Crimson Eyes ~ Sequel to: The Valkyrie, An Obi-Wan Story (completed)

Chapter 50: Returning Home

"And take me to the Aether."

Even though it was supposed to bring me relief, that sentence was also accompanied by a whole lot of dread. It settled in my stomach and made me almost nauseous at the thought of what was to come. It had been my own decision, but right now it felt like I was walking towards my doom. Saving Obi Wan's life had been worth it but I also knew that I needed to tread carefully, lest I bring even more people into danger.

I nodded at Maul, nonetheless, before making a slow but steady path towards Obi Wan, not taking my eyes away from his yellow ones as I passed him. They were challenging me, his lips pulling up into a smirk when he realised what I was aiming to do. I simply lifted my eyebrow in challenge as my eyes narrowed, a spark of fire enlightening them, daring him to keep me from the man on the ground. I didn't care about the consequences; all I knew was that I needed to get to him.

When the sith didn't interfere I all but leapt towards the jedi's figure, kneeling on the ground before him hastily. My hands darted towards his side and pulled away the bandages to see the damage that was done. A few of the superficial stitches had been torn, but the innermost layer was still intact. He would survive.

Even after everything, a deep relieved sigh still managed to escape me. "Lyanna, whatever you're planning to do, you need to, -" Obi Wan let out an anguished groan as I burned the edges of his wound with my fingertips to stop the bleeding.

"Ssh, Obi." I whispered and looked over my shoulder, watching Maul and his men eyeing us closely.

In the corner of my eye, I could see Obi Wan lifting himself off the ground, nearing me till I could feel the warmth of his breath against my ear. Even after everything, it still send a shiver running down my spine and made me close my eyes momentarily. "He's got the entire city rigged with explosives." Obi Wan muttered there, his blue eyes darting towards his enemy.

Our gazes connected after that; my breath practically punched out of my lungs. "So that's why you surrendered." I cursed under my breath, hating myself for presuming he'd done it deliberately. "All right, okay." My hand went to his face almost instinctively and held his cheek, his dirty skin surprisingly soft against my thumb.

Time was pressing. Maul wouldn't let me remain for much longer, that much was certain. So, I quickly retrieved something from the satchel at my side, making sure Maul and his men weren't able to see me doing so.

While I was fumbling Obi Wan's hand covered my other. "Anakin will get here soon, and when he does-" He whispered, his voice laden with pain as he struggled to get up further.

"Ssh, stay still." I pushed him back down and placed the insignia I'd found in the sith temple in his fist and closed his fingers around it. It would lead him to the location I would be going to, if he was smart enough to figure it out. Obi Wan's eyes widened only slightly when he felt the material pressing into his palm before wrapping his fingers around it tightly. "Listen to me carefully, Obi. You need to recover first, let them treat your wound and then, -"

"I'll find you." He covered my hands with his other, squeezing reassuringly. The blood covering them was slick against my skin, but the warmth of his still comforting. It made a tension in my body ease almost instantly. A wave of calm washed over me and I soon realised he was using the force to calm me. The gesture made me glance up at his eyes, finding only pure willpower there. Obi Wan's grip tightened as he stared right into my eyes.

I saw in his eyes that he wasn't afraid, even though I was going with his oldest nemesis. "You always do." I smiled at him as tears started to line my eyes. He mirrored my grin and lifted his own hand, wiping away the single tear as it glided down my face. I closed my eyes and leaned against his palm, breathing in deeply and gathering all the courage I had left.