With You

Chapter 7

Such a remarkable revelation from the great Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, the one she'd once called her best friend, the one who she'd dreamed about almost every night since then—was enough to take her breath away. She gazed at him, speechless, but holding his hand tight and smiling.

"How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted, but my heart is racing a hundred parsecs a second thanks to you," she said with a bashful grin.

"The medics did the best they could to patch you up," he said, brushing his fingers around the fading bruise on her face. "I wish I'd made it sooner. I wish I could have saved you from all the pain."

She gave him a kind, gentle smile. "I'm okay, Obi-Wan. I know you won't like to hear this, but it's not my first time getting a black eye."

He sighed and looked at her quietly, gently stroking her temple. "You're right. I don't like it. But... I can't change the past, and I can't predict the future. All I can do is live in this moment. And in this moment, I am here. With you. And I'm going to do everything I can in this moment to keep you safe, for as long as you'll let me."

She smiled wide at him, and moved to cup his cheek in her hand. "I remember Qui-Gon telling you so many times to 'live in the moment'—and listen to you now. He'd be proud to hear you say what you just said."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "In more ways than one, I think. He was encouraging me to... be open to what our relationship was growing into. I was just beginning to be open to it when--" His face grew dark. "When he died."

She took his hands in hers and squeezed them gently. "I always admired Master Qui-Gon's desire to see the Force for more that one that Jedi Code dictated it should be, for more than how it dictated it should perhaps be used."

He looked down to where she held his hand. "I often wondered if my Master might have been happier having you as a Padawan..."

Cecilia was quick to guide his face back up to look at her. "No, Obi-Wan—you musn't think such things. The Force guides a Master to his Padawan. You were meant to be with Master Qui-Gon just as I was meant to be with Master Lin. Besides, could you imagine if Master Qui-Gon and I had been paired together? We would have been trouble from the get go. Two such rebellious spirits together would have been the death of the Jedi Council."

Obi-Wan chuckled in agreement. "I can hear Master Windu grumbling now."

"I think Master Qui-Gon knew he needed you to keep him from straying too far from his calling in the Jedi. Just as you needed him to... maybe loosen you up a little. And he loved you dearly, Obi-Wan—you must know that. He was so proud of how you'd grown as Jedi. You know that, right?"

"I do... but it is good to hear it from time to time."

"Then I shall consider it one of my personal missions to remind you... from time to time."

Just then someone entered—it was only then that Cecilia realized she really had no idea where she was at that moment—other than some sort of medical bay.

"General Kenobi," the Republic uniformed man said, "we received that transmission you were expecting."

"Thank you, Commander. I'll join you shortly."

"Yes, sir."

After the Commander left and Obi-Wan turned back towards Cecilia, he found her with her eyebrow raised and an amused grin on her face. "What?"

"I'd heard the rumors of the great General Kenobi, but hearing you called that... just makes it all the more real."

"Yes, it's real alright," Obi-Wan said. "A real war... with real death."

It was only then that Cecilia saw how tired Obi-Wan appeared. Or perhaps it wasn't till then that he'd let the strong facade slip. "Oh, Obi.... The war has been hard on you."

"As it should be. As it should be on us all. War is nothing to be trifled with. War is... ugly."

Cecilia wanted to say more, but knew no words would be adequate. She was certain that for his part, as much as he could in this war, Obi-Wan Kenobi was trying to do the greater good. She looked around. "Where are we?"

"We are on my flagship—the Vigilance."

Cecilia suddenly got a very bad feeling. She sat up on the medical bed, suddenly panicking. "Where are you taking me, Obi-Wan?"

"No where... yet. But I need to talk to you about that. We...are... headed in the general direction of... Coruscant."

"No, no, no, no. No, Obi-Wan. Tell me you aren't.... That you aren't... turning me in. Is that what you're doing?"

"No! Cecilia, I would never.... Wait, what would I be turning you in for?"

She slumped over. "Please, Obi-wan... I can't go back... I can't go back to the temple. I left. What will they think of me? What will they do to me?"

Obi-Wan was already back at her side and sat on the edge of the medical bed again, resting comforting hands on her shoulders. "Oh, my darling— do to you? They won't do anything to you. It's not as if you did anything wrong. You decided to leave the Order. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last. They don't know you're coming, though they do know I have my as-of-yet unidentified source with me that helped bring down the slave trade ring on Ninjawe 4 . They are interested in thanking this unknown source of such valuable, life-saving information."

He paused, but she remained quiet, taking deep breaths to calm herself. His hands went to hers and held them as he continued. "Please, Cecilia—trust me. I promise they won't do anything to hurt you. As far as it is within my power, I don't plan on letting anyone ever hurt you again."

That gave her a small smile and she peeked up at him through her eyelashes. "That's a pretty big promise, as much of a troublemaker as I am."

"Indeed," he said with a smirk.

She took another deep breath and looked up at him. "While I've spent years taking care of myself, and will continue to do so—I do appreciate the sentiment, Obi-Wan."

"I don't doubt your ability to care for yourself—but now that I've got you here—no matter what happens, where we go, how far apart we may be—just remember that there is someone else out there caring for you too, alright?"

She nodded. "Alright."

"So—Coruscant?"

She let out a breath. "I always knew that one day my path might lead me back to there. I suppose I've avoided it as long as I could."

"Good. I must head up to the bridge to answer that communique from the Temple. I'll return when I'm done and perhaps by them you'll be up for a walk? I could give you a tour of the ship."

"That would be... wonderful." She said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He knew she was still nervous, despite his best attempts at easing her worries. Sure enough, as he was about to depart the med bay, her voice stopped him again. "Obi?"

He turned quickly, eyebrow raised. "Hmm?"

"Would you—will you tell them who it is coming with you? I think—I think I'd rather them know ahead of time so that there isn't as much a shock... maybe not so many questions."

"If that is what you wish, I most certainly will."

"And please be sure the Council understands—I'm not coming back to stay... just to visit... to give a report. Almost anything else they ask of me I would probably be willing to do. But—I won't stay."

It was hard to miss that there was a slight twinge of disappointment that slipped through on Obi-Wan's face, but he nodded and gave her another reassuring smile. "Of course. I'm sure that will be fine."

"Thank you, Obi. See you in a bit."