Torn (An Anakin x OC x Obi Wan Story)

one

    "You have to be joking," Jaia's voice, monotone and clear, echoed through the empty Jedi Temple hall. It's disappointment was clear to Anakin, who stood before her, his eyebrows furrowed. Shushing her, he looked upon Jaia with pleading eyes, trying not to argue against her defensive stance.
    "I know it's not ideal for you," he whispered aggressively, "But Padme needs me in right now." His eyes intensified, a pleading implication of his secret relationship. Of course, Jaia already knew. She had known ever since she had caught the two of them, Anakin and Padme, canoodling together on a diplomatic mission, much to her own surprise. She had known ever since her own heart shattered at the image of another girl tasting Anakin's lips. She had known ever since Anakin had apologized to her... obsessively, for making her feel more than a friend. Still, she had never known Anakin to be one to follow the rules.
    She wasn't so different from her best friend, either.
    "Ani," she huffed, "He hates my guts. The dude thinks I'm an absolute abomination to the Jedi Order. And if you keep skipping missions to make yourself available to Padme-,"
    "He doesn't hate you, Jaia." Anakin was less than sure, trying to support his own case. "It's just one mission." His gaze scanned over Jaia, her red hair gleaming like embers under the harsh lighting of the Coruscant sky through the windows, her green eyes intensely darkened with her annoyance. "You know I'd ask Ahsoka if she were around... but-,"
    "I know," She stopped him from finishing the sentence. Ahsoka, the Jedi padawan of Anakin, had left the temple not too long ago. The loss still stung, a wound that hasn't healed in Jaia's heart. Similarly, she was aware of Anakin's pain every time they had to speak of their old friend. In result, Jaia made it a point to keep him from dwelling on the subject for too long.
    She needed to get back to the subject at hand. "Does Padme absolutely need you?" Her teeth were gritted, her heart heavy at the mention of Padme. It wasn't easy to speak about their relationship without getting angry, emotional. Still, Jaia did her best to keep her feelings hidden and less than obvious.
    "Yes." His voice was unfaltering.
    Sighing, Jaia flickered her eyes to the ceiling, rolling them with disappointment. "How long is the mission?"
    "Two weeks at the least," Anakin said, "You and Obi Wan will be infiltrating the separatist base on Christophsis and relaying information back to the Jedi Temple."
    "Alone?" Reluctant to admit it, Anakin winced, words failing to escape him. Groaning, Jaia crossed her arms, and glared at the jedi across from her. "You are so lucky I am a good friend," she finished quietly, earning a thankful smirk from Skywalker.
    "I'll make it up to you, I promise." Anakin spoke softly, looking behind him, and then back to the dreading Jaia. His voice had sent chills through her that she desperately fought off. He's literally using you to spend time with another woman... relax. "He's uh-... he's on the ship waiting."
    She hadn't been aware that the mission was about to begin immediately. Blinking, Jaia saluted Anakin, unable to hide her annoyance, her nerves. It would have been ideal to be given time to prepare for such an uncomfortable circumstance. Alas, Jaia would have to face Obi Wan without preparation, a feat that would prove more than difficult.
    "Thanks for the heads up, Ani," Jaia spoke sarcastically, her eyes intensifying at the Jedi, who blushed and shrugged back at her. "You owe me," she added, turning away from him and making her way down the hall.
    "I'll make sure to get you drunk when you get back," he called to her, just making Jaia roll her eyes again. It was such a typical Anakin thing for him to offer, but it wasn't something she was against. More weekends than not, Anakin and Jaia found their way to Coruscant pubs after battles, drinking till they practically fell over.
    Not such a Jedi thing to do... but it was fun, nonetheless.
    The shipyard was mostly empty, except for a few Jedi Temple guards scattered across the large plot of land, their weapons positioned at rest. Ahead of her, Jaia heard the purring of a decently sized ship's engine, smoke sputtering from the exhaust pipes. That was the one.
    The entrance shaft was wide open, expecting a guest, so Jaia walked on with ease, trying to prepare her mind for what was to come. The halls of the ship were tidied up, despite the outside of the aircraft being filthy and covered with soot and dirt. These were two hallmarks of a ship commonly used by Anakin and Obi Wan; dirty on the outside, the way Anakin made it, and clean on the inside, the way Obi Wan would keep it.
    After she entered, the shaft immediately closed behind her, and she made her way into the pilot's deck, her throat beginning to feel heavy and reluctant. As soon as she caught a glimpse of him, it didn't help.
    Obi Wan was sitting back in the co-pilot's chair, his leg crossed over his knee as he leaned forward in heavy thought and preparation. His ginger-brown hair lay neatly on his face, complemented by the prim facial hair that sat on his jawline like snow. Cold, just like he had always been to Jaia.
    He had beaten her to speak. "Where is Anakin?" He asked without turning around. As usual, his voice was cold and stale to her. Jaia rolled her eyes, assuming the pilot chair's seat, and turning to Obi Wan.
    "He's not coming," she said simply, her eyes wandering to meet Obi Wan's which narrowed into her own. "He had an emergency to attend to, so he asked me to fill in for him."
    "How wonderful." Obi Wan's voice was monotone, but displeased as ever. Jaia remained silent just for a moment, as she studied his features, his judging frown and his specs of pupils.
    "This will be a whole lot easier if you refrain from your smart talk, Kenobi."
    "I can say the same for you," Obi Wan shot back quickly, "Lets not pretend you don't like to snap your tongue whenever you get the chance."
    Jaia's face went red with anger, but she remained quiet, instead, focusing her energy on getting the ship off the Coruscant ground. As it lifted and took off, she had relaxed just a bit, her cheeks fading to pink as her eyes were mesmerized by the light-speed view.
    They remained quiet, their tangible hatred and anger filling the space of the shuttle. Jaia tried to distract herself, but her mind was occupied with thoughts of Kenobi, of her anger at Anakin for putting her in such an awkward position.
    Since the day she had begun training as a padawan alongside Anakin, Obi Wan had not shown any sort of liking to Jaia, despite her similarity to Anakin. Yes, she was rash, and sometimes impulsive, but overall, Jaia was a caring and well behaved Jedi. That is... if she weren't alongside Kenobi.
    Something about his tone, his teaching techniques, his sharp tongue and cunning mind made Jaia shiver with disgust. It was evident that these qualities were also present in her own self, but two wrongs didn't make a right in her eyes. Obi Wan and Jaia repelled one another with their similar sassy lifestyles.
    "You're veering off track," Obi Wan muttered. His face had been glued to the navigation for who knew how long, and Jaia sighed.
    "Would you rather fly?" She asked him harshly, and Obi Wan looked away, back at his feet before they could make eye contact. She nodded at her victory, continuing the trek, though adjusting her course just a bit. Obi Wan was right, she had veered off track just a bit.
    But Jaia would die before she gave him the satisfaction of agreeing with him.
   
   
    Arriving at the Christophsis base was a long, unpleasantly silent journey. The ship remained as quiet as a deserted planet, the air stale and cold between Jaia and Obi Wan. Every now and again, he'd shift a gear, comment on her flying, and then fall silent again. As best as she could, Jaia remained civil, and focused on their destination.
    "Well that was a lot less painful than it could have been," Obi Wan commented as the ship halted on the ground of the now eerily-deserted planet. Glancing over to him, Jaia scanned his face. Obi Wan had been making his best attempt at... a positive interaction, perhaps? She couldn't be sure.
    "If that was your idea of something nice to say to me-," she stuttered, "That was pathetic."
    "I'm just trying to make this a bit easier on the two of us, Jaia." His voice was plain, stern, and suddenly less argumentative regardless of the context. Obi Wan had fallen into a calm and collected state of mind, trying to reach out to Jaia to finish what he had started; making this mission just a bit more pleasant.
    Knowing she couldn't criticize his efforts- them being better than nothing- Jaia nodded, and sighed. "I appreciate that," she said quietly, but trailed into different thoughts, "I don't even know why you hate me."
    "I don't hate you, Jaia," he corrected her, "We're just... different."
    "Anakin and I are practically the same-,"
    "You distract him and he follows your lead." Obi Wan cut her off before Jaia could finish her claim. His brows had furrowed, the silence of the no-longer-running ship pairing with the cold blood running through Jaia's veins.
    "I distract him," she repeated blankly.
    "You distract each other."
    "That's not what you said."
    "Well-," Obi Wan trailed off, struggling to find the right words, obviously taken aback from the argumentation. He had tried his best to avoid it, but as usual, it seemed to be inevitable between him and Jaia.
    "Well, what?" Jaia pushed, her heart hammering with anger. Obi Wan looked down at his feet, and back up at her with his brow lifted in dissatisfaction. "I'd like to know what it is you so desperately despise about me."
    "I don't-," He began, but stopped himself, taking a breath. "You make your emotions very clear." Obi Wan made eye contact with Jaia, her face going pale almost instantly, "And you let them guide your decisions, especially with Anakin."
    Silence. What a great way to start a mission. Skin flushed of color, eyes blaring with embarrassment, Jaia stared back at him intensely. She couldn't argue; Obi Wan was too good with sensing emotions. That being said, Jaia found herself surprised she hadn't considered his reasons for disliking her being connected to his ability before. Now, it seemed obvious, and Jaia felt foolish. Pull yourself together.
"I could be wrong, Kenobi-," she started, pacing towards the Jedi Master with a sly attitude, "But your claims seem a bit hypocritical if you factor in your so-called friendship with the Duchess of Mandalore."
    Obi Wan kept still, unphased by the comment, or at least trying to make it seem that way. Having had approached him closely, Jaia glared at Obi Wan in a new light, less than a foot away from his body, his chest rising and falling in front of her with visible anger.
As they glared at one another, it became hard for Jaia to break her view. Obi Wan's eyes, glassy and focused, blared a bright blue, his brows creased perfectly into the frown that held his face. Pursing his lips, Obi Wan shook his head, and headed towards the opening shaft of the ship. She had won the argument this time.
"Let's get this over with," he sighed, as Jaia followed the Jedi Master onto the surface of Christophsis.