DARK!OBI 18
OBI-WAN GROANED SLEEPILY, RUBBING HIS THROBBING HEAD. HE LOOKED DOWN AT THE YOUNG MAN USING HIM AS A PILLOW, A CONTENT GRIN ON HIS FACE. RUNNING HIS FINGERS THROUGH ANAKIN'S SLEEP TOSSLED HAIR, OBI-WAN CONTEMPLATED HOW FAR THE TWO OF THEM HAD COME SINCE THEY HAD FIRST MET.
HE LICKED HIS LIPS, SMILING AS HE REMEMBERED THE PREVIOUS EVENING, AS MUCH AS HE COULD REMEMBER THAT WAS. HE KNEW HE SHOULDN'T DRINK AS MUCH AS HE HAD BEEN LATELY, BUT HE WAS STRESSED. THE WAR, BEING PUT ON THE NEW COUNCIL, HIS IMPENDING FATHERHOOD, QUI-GON'S RETURN... ALL THESE THINGS WERE STRAINING HIS SANITY.
EVERYTHING WAS STARTING TO PILE UP ON HIM, CAUSING HIM TO START DOUBTING HIMSELF. 'THIS IS RIGHT, ALL MY CHOICES HAVE BEEN RIGHT,' HE GROWLED AT HIMSELF, DIGGING HIS FINGERS INTO HIS HAIR.
"STOP BROODING," ANAKIN MUTTERED INTO HIS CHEST, IN A SLEEPY-PISSED WAY. "YOU WOKE ME UP WITH YOUR THINKING."
"SORRY, LOVE," OBI-WAN WHISPERED, KISSING ANAKIN'S TEMPLE. "I CAN'T HELP IT."
ANAKIN GLARED UP AT HIS MASTER. SHAKING HIS HEAD, HE LEANED UP TO GIVE OBI-WAN A SCORCHING KISS. "MMM, LET ME DISTRACT YOU."
--- ---
SINN PACED, FEELING OBI-WAN'S FRUSTRATION. SHE WISHED SHE COULD GO TO HIM, BUT SOMETHING STOPPED HER, SOMETHING TOLD HER IF SHE WENT NOW THEN ALL WOULD BE LOST. SHE HATED THIS, HATED NOT BEING ABLE TO GO TO HIM WHEN SHE KNEW HE NEEDED HER, HATED NOT KNOWING IF SHE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO FIX WHATEVER WAS WRONG.
'DAMN IT ALL," SHE SCREAMED, TOSSING A VASE AT THE WALL, THE GLASS SHATTERING INTO THOUSANDS OF TINY SHARDS.
EVERYTHING WAS FALLING APART. ALL THOSE YEARS, PLOTTING AND PLANNING WITH HER FATHER, AND THEN PLOTTING ON HOW TO DEAL WITH HIS PLANS, WAS FOR NOTHING. WITH HER FATHER AND DOOKU DEAD, AND THE NEW CHANCELLOR ALREADY ESTABLISHING PEACE TALKS TO END THE WAR, IT FINALLY LOOKED LIKE THERE WOULD BE PEACE IN THE GALAXY. "IT'S UNFAIR," SHE SOBBED, FALLING TO HER KNEES.
"YOU THINK IT'S UNFAIR," SHE HEARD AN UNFAMILIAR VOICE SNEER FROM THE SHADOWS.
SHE SPUN HER HEAD TO THE VOICE, HAND GOING TO HER LIGHTSABER. A WOMAN STOOD IN THE SHADOWS, THE DARKSIDE WRAPPED AROUND HER LIKE A CLOAK. "WHO ARE YOU?" SINN ASKED, STANDING.
"MY NAME IS VENTRESS. I DO BELIEVE WE COULD BE GREAT ALLIES."
SINN CROSSED HER ARMS, "OH DO YOU?"
"OH YES. TOGETHER WE'LL BE ABLE TO DESTROY THE JEDI. ESPECIALLY OBI-WAN KENOBI."
SINN SWALLOWED HARD, ICE COLD DREAD FILLING HER BEING. SHE HID HER EMOTIONS BEHIND A MASK, THOUGH, GLARING AT THE DARKSIDER. TAKING ON AN ADDITUDE BRED FROM YEARS OF HER FATHER'S TRAINING, SHE LAUGHED, "I DON'T THINK THAT WILL BE NECESSARY. KENOBI IS MINE TO DEAL WITH, BE CLEAR ON THAT. YOU INTERFEAR WITH HIM, I WILL DESTROY HIM. ARE WE CLEAR, GIRL?" SHE HELD OUT HER HAND, EYEBROW RAISED.
VENTRESS NODDED, GRINNING WICKEDLY.
'I'M GLAD THAT WORKED,' SINN THOUGHT, STILL HIDING THE FEAR SHE HAD FOR HER HUSBANDS WELL BEING.
--- ---
"SOMETHING'S WRONG, ANI," OBI-WAN SAID, BRUSHING HIS HAIR OFF OF HIS SWEATY FOREHEAD.
"DO I HAVE TO DISTRACT YOU AGAIN?" ANAKIN CHUCKLED, LICKING HIS LIPS, HIS HANDS TRAVELING OVER OBI-WAN'S BODY.
OBI-WAN GLARED, PUSHING THE YOUNGER MAN AWAY, "NO, ANI. IT'S AERITH, SHE'S SCARED, I CAN FEEL IT. I NEED TO MAKE SURE SHE'S OK."
ANAKIN NODDED, HIS FACE GOING SERIOUS. QUICKLY THE TWO DRESSED, MAKING THEIR WAY OUT OF THE TEMPLE.
TBC