, planning- and still, Jaia knew that neither of them felt completely confident about it.

She wouldn't die today. Neither would he.

"Just in case-,"

"No," Jaia cut him off, she didn't want to hear anymore, "We're not going to do that. We don't need to do that." She wasn't allowing herself to say goodbye. It wasn't part of the plan, so it wouldn't be needed. It was Jaia's own special way of coping with the new circumstances. "I'll see you later."

Becoming impatient (not to mention confused), the troopers began to lead Jaia out of the cell, her eyes widening as she caught her last glimpse of Obi Wan's tired, worried blue eyes before they disappeared from her field of vision.

Why was Anakin calling for their executions to be separate? The question bounced from wall to wall of her frontal lobe, only making her dizzier with time.

"So-," Jaia started, trying to remain as casual as possible as the troopers led her through unrecognizable hallways, "Who's actually gonna off me then?"

"Skywalker has requested to be the only one present."

"Oh, that's nice." She would be alone with him. Jaia's heart leapt at the thought- at the small chance that this could be a really good thing. Anakin was always tense with Obi Wan around, always hard to reason with, but without him?

Even now, she might be able to pull a few strings.

The troopers stopped at a large metal door, which clicked and slid open hauntingly as Jaia stood in front of it. Inside was a large red room, dim lights only illuminating the halo that cascaded over Anakin's cloaked figure.

Pushed inside quite aggressively by the soldiers, the sliding door closed behind her, leaving Jaia in the giant room alone with Anakin.

"Is this how dramatic you plan to be for all executions?" Jaia scoffed, unable to filter the attitude from her voice before it slipped out. You're supposed to be negotiating, dumbass.

Anakin didn't respond, only staring back at Jaia with hardened eyes, his jaw clenched with rigid and untamed anger, and -... something else, too.

"You don't want to kill me, Ani."

Anakin was quiet, and for a moment, Jaia thought he would continue to leave her in her own silence. "That doesn't matter." The words broke from his lips more soft than expected, the hurt in Anakin breaking through the thick veil of anger that presented itself on the outside.