Falling from Grace 2/16

by Christina, kenobijedione@yahoo.com

Rating: this chapter PG-13

Warnings,disclaimer, etc. in part 1

Chapter 2: Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi

If she had to hear one more story about the battle of Naboo, Kalyia felt she would scream. She escaped from yet another suitor and slipped unseen onto the balcony adjoining the party room, breathing in the fresh night air. Another presence startled her, a cloaked figure standing at the end of the terrace. He was leaning over the edge, some would say precariously, if he were not a Jedi. But he was. It was Kenobi. Kalyia smiled and began to walk toward him then stopped, wondering if she should intrude on his private moment. He was obviously in thought, and she wondered if he'd come to the balcony to escape everyone.

Everyone.

Kenobi laughed softly and turned toward the girl, unhooding his robe as he did so. "I wasn't trying to escape from you. Never from you," he said softly, indicating he was reading into her thoughts.

The Princess laughed and continued her approach until she was right beside him, his body heat radiating against hers. She sighed, looking out over the cascading waterfall directly to their right. It's soothing rush enveloped them both and for a time, there was no need to say anything.

Finally, Kenobi spoke.

"So I guess you got over your hatred for me huh?" he asked in jest, smiling softly. He paused, then took one slight step away as she looked up at him. "Unless you didn't--"

Kalyia laughed and shook her head. "I never hated you Kenobi," she sighed, staring up into his deep blue eyes and finding herself getting lost in them as she had time and time again. "I just--" she faltered, blushing slightly and looking away. "I was young and--" Sighing again, she shook her head and looked at the ground. "I think I was afraid of how much I liked you. So I pretended I hated you. It was easier that way."

Obi-Wan was struck by her words but he did little to show it. Instead, he directed his gaze back out over the falls. "Well you sure did a good job pretending," he muttered.

The Princess sighed. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, Obi-Wan," she said sincerely, turning towards him and taking both his hands in hers. "I--" she paused, biting down on her lower lip as she often did when she was at loss for words.

Obi-Wan noticed the familiar gesture and smiled. He untangled one of his hands from hers and brushed a thumb across her lip. Kalyia immediately released her teeth and smiled sheepishly.

"Some things never change, huh?" she said softly, avoiding his eyes.

The Jedi moved his thumb from her lip and pressed his palm to her cheek, caressing her face lightly. "Some do," he recounted, reaching for her gaze. He didn't receive it. "You're infinitely more pleasant than you ever were before," he joked.

Kalyia laughed and punched Obi-Wan playfully. "Shut up!" she countered, drawing a laugh from the usually serene Jedi. She turned serious quickly and frowned. "That last time--after Qui-Gon died..."

Obi-Wan held a hand up. "You were right. I needed to get back to the Temple. I had responsibilities. I had to get back to Anakin."

"It wasn't that I wanted you to go--" Kalyia defended, suddenly uncomfortable. She shifted on her feet and stared out at the waterfall, it's rushing water reminding her of the rushing emotions coursing through her body. "I wanted you to do the right thing."

Obi-Wan turned and looked at the waterfall as well. He watched it for a long while, then turned back to the girl, raising a hand and stroking it over the back of her wind tangled hair. He smiled, and sent a message to her, hoping she'd receive it.

I know. Thank you.

It seemed she had heard him in her mind, for she turned her face slightly to him and smiled, then took two steps closer until their bodies were flush with one another. "There is something I wanted to do before you left, but you slipped away one morning and I didn't get to."

Obi-Wan tilted his head, a questioning look crossing his features. "What's that?" he murmured, enjoying their proximity, the wind rushing across them, the falls roaring in the background, feeling altogether a little too caught up in the moment.

Kalyia smiled, hesitating just a moment before raising her arms and clasping her hands behind the Jedi's neck. She stood on her tiptoes and tilted her face up, brushing her lips against his--hesitantly at first. When she felt Obi-Wan lean into her, accepting the gesture, Kalyia trailed her tongue across his bottom lip, begging further entry. He complied, opening his mouth to hers, moaning softly as tongue stroked tongue, awakening feelings that had never died. The kiss grew heated, Obi-Wan's fingers snaking across Kalyia's neck and into her hair, pushing her face closer to his in a desperate, almost urgent, gesture.

Suddenly, a prickle of the Force caused the hairs on the back of his neck to leap up, danger seeping into the caverns of his mind. He tried to push it away but it was insistent, and a noise in the shadows not so far away confirmed his suspicion. Kalyia gasped as Obi-Wan pushed her suddenly away, his light saber off his belt and ignited in a matter of seconds. Her mind was barely able to regroup from that dizzying kiss before dark strangers leapt out of nowhere, Obi-Wan cutting each one down with quick parries and sparks flying from the death-wielding blade. Kalyia grabbed for her thigh blaster, the tiny weapon she usually kept hidden on her at all times, but realized she didn't have it this night.

"Stay behind me!" Obi-Wan shouted, reaching out one arm to push her behind him just as a creature in a dark cloak grabbed for her.

The Jedi swung his light saber to the right, effectively slicing off the attackers arm in one fell swoop. It screamed, a gut-wrenching scream and tumbled off the ledge, and Kalyia squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the soft thump of his body landing on the rocks below. Then, all was quiet. All Kalyia heard was the heavy breathing coming from her own lungs as well as Obi-Wan's over the rushing of the falls. Finally the blue-white light of the light saber that had illuminated the balcony in an eerie glow clicked off and Obi-Wan, still alert of his Jedi senses, turned toward the Princess.

"Are you okay?"

Kalyia bit down on her bottom lip, this time out of nervousness, as her eyes darted to the left and right. "Yeah, I'm okay," she muttered distractedly, straining to see around Obi-Wan into the darkened falls for more danger.

The Jedi grabbed her arm and placed the sleeve of his cloak over her suddenly throbbing bicep. "You're bleeding," he informed her, lifting the soft wool and revealing her bloodied flesh. He glanced up into her eyes, searching for pain there. He saw only confusion, fear, and maybe a little discomfort. Replacing the wool on her wound, he lifted his other arm and spoke into his comm link, calling the royal bodyguards.

"This is Jedi Kenobi. There's been an attempt on the Princess' life," he reported. He listened a moment then nodded. "The balcony terrace on the west side of the party room, facing the falls."

He clicked off the comm link and lifted the wool again, inspecting the girl's wound. It was a long cut, probably made from a knife, but not too deep, and Obi-Wan didn't think it would require stitches. Just before they were flanked with guards, he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on Kalyia's forehead. "It'll be okay," he whispered.

***

Once the Princess had been safely whisked away, Obi-Wan went in search of his Padawan. He found the boy, surrounded by adoring young girls who laughed at all of his jokes and hung onto his every word. He smiled as he approached.

"Padawan."

Anakin stepped out of his adoring circle and approached his Master. "Yes, Master?"

"We are to report to the Queen in her quarters in ten minutes. If we are not to be late we must leave now," Obi-Wan instructed, smiling distractedly at the girls who were whispering and giggling to themselves as the two Jedi talked.

"But Master," Anakin protested, gesturing to the girls. "I'm just making new friends." He smiled knowingly at Obi-Wan who did not smile back.

Obi-Wan knew what Anakin's plans were for the night. He would fulfill the wish of one of them, possibly two of them, of intimately encountering a real life Jedi. He would give them stories to relay to their friends at parties for years to come. Then, he would leave them at dawn, breaking hearts as he did so, never to be seen again. The older Jedi couldn't fault the boy. At seventeen years old, he'd had such things on his mind as well. But he was infinitely more focused on his training than Anakin was. Anakin had a cockiness and self-assurance that Obi-Wan just did not possess at that age. Skywalker felt that there was no more his Master could teach him. He did not want to wait the year's worth of training until the Trials. He wanted to be granted Knightdom now. And Obi-Wan knew the boy wasn't ready. Yes, the Force was extremely strong in him. Yes, he had talents that even his Master and other Jedi Masters did not possess. But his patience, serenity and common sense were not where they should be. He took unnecessary risks, put importance in the wrong things, and displayed no patience. The boy rarely meditated, as though he thought it was a waste of time.

Obi-Wan sighed. "We must go now, Padawan. There has been an attempt on the Princess' life."

Anakin's eyes widened at the mention of the Princess. He turned fully toward his Master and spoke urgently. "The Princess? Is she okay?"

Nodding, Obi-Wan pulled his Padawan away from his admirers and began to walk him toward the Queen's quarters.

"She is fine," he assured the boy. "We were on the terrace when attackers came out of no where."

Anakin stopped walking and looked around. He hadn't even realized they'd left the party and were now in a deserted corridor, no doubt the way to the Queen's quarters. He turned toward Obi-Wan.

"You were with her on the terrace?"

There was no mistaking the accusation in his voice, or the twinge of jealousy. Now Anakin was sure there was more to his Master's relationship with the Princess than he'd let on. He'd find out exactly what it was sooner or later, of that he was certain. Carefully, he closed off the link between Master and Padawan, determined not to let Obi-Wan know how much the realization bothered him. Anakin wasn't quite sure himself why it bothered him if his Master and the Princess were close. He'd had an overwhelming desire to have her from the moment he laid eyes on her, but the boy was sure that was a feeling that accompanied most men when they met the Princess. He shook his head, pushing the confusing thoughts to the recesses of his mind. Perhaps he would meditate on them later.

The Jedi Knight pulled his reluctant Padawan further down the corridor. It was unacceptable to be late in the Queen's presence. He did not want to have to explain their delay as there was no permissible explanation. He answered Anakin's earlier question once they were moving swiftly through the castle again.

"Yes, we were on the terrace, getting some air." It was all he revealed.

He told his Padawan the details of the attack: how many, what they were wearing and what weapons they held. He said nothing of the distraction he was engaged in just before. Obi-Wan was ashamed at letting his defenses down so readily, especially in the company of royalty with no bodyguards present. But there had been a bodyguard present, it was him. He was expected, as a Jedi, to always serve and protect the people. And he'd nearly failed. He was sure the Queen wished to reprimand him.

***

Kalyia winced as the last of the antiseptic was applied to her wound. A white bandage was wrapped around her bicep and finally, no blood seeped through. Seven medics had attended her simple cut and she was grateful when they finally dispersed. Being the Princess of Coruscant certainly had its advantages. Privacy, however, was not one of them. She looked up at her mother at this thought, who was sitting on her throne, discussing matters of protection for herself and her daughter. Catching the Queen's stern gaze, Kalyia quickly looked away. It was as though she knew just what her daughter was doing on the terrace before the attack.

Kalyia was embarrassed for her discord with the Jedi. She often let herself be swept away by handsome men, at the expense of her safety. She couldn't count the times she'd evaded bodyguards with this boyfriend or that. Surely her mother knew it was her unbridledness that led to this latest attack.

Instead, her mother smiled, her eyes flitting to the entryway. Kalyia nearly jumped at the sight of Kenobi and his apprentice. She swallowed hard, willing herself to remain calm. What are they doing here? Did my mother summon them? Is she going to reprimand Obi-Wan? Oh please don't let her reprimand Obi-Wan in front of all these people.

The Jedi approached and bowed deeply to the Queen. They wore their hoods over their heads as a sign of respect until the first words were uttered.

"Your Highness," Obi-Wan greeted, removing his hood as he did so. His Padawan did the same.

The Queen nodded and motioned her guards away. She studied the Jedi for some time, her eyes flicking over them then nodding in approval.

"Jedi Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker, thank you for coming on such short notice. I apologize for taking you away from the party." She did not wait for them to respond before she began speaking again. "My dear Obi-Wan," she began, changing from her formal air to a more familiar one. "I understand I have you to thank for protecting my precious daughter."

She paused and Obi-Wan nodded respectfully. He did not know what to say, so he said nothing. Qui-Gon always seemed so at ease with the Queen. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was not. His Master had once told him jokingly that if he'd had the Princess in his bed, he would not be quite as at ease with the Queen either. Obi-Wan had laughed at the time, but he knew his Master's words to be true. When the Queen still did not speak, Obi-Wan found his words.

"I fear I was not able to keep her completely safe. She was wounded....?"

The Queen raised her hand in a dismissive gesture, shaking her head as she did so. "Oh my dear boy, she is quite fine as you can see for yourself."

The two Jedi turned to the Princess who sat directly behind them. Obi-Wan smiled briefly at her, then turned back to the Queen. Anakin's gaze on the girl remained a bit longer, until Kalyia tilted her head at him, indicating him to turn back as his Master had. Anakin smiled candidly and did so.

"We will be spending some time in our summer home, just west of the Jedi Temple," the Queen revealed. "It is our safest residence. I would like you both to accompany us there while we search for the identity of the attackers. Once we find them, the Council will investigate the threat and decide whether or not to create a mission to rid them from our land."

Obi-Wan's heart leapt into his throat. The mere suggestion of being Kalyia's protector thrilled him. The more time he got to spend with her, the better. He wondered if it would persuade his Padawan to continue in his quest to gain the admiration of the Princess, or if connections would be revealed in such close quarters, teaching him the truth of Obi-Wan's past with her. He wasn't sure what would happen, but was in no place to reject the mission anyway. Instead, he turned his mind to his Master and begged the spirit's help.

What will be, will be, Padawan, Qui-Gon said in his mind. Focus your mind on the duties requested of you. The will of the Force takes care of the rest.

Obi-Wan smiled and bowed deeply to the Queen again. "We are honored to be your protectors, my Queen," he said graciously.