"Obi-Wan?!" The wind blew through our hair as the speeder dove down, cars speeding by and their horns sounding through our ears. My hands grasped for anything that might steady me as I watched the surface come closer with each passing second. I was used to flying, but this was something entirely different.
"Hold on!" He took action instantly, diving forward and pushing the driver's now limp body to the side. Obi-Wan tried to retake control of the vehicle, pushing multiple buttons and holding the wheel in his hands, pulling it up. I could hear him groan in frustration even over the deafening sound of our downfall. "They shot the engine, we're dead in the air!"
He tried his best to steady the vehicle, to slow our descent but it was all in vain. The entire thing was spiralling out of control, smoke trailing behind us.
"What in the..." My day just kept getting worse. Leaning forward, I grasped his arm tightly, feeling the muscles straining beneath the fabric, redirecting his gaze back to mine. Blue met green as he waited for me to say something, his hair flying before his eyes as the moment of impact grew ever closer. "Let me fly us out of here before, -"
"No! You can't use the seidr!" Obi-Wan protested immediately, scowl apprearing as he glanced around for other options. Even he knew that we were moments away from disaster when he saw the surface come into our view.
"Obi-Wan, you idiot, just let me, -" Before I could stop him his arms were wrapped around my waist as he pulled us both from the speeder right before it crashed on the ground. He'd jumped right out of the backseat with me held tightly in his arms, landing a few feet away from the explosion that erupted after. I could feel him use the force to slow our fall, phantom hands catching us mid air but when he hit the ground they soon disappeared.
We tumbled and fell, rolling over the cold hard surface till our bodies came to a hard stop. Somewhere in the process he'd let go of me, his body rolling even further. Where before I was afraid I'd for his touch, I now ached to feel it again for I lost him in the chaos and I could only think of the worst scenarios.
I was lying on the ground, limbs pulled into an uncomfortable position, debris covering my body. A loud peep rang through my ears as I struggled to lift myself from the ground, my vision blurry and hazy as I blinked. The impact had knocked the air right out of my lungs, my head hurting by the mere force we were thrown out.
"Obi?" I mumbled as I tumbled on my limbs, getting on my hands and knees as the smoke clouded my vision and coughs ripped through my body when I breathed in the smoke. There was only rubble and debris before me, a fire burning in the wreckage that did little to clear the air. We had landed somewhere in an industrial site, a dark alley surrounded only by metal buildings.
"Obi-Wan?!" Repeating, I tried to search for him in the chaos as I got back on my feet, finding support as I leaned against a wall close by. Worry started to fill my body, desperate pleas falling from my lips before I could stop myself. "Obi, where are you?!"
"Lyanna, get down!" Right after I heard his voice I felt an invisible force pushing me down to the ground, my legs giving in under the pressure and making me fall to my knees behind the wall. There was no doubt in my mind that it had been his doing.
"For Thor's sake, -" I grumbled, my eyes finding him hiding behind what remained of one of the speeder's doors. Before I could declare my displeasure I heard a blaster shot hit the wall right beside my head, making me duck down behind the wall further.
"Bloody hell!" My heart hammered in my chest as my eyes shot to Obi-Wan's, watching as he ignited his lightsaber and a scowl appeared around his lips.
"Princess, stay there!" His eyes flickered to me before they tried to find the shooter behind the smoke again. The icy blue from his weapon casted eery shadows on his face, devouring him of all warmth. "I'll be right back, don't move!" His light brown tunic waved around him as he rounded the corner, ducking behind cover as another shot almost hit him.
"No, Obi!" He didn't even try to hear me, his body disappearing from my sight as he ventured further into the cloud of smoke and to the origin of the blasts. "Dammit!" I cursed, hitting the ground with my balled fists and laying my head back against the wall. "Could this day get any worse?" Mumbling, I closed my eyes and tried to slow my hammering heartbeat. The sound of blaster fire kept going further into the distance until all I could hear were soft explosions.
A sinister snicker interrupted my moment of peace. Opening my eyes immediately, they scanned my surroundings. I only saw whatever was left of the speeder and a few burning spots, the area around us abandoned.
"Who's there?" I stood back to my feet, my hand grasping for my sword but finding it taken. "Bloody jedi." Groaning, I stepped forward, watching the darkness of the alley in hope of finding my assailant. Obi-Wan had disappeared off in the distance, leaving me to fend for myself. "What do you want?!"
Another mad giggle resounded through the empty street. When I thought I saw something moving in the distance I squinted my eyes, focussing on patch of darkness. "You have no idea who you're dealing with -" Hands grasped around my neck suddenly, long legs wrapping around me from behind and making me tumble backwards as I tried to recover from the shock that ripped through me.
"Sleep well, your majesty." A female voice mockingly whispered, placing some kind of taser against my neck. She activated the device but all it did was let the electricity conduct through my armor and flow right back to her.
Without thinking I pushed back till we hit the wall, earning an angry scowl from the one holding me as she jolted against the electricity. Her grip around me loosened, making me able to detach myself and turn around in one swift move. With the momentum gained I put all my energy into my fist as I tried to hit her right on her face but came into contact with the wall after she had dodged skilfully.
"You're going to pay for that." I growled, turning towards my assailant and taking in her ragged appearance. Her face was covered with some weird mask, her body slim and long. There was no doubt in my mind that she was well trained after I studied her posture.
"No, I'm going to get paid." Her voice was rough and coarse. She lifted her leg, trying to land a hard blow but I stepped aside before she could, trying to regain balance as I shifted my weight. She was fast, I soon discovered, as she suddenly kicked me down to the ground with a hard side-blow.
I was just in time to see her grasp for a gun on her belt and aim at me to roll aside and watch the luminescent blue bolt hit the ground right where I had been. The one thing that baffled me was that it wasn't a normal shot, no, she had set it to stun.
"Stay still, you little," She shot again and again as I crawled backwards, dodging each shot. When my back met another wall I used it to push myself up, lifting my body and placing my two feet against her chest, kicking her back.
She collided with something behind her, tumbling over her feet as she groaned in pain, her mask falling from her face. "Try again, assassin." I growled as I lifted my fists before my face, narrowing my eyes at her. If the jedi wouldn't let me use the seidr, I would have to punch her unconscious instead. Her giggle soon echoed through the alley as she faced me again, dumbfounding me when I met her almost white eyes.
"Oh, I will." Pale skin, dark purple markings covering her bald head. She smiled devishly, her hands grasping for the two sabres on her belt. She ignited them, showing me two red lightsabers, blinding my vision almost entirely.
"Bloody hell." Stepping back, I tried to get away from her reach. Fists wouldn't exactly compete with two lightsabers, that much was sure. I needed a weapon, anything, to defend myself, or the help of one jedi I wasn't sure was still near. Or, some sort of diversion would to the trick. All I had to do was wait for an opening. I reached out for one of the burning pieces and threw the piece of metal her way but all she did was slice it in half and continue her relentless pursuit with a mad grin.
In one sudden move she extended her arm, pushing me back using the force and making my back collide with the wall behind me. She then closed her fist, tightening the grip she had around my neck and making me gasp for air.
My vision became blurred with pained tears, my mind going foggy. All I saw were those two bright red sabres coming my way, her white eyes focused on mine like a predator. A scowl appeared on my face as I narrowed my eyes, beginning to conjure the familiar fire that played within me.
"Ventress!" Obi Wan's voice made my heart flutter with relief. The grip around me loosened, making me slump down till my lower body hit the ground, dizziness fogging my mind.
I glanced back and saw his root-covered face appear from the smoke with lightsaber in hand. Even during all this, I noticed that the battle-worn look suited him incredibly well. "Doing Count Dooku's dirty work again? I thought you moved on, my darling."
"Darling?" I glanced between the two as pulled myself up. Without me wanting to, a pang of jealousy shot through me.
"Master Kenobi!" Her shrill voice made me cringe as a big smile appeared on her bald head. "Have you obtained another pet? Had enough of Skywalker already?"
"Pet?!" I exclaimed in anger, my eyes narrowing even further. Even though he was here, the urge to burn her to a crisp was getting bigger each passing moment.
"What do you want with her, Ventress?" There was danger in his voice, a warning. Obi-Wan wasn't playing anymore and he wanted to show her that. Even I felt chills run up my spine. He held his lightsaber tightly in his hands as he stalked closer to her.
"There's a contract on her, my dear Obi-Wan." She almost seemed to sigh in boredom as she waved her sabres around. To her, it was obvious. "I'm only here to get my pay." She sneered.
"A contract?!" I felt oddly left out as I glanced between the two. There was clearly a history between them, one I would definitely ask him about later.
"Who's?" Obi-Wan questioned as he lifted his lightsaber, pointing it at her head. He stepped before me, pulling me behind him by placing his hand against my waist. Protesting slightly, trying to push his hand away, he paid me no extra mind as I struggled.
"Oh, Kenobi." She chuckled as she shook her head, glancing downwards momentarily before lifting her suddenly threatening gaze to him. "Always one step behind." The corner of her mouth pulled up in a snarl. Yet, there was something in her eyes. A reluctance, fear almost. She knew that she couldn't compete with him, or at least not with the two of us together.
"Who's contract?!" Obi-Wan pressed on.
"Someone who's willing to pay a lot of money." Her eyes darkened. "Enough to get me out of this stinking dump."
Obi-Wan stilled for a moment and she used it to her advantage. Her hands grasped for a small pouch on her belt which she then threw on the ground, creating a cloud of smoke around us. Our vision of the alley practically became non-existent, only the light of her red lightsabers were visible. She threw one my way, my eyes widening when I saw the luminescent colour coming straight towards me.
In response Obi immediately pulled me down to the ground, throwing us both on the surface as he shielded my body with his to dodge the attack and to protect me from whatever trick she had used.
As the fog cleared the space she previously vacated was empty. Obi-Wan looked around quickly with his saber raised, trying to spot my assailant but finding the site completely abandoned.
"I think she's... gone." A frown appeared on his face, settling between his eyebrows and making creases appear on his forehead as it deepened with worry. "We need to be careful, princess, there may be more on the way."
I found myself staring at his eyes from down below while trapped beneath his body. It was like the whole universe had vanished in a second, leaving only us and this dim-lit alleyway. It didn't matter that the speeder was burning just a few feet away, or that we had just been attacked.
My breath caught in my throat as I watched his face from up close, the way his lips moved and the way his auburn hair fell before his eyes. Root covered his skin, ashes stuck in his beard, black spots around his eyes that made the light blue even more vibrant.
I'd tried to remember his face almost every day, thinking I had the complete picture in mind but missing all those little details that made him who he was. With time my memory faded, and the image became foggy. Those crinkles by his eyes, the small hints of gold waved through the ocean blue. He was mesmerizing, like it was the first time I saw.
"Obi." Soft whispers fell from my lips, drawing his attention back to me. Gods, I wanted to kiss him. To feel the gentle warmth of his body again, the safety of his arms wrapped around me. To fulfil the promise that I had made with myself for when I first saw him again.
Obi-Wan felt the sudden chance in my mood, glancing down at me and watching with close attention as I lifted my hand, reaching out for the single lock of hair that had fallen before his eyes. He didn't make any attempt to stop me, his expression softening and his breath slowing. His gaze dropped to my lips and his hand ventured to my waist.
He betrayed you. That same voice suddenly rang through my head, shaking me from the trance I'd found myself in. My whole body froze as realization dawned on me, the realization that everything that had happened today was because he told them everything. My heart filled with anger again, pushing away the tiny space that the adoration had retaken.
"Get off." I grumbled as I pushed him aside and crawled from underneath him, standing up on my own feet. He landed on his back; his eyes stuck on me as a confused look came over him. My eyes scanned the area for the assassin as my hands dusted off my armour, trying my hardest not to look at him again and let myself be dragged away.
"You're welcome, of course, my dearest queen." Obi-Wan mumbled sarcastically as he himself stood up. "Anything for you." He bent down to grasp his lightsaber from the ground and then straightened up, our eyes locking while the speeder burned in the corners of our vision.
"A friend of yours?" I questioned, motioning towards the space Ventress had previously occupied.
"No." He sighed deeply, looking at the wreckage as he ran his hand through his hair. He then put his hands on his hip, biting his lip as he processed everything that had happened. "I'm afraid your situation has grown even more complicated, my dear."
"Tell me something new." I followed his movements, stalling right beside him and watching the flames engulf the vehicle. The driver had long since been burned to ashes. He was but an innocent, trapped in the wreckage that had become my life. Guilt filled me as I watched the flames lick around, warming our faces with their path of doom.
Obi-Wan lifted his wrist to his mouth, pushing the button to his commlink. "Masters, come in." He spoke clearly as his eyes narrowed. "I need reinforcements. There's been an attempt on queen Fireheart's life."
Oooooh snap
Shit is getting real
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Some Ventress action let's gooooo. (Wanted to prepare you for the Maul action that is coming, which I'm more than excited for.) For the non-clone wars fans out there, don't worry. If there's anything you're missing just ask and I'm sure we'll answer it straight away (or just watch the show because it's AWESOME.)
Hope you had a great week. Stay healthy!