Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.17.2

Hours later, the ship finally entered Nabooian airspace. Anakin had double-checked the ship's identification code, making absolutely sure that no one could identify them as Jedi. By using obscure air paths down to the surface, no one bothered them on their way in.

Artoo sent a message to the Naberrie household when they exited hyperspace, so Padmé was waiting for them on the landing platform long before they touched down. When the ramp lowered, the two Jedi walked the stretcher down slowly with the droid in tow.

When she saw them, Padmé released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She hugged Anakin immediately, not really caring that Obi-Wan was right there. "You should have sent a message sooner, I thought you were dead," she reprimanded him, murmuring into his shoulder, and Anakin squeezed her tightly before setting her down on her feet. She was a lot more nimble now that she was recovering from labor.

Padmé saw Obi-Wan before she comprehended what the stretcher might mean. "I saw that both of you had been reported dead, are you al-"

And then she looked down. Then she recognized the shape of the body beneath the white sheet. Then she realized who was missing. "No, no she wasn't...how could she be...?"

There were no words that either of the Jedi could say. Obi-Wan could only lift the sheet tenderly from Ahsoka's face and fold it down so Padmé could see it really was her. Her orange skin had paled without constant blood flow, and the bones in her face were already more prominent than they had been mere hours ago. No one wanted to see what the rest of her looked like.

Padmé too began to mourn, and she leaned into Anakin for support. He didn't say anything because he knew there was nothing to say. There was nothing he could say that would bring Ahsoka back to life. It was all Obi-Wan could do to not collapse to his knees on the spot, and when he couldn't take it anymore he covered her face again. Artoo whistled sadly because he knew that there would be no more memory files with Ahsoka in them again.

Anakin held his wife a little longer, but he eventually pulled her back and held her hands. "Listen, I have to hide this shuttle. If the Republic or anyone else sees it here, no one will be safe, alright?"

She nodded and looked down, willing the tears to stop. Anakin kissed her forehead, also not caring that Obi-Wan was next to him if he was even paying attention. "I'll be right back, I promise."

He boarded the shuttle again, alone. Obi-Wan helped Padmé push the stretcher towards the house, and they handed her off to others to take care of the body. That, and they couldn't stand to look at it anymore. The occupants of the house welcomed Obi-Wan generously, and even though his heart was hardly in it, he accepted a glass of water and sat with Padmé on one of the couches in one of the common rooms while they waited for Anakin to return.

"She wasn't even a Jedi," Padmé mumbled, picking at her fingers. "Why..why was she even attacked?"

"She was attacked because Barriss Offee was behind the order," Obi-Wan answered, having no doubt in his mind now. "That, and she was protecting soldiers, ones who hadn't betrayed her."

Despite the tragedy, Padmé smiled weakly. "It sounds like something she would do," she supposed.

Obi-Wan was about to answer that yes, it was, and it wasn't the first time she had either, but Sola walked in at that moment, rubbing her eyes. "It's no use, they won't settle down. I think we should just let them be for a while and see-" and then she saw Obi-Wan.

Standing up, Padmé interceded on his behalf. It was going to get very awkward if she didn't. "This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, he's going to be staying with us. Obi-Wan, this is my sister, Sola."