WALK AWAY || a.s.

08

when marwen returned to consciousness, the first sensation she regained had been smell. citrus. it was the same overly-clean smell that coated hospital rooms. she remembered why she hated infirmaries, the scent nauseated her.

marwen's eyes fluttered open. the fluorescent lights took a moment to adjust to. a figure stood next to her bed, puzzled and brooding. she blinked.

"general skywalker."

"you're awake." he stated, watching her. he sighed, crossing his arms.

"what happened?" she asked, trying to sit up.

"you got blasted. it's not terrible, but you're gonna feel it hard tomorrow." anakin said in a lighter tone. he shook his head. "what was that?" he asked her. marwen's mouth was still dry.

"what was what?"

"you know what." he retorted. "you running out right at the exact moment the shot rang out, you were in the perfect spot at the perfect time. what did you see?" anakin questioned. marwen was unsure how to respond.

"i...dont know, i guess i saw someone...hiding." she offered. it wasn't true, or at least she wasn't sure if it was. she had seen someone, but it wasn't with her eyes. anakin fell silent.

"earlier this morning, you said padme was in danger. did you know that would happen?" he asked. his voice was softer now, less agitated. safer. marwen let herself relax a little.

"i'm not sure." she said truthfully. "i felt uneasy, i guess it had led up to that." marwen admitted. "i thought that was the right thing to do at the time. as it turns out, i was right." she looked down, avoiding his gaze. anakin was suspicious of her, she could tell. he paused, trying to find something to say.

"you felt it." he stated. marwen met his gaze again. she didn't have to say anything to confirm his words. "marwen, have you felt these things before? about padme?" marwen chewed the inside of her cheek, looking away once more. she sighed.

"i know what it is you're insinuating." she told him. anakin uncrossed his arms and took a step forward. "and the answer, is no. no, i do not experience what it is the force conveys." marwen's expression hardened again. "i have a strong intuition, and i trust it. it's nothing more, nothing less." she told him firmly. anakin nodded. suddenly, padme appeared in the doorway, shortly followed by ahsoka and obiwan.

"marwen, oh my god." she rushed to her friend, sitting at her side. her face was fearful, but thankful that the girl was okay. "you saved my life." she said, astonished at not only the bravery, but the stupidity. her gratitude turned to frustration as she gave a critical look. "and you could have gotten yourself killed." padme shook her head.

"all in a day's work." marwen offered a weak smile. ahsoka took note, seeing a side that marwen often hid-- the side she had been confronted about hiding. and yet, she had offered a glimmer of humor in a situation of high stakes and high emotion. because of padme.

"you did something very stupid." she criticized. "but you saved me, and i can never thank you enough for that. but, marwen--"

"you don't have to thank me." marwen cut off her friend. padme gave her a knowing look.

"there's something that we need to discuss." she said seriously. marwen's more smug and soft smile fell as she realized what is was padme was going to bring up. she huffed.

"not this again." she said under her breath.

"marwen, you were a nervous mess all day. you ran in front of a blast that you didn't see coming, a blast that a jedi didn't see coming. that's not something you can pick up from intuition alone. there's something else at play here--"

"padme, i'm not having this conversation." marwen struggled to raise herself further into a sitting position.

"but you should be." obiwan interjected. "it seems that the force is allowing itself to be channeled through you, your intuition being amplified." he explained. padme eyed the girl.

"it would be different if this were an isolated incident." she said.

"wait, this has happened before?" ahsoka asked. marwen huffed, rubbing her temples.

"not exactly." she said. the jedi seemed to have appointed some interest.

"marwen has pulled us from situations that have resulted in scenarios that aren't very favorable-- situations that others were not so lucky to avoid." padme explained. marwen noted the reference, an incident involving a faulty engine on a tranfer trip meant to take a group of representatives to a neighboring system for a negotiation involving a policy proposition. she had convinced padme and a few others to busy with work that should have been finalized before their departure while the others left. the hyperdrive had faltered and resulted in an explosion, killing the few on board.

smaller incidents had also occurred, but none as life-threatening.

"i may be lucky, but i am no jedi. i don't wish to be." marwen said sternly.

"but the council could help you. they could offer you some explanation as to what it is that you're feeling. master yoda knows exactly how to handle visions like the ones you have." ahsoka assured her. marwen almost laughed, shaking her head.

"i know what the order does. it whisks you away, hiding you in a temple while the world turns around you. you're taken from what you love, and who you love, and can never go back." marwen snapped. anakin's eyes fell, knowing all too well her hesitation, and even resentment.

"becoming a jedi has offered so many possibilities and opportunities to learn. it's given me a family." ahsoka stepped forward.

"but i already have a family. i don't want to leave them." marwen looked to padme, who felt her worry. she offered her friend a sympathetic look, and reached for her hand. the room fell silent. marwen had valid reason for her distaste.

"you could train under obiwan." anakin spoke suddenly and without thought. all heads whipped in his direction, obiwan suddenly defensive.

"anakin--" he started.

"we could ask the council, bring you to them, and your worry. they'd appeal to us, they've done it before." anakin explained.

"well yes, but that's because--"

"padme is a friend to the council, she's a respected senator of the republic. you could train under obiwan and remain close to her that way." he continued.

"general, what about my mother?" marwen pointed out, making a point she wasn't convinced. this caused anakin's streak to falter, and he pondered a response. nothing came out. "i don't want to follow the code of an order that i don't always agree with. as much as you are respectable, you're also powerful. your order has a level of involvement and political affiliation that, quite frankly, i don't think is appropriate." she said bluntly. ahsoka was taken back at her bluntness. padme gave her friend's hand a squeeze.

"marwen, you can trust them. i do. with my life." she assured her. marwen sighed, shaking her head.

"if i am being honest, i trust them only about as far as i can throw them." padme rolled her eyes.

"listen to me. listen to ahsoka and obiwan. and anakin. the jedi can offer you guidance. you helped me, now let me help you. let me offer you an opportunity." she said earnestly. perhaps marwen could be swayed. she watched the group for a moment.

"what happens if the council decides to turn me away? i wasn't raised within the temple." marwen offered as another excuse. the room was silent. finally, obiwan spoke.

"i will speak to the council personally." he said with a nod. anakin turned to him, surprised his on-the-spot offer seemed to stick. "you'll come with us and speak yourself. i assure you shelter within the temple. and your mother will be within your contact. i'll make sure of it." obiwan told her affirmatively. the doubts in marwen's head begged her to deny and ask something daunting, but she stopped when she saw the hope in padme's eyes. she truly wanted to help marwen. while uneasy, she agreed. she would go with the three jedi back to coruscant to the temple

and begin her jedi training.

END OF PART ONE