MOONDUST ▷ OBI-WAN KENOBI

CHAPTER XIX. ruinous below

☆ | CHAPTER NINETEEN; RUINOUS BELOW.

{"i have to believe that the universe will grant us a miracle, that you'll rise from the ruinous below"}

As Ingrid landed her stolen starfighter on Padmé's veranda, the Senator rushed out of her apartment to meet her. Despite the fact that, to Padmé's knowledge, Ingrid was still to be considered an enemy, she pulled her friend into a tight hug once Ingrid jumped out of her vehicle. Ingrid had flown to Padmé's apartment with prepared apologies and explanations, but as Padmé held her tight, she realized that her old friend didn't require any answers- she was just happy to see Ingrid alive.

"When I heard you escaped, I thought I'd lost you," Padmé said as she pulled away from Ingrid, cupping the young woman's face in her small, delicate hands. Ingrid reached up to touch her old friend's hands, and felt a deep pang of regret for the times she had left Padmé behind. All this time Ingrid had been searching for something, whether it be love, satisfaction, or belonging, and had not seen that Padmé had always been there for her. She had assumed that when she betrayed the Republic, she had lost Padmé along with it, but as she looked in Padmé's eyes, she knew her friend would always love her. Padmé's faith in her would always remain resilient, because she knew there was good inside her, and Ingrid loved her for that.

The two shared a smile, but soon Ingrid's faded, and Padmé's with it.

"What is it?" Padmé asked, always able to read Ingrid. "Does it have to do with the Jedi's attempt to overthrow the Republic?"

At Padmé's words, Ingrid's brows furrowed.. "Who told you-" Before she could finish her question, a shiver ran down her spine, and she snapped her head up. "Padmé, is anyone here with you?" she asked, her voice low, as if she was afraid someone would hear her words. Her eyes were no longer on Padmé's face, instead scanning the veranda they stood upon.

Confused flooding Padmé's face, and she opened her mouth to answer. Before she could, however, someone else's voice interrupted her, answering Ingrid's question for the Senator.

"Hello Furiosa." Darth Vader's voice chilled Ingrid to the bone, and her face contorted into a scowl. Padmé turned, revealing the fallen Jedi standing in the doorway, and the man who was once Anakin Skywalker stepped out of the darkness of Padmé's apartment. Ingrid's eyes scanned Vader's face, seeking a shred of the man he once was, and found a conflict behind his dark eyes. She sensed it was fading.

"Padmé, get behind me," Ingrid begged, but she knew the Senator would not without an explanation. Like she had predicted, Padmé did not budge.

"What is going on?" Padmé asked, looking between her husband and best friend, who stared each other down like two animals preparing to pounce upon each other.

"Padmé, your dear friend Furiosa has been involved in the plot to overthrow the Republic with the Jedi." Anakin's venomous lie sparked a furnace of fury within Ingrid, and her hand danced to the silver canister that was strapped to her waist. Anakin's eyes followed this movement, and mimicked the motion, revealing his own weapon beneath his dark cloak.