ℝ𝔼ℂ𝕂𝕃𝔼𝕊𝕊 ➵ o. kenobi {my only hope; book 2}

【 THREE 】

    ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴀɢɢɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ the entire way back to Padmé's chambers. This is stupid, it was saying. You don't need to fear seeing the man you love.

"I don't love him," I hissed at myself. "Those feelings died years ago."

You're just afraid of the Council, the voice nagged.

"I'm not afraid of them. I respect them. I respect the Code," I went on. "So seriously. Just... shut up, me."

Thankfully, at least for now, the voice did.

Padmé elbowed me from her position behind me, sending me sprawling back to my senses, refocusing on the hallway we were walking down. "You seem a little on edge."

I glanced back at her with a little scoff. "Not at all."

Padmé rolled her eyes with a little smirk. "You may be good at concealing your feelings, Master Jedi, but..." she leaned in. "You forget I have a way with the Force, too."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. I never forgot about Padmé's connection to the Force... in fact, the thought of it was always there in the back of my mind, nagging me like a little gnat that wouldn't fly away.

"And..." Padmé continued. "I haven't felt you this tense since your Knighting ceremony. Nervous, are we?"

"Nervous?" One of the guards from Padmé's security detail chirped up. "What in the blazes do you have to be nervous for? You're a Jedi. Jedi aren't afraid of anything."

I glanced behind me at the security guard next to Padmé, who couldn't have been older than twenty. "You must be truly naive if you really believe that," I told him. "Jedi have feelings, too. Emotions, dreams, goals... even fears." Padmé shot me a look, and I immediately shut my eyes in frustration. "Not that I'm saying I have fears, or that I'm fearful at all for what's coming. Because I'm not."

My sister exchanged a glance with her security guard, and I heard the two of them chuckle softly. I groaned.

Truthfully, I was nervous. There was no way to get around it. But who wouldn't be, if someone were about to come face to face with two people who they hadn't seen in nearly a decade--two people who'd meant a great deal to them until their departure? It was terrifying. But I'd rather die than admit that to Padmé... or anyone, for that matter. No matter how close we were.

Blissfully, we reached Padmé's chambers fairly quickly. As we arrived, Padmé sent our newest arrival, Jar Jar--Padmé's senate representative--to the elevator door to wait for our guests. Meanwhile, I led my sister out to the balcony, hoping to talk in private. Well, as private as it could get on a penthouse balcony overlooking a bustling city.

"You're looking better," I said, gesturing to her as she leaned against the railing of the balcony, overlooking the giant city and its skyscrapers that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"Well, I'm glad it seems that way, because I don't feel much better," she mumbled, determinedly not looking at me. "This security detail is senseless. I don't want people dying on my behalf. If someone is coming after me, it should be me they hurt. Not a decoy, or bodyguards." She groaned, burying her head in her hands. "And now we've dragged Obi-Wan and Anakin into this..."

I knew it probably wasn't the right time to mention this, but I knew Padmé would find out eventually. "Kera's coming too," I mumbled. "Master Windu told me after the meeting. She was with Obi-Wan when he got the message. She wants to help, too."